The Cabildo Promotes Knowledge of the ‘Finados’ Tradition with an Exhibition in Arona
The exhibition can be visited at Casa de la Bodega until 29 September
The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Employment, Education and Youth department, is promoting an illustrative and educational exhibition on mourning: a research, rescue, and dissemination project focused on the celebrations of Day of Finados. This initiative is supported by the Insular Craft Company S.A. and the Ibero-American Craft Museum of Tenerife-MAIT. The exhibition is open for viewing at the Casa de la Bodega in Arona. The inauguration was attended by the Councillor for Employment and Education, Efraín Medina, and the Councillor for Tourism and Culture, Naim Yáñez.
Celebrating Cultural Identity
The celebration of the Day of Finados is integral to the ethnographic identity of the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife, reflecting its popular habits and traditions that have been passed down through generations, becoming part of the cultural heritage.
“The traditional calendar of our island is filled with dates that remind us of who we are and where we come from. The Day of Finados is one such occasion: a moment when memory, beliefs, and customs come alive in the towns and villages,” stated Efraín Medina, the Councillor for Employment and Education of the Cabildo de Tenerife. He added that “together with the Insular Craft Company, we have launched the travelling exhibition Relief of Mourning, a project born out of the desire to rescue these traditions, give them visibility, and ensure they do not fade into oblivion, as they are part of our cultural and emotional heritage.”
Research and Community Engagement
This exhibition is based on a study of the practices conducted on the Day of Finados in various municipalities of Tenerife during the early 20th century.
Another aim of this project is to decentralise actions and bring them closer to different municipalities on the island. Thus, the Relief of Mourning exhibition will take place in the municipality of Arona. This exhibition revolves around the concept of mourning, reflecting the beliefs of a time and society marked by the need to publicly express grief and sorrow for a recent or close loss.
The Nature of Mourning
Mourning has been strictly regulated as an inseparable part of death rituals: the need to bid farewell to the deceased, accompany them on their journey, and facilitate that process. To declare and display their intimate sorrow, societies deliberately refrained from conventional cheerful colours.
Mourning involved the consistent and widespread use of black, alongside the absence of any activity that suggested enjoyment or a good mood. This was rigorously adhered to in order to prevent speculation.
