The venue next to the Candelaria City Council was filled for the Offering to the Patron Saint, under the theme ‘Las Candelas de Canarias’. The day began with the procession of the image of the Virgin of Candelaria from the Basilica, accompanied by the Dominican Fathers, municipal authorities led by mayor Mari Brito, faithful, and eight couples dressed in traditional attire representing each island.
The event highlighted the various advocations of Our Lady of Candelaria found on each island and in many towns, each with its own history but beating with the same heart. The Dance of the Holy Trinity of Igueste and the entrance of the fisherwomen of Candelaria marked the beginning of a journey through the island geography of faith linked to the Virgin.
“"The Offering is the night when all of the Canary Islands fit into one square. This year we wanted to tour the advocations that exist on each island and in so many of our towns, because they all tell a different story and they all beat in the same heart. The fact that Venezuela was also part of that journey says a lot about who we are: devotion to 'La Morenita' went with our people and returned with them. Thanks to all who made this night possible and, above all, to those who shared it with their neighbor, which is the only way to experience it."
Notable moments included the performance of ‘Chaxiraxi’ by Taller Canario, the procession of the Guanches de Candelaria Collective, and a tribute to emigration and the Venezuelan community. The emotion continued with the hymn to the Virgin of Candelaria performed by Ayla Rodríguez, Manolo Estupiñán, Candelaria González, and Pancho Corujo.
The farewell of the image featured Chago Melián performing ‘Bendita mi tierra guanche’, followed by the return to the Basilica accompanied by the Guanches de Candelaria and the Choirs and Dances of La Gomera.
Voices such as those of mayor Mari Brito, the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and tenor Pancho Corujo, among others, provided context for the stories of devotion. Elvis Sanfiel directed the Offering.
The musical segment included a band of sixteen musicians conducted by Víctor Estárico and soloists from various islands and Venezuela, such as Pancho Corujo, Sara Bermúdez (Lanzarote), Claudia Álamo (El Hierro), Manolo Estupiñán (Gran Canaria), Paula Gómez (La Palma), Marey Martín, Tomás Perera, and Ayla Rodríguez (Fuerteventura), Candelaria González and Chago Melián (Tenerife), Luz Yamelín Rivero and the Yacambú Folkloric Group (Venezuela), and Andrés Molina and Rogelio Botanz (Taller Canario).
The Almagre Cultural Association was responsible for the traditional dance, while the Guanches de Candelaria Collective, the Venerated Dance Holy Trinity of Igueste, and the Fishermen of Candelaria represented the Mariana Villa.
With ‘Las Candelas de Canarias’, the Offering reaffirmed its role as a meeting point for the islands, their traditions, and the shared devotion to the Virgin of Candelaria, strengthening the cultural and spiritual identity of the Canary Archipelago.
