Saturday of "pescaíto": What is the origin of the evening that marks the beginning of the fair?
This 2024, the popular «noche de pescaíto» will take place on April 13, but what is the origin of the evening that marks the beginning of the fair?
Officially, the April Fair starts on Sunday, April 14. The «alumbrao» (lighting) takes place at dawn on Sunday, announcing the start of the most anticipated week of the year. On Saturday night, the traditional pescaíto dinner begins, where Sevillians gather as a prelude to the fair.
The pescaíto is a relatively modern custom, which started with the transfer of the fair to Los Remedios. The beginning of the celebration is attributed to the fact that the members of the «casetas» bought «papelones» of fried fish (fried fish wrapped in paper) and enjoyed them once they had decorated the caseta. This practice gradually spread and became established, eventually becoming what it is nowadays.
'Pescaíto' traditions
Tradition says that it is the members of the casetas who celebrate the pescaíto, eating cheeses, cold meat, fried fish, and drinking «rebujito» (a typical drink made with wine and soda). However, this custom has spread, and many people celebrate pescaítos in their own homes or make reservations in bars near the fair, in Los Remedios, or even in Triana, where reservations are full weeks in advance.
The pescaíto night is an elegant night, where men usually wear jackets and women tend to dress more elegantly. They do not yet wear the traditional flamenco dress because the festivity has not officially begun on Saturday.
When the clock strikes midnight, April Fair officially begins, and all the lights of the fairground and the main gate are lit up in the famous alumbrao. That is why the night of pescaíto is so long awaited throughout the year, as it marks the beginning of the April Fair. This magical evening is coming soon to awaken the passion for April Fair in Sevillians.
