Saint Christopher gained his reputation for carrying Christ, as a child, across a river, and is now the patron saint of travellers. In recent times this has developed into patron saint of drivers. Although no longer featured in the official Roman Catholic calendar, his day is still celebrated in areas with a connection to the saint, and San Cristóbal lorry parades have become a feature in several places in Spain.
Valencia has a fairly link with the saint. Legend tells that a small image of the Saint was found buried in a temple that was then named and dedicated to Saint Christopher, and in 1399, King Martin the Humane set up Saint Christopher’s Brotherhood in València. In 1993 the city started to celebrate the saint, with mass, a parade and the blessing of vehicles. This takes place on the Saturday closest to 9 July, and on my recent visit I saw the massive parade of lorries passing the City Hall.
Copyright Debbie Smyth, 24 September 2019
Posted as part of Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge