The torta de turroncillos for Candelaria in Talayuelas

Candlemas and the turroncillos cake of Talayuelas

At the Candelaria festival in Talayuelas, the mayordomas, the women responsible for the celebration, make a torta de turroncillos the preceding weekend as an offering to the Virgen de la Candelaria. This communal practice is passed on by women, through long days of work, meals and conversation in which the village's memory is handed down.

A festival made by hand

In Talayuelas, Candelaria brings together devotion, communal work and what passes from one generation to the next. At its centre is the torta de turroncillos, a sweet offering made by the women together, with the skill passed chiefly from woman to woman.

Preparation begins the weekend before the festival. Early in the morning the mayordomas, the women responsible for the celebration, go together to the church and spend the whole day there, until the afternoon or evening. They pay for the ingredients and together make the torta offered to the Virgen de la Candelaria.

Time spent making the torta

They work for hours, talking, remembering and sharing lunch and supper. This time is part of the festival: older women pass on to younger women what they know, what they have lived through and how to make it, by hand.

Plan your visit

Before you travel

Candelaria falls on 2 February; ask the town council which day the village celebration takes place.

Combine with

Laguna de Talayuelas, with its path and observation hide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the torta de turroncillos?

The offering prepared by the mayordomas of Talayuelas for the Virgen de la Candelaria; it is made the weekend before the festival.

Who prepares it?

The mayordomas, who go together to the church early in the morning, share the cost of the ingredients and make it during a working day that continues into the night.

Where it is