BAILE DEL DELANTAL
About this event
The Municipal Club for Older Adults celebrates on Sunday, October 4, a “BAILE DEL DELANTAL” at its facilities, from 17:00 to 21:00, free, with entertainment by “EMILIO CARISMA.” The event is primarily for club members, but the general public is welcome until capacity is reached.
We invite and encourage attendees to come with an apron.
In Canarian culture and dress, the apron is much more than a decorative accessory: it represents effort, subsistence economy, and the ingenuity of the rural woman (the campesina or «maga»).
Although today it is strongly associated with the festive identity of romerías, historically it had a deeply rooted meaning in the daily life of the islands:
Protector of the only textile wealth – In the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, rural Canarian women did not have large wardrobes; often there was only one clean or quality skirt. The traditional apron was large and wide to cover most of the skirt. Its main meaning was respect for clothing and thrift, serving as an indispensable barrier against wear and dirt from harsh field and home work.
Element of dignity and social respect – It was common for campesinas to change only the apron to modify their appearance or receive visits. Wearing a clean apron when leaving home or attending someone at home was a symbol of dignity, neatness, and respect toward others. Even in certain traditional island trades, like milkmaids, the use of a white and clean apron was a strict requirement, and its absence could incur fines as a sign of public hygiene neglect.
The “multitool” of grandma – In Canarian collective memory, the apron evokes motherhood and home management. Beyond wearing, it was practically used for:
- Transporting food: lifting the apron to load eggs from the henhouse, fruit, or vegetables collected.
- Thermal protection: served as a glove or thick cloth to remove hot containers from the wood fire.
- Emotional bond: served as a refuge for shy children in front of visitors or to dry faces and tears of the little ones.
Wallet and economic sustenance – Many traditional aprons included wide front pockets. In the island’s commercial context, women selling agricultural products or milk used these pockets as the family wallet, where they kept coins (“perras”) and daily earnings safe while working.
Indicator of status and geographic differentiation – With the arrival of new fabrics at the end of the 19th century, the apron began to reflect the identity of each island or region. While simple cottons, stripes, or checks were used for daily work, festive or “domingo” aprons were made ornate with embroidery, lace, embroidered strips or in two-tone colors (like the characteristic blue apron of certain La Palma outfits).
QUOTE: Sunday, October 4.
TIME: 17:00–21:00.
DIRECTED TO: MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL SENIOR CLUB AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ORGANIZED BY: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND ELDERLY.