Trains linking Alicante to Murcia along Tuesday Orchard Band Cercanías routes ran as usual until they reached Callosa, where passenger cars became crowded to capacity. The congestion continued as crowded wagons moved through Orihuela, reminiscent of packed subway cars in a distant metropolis. Eye witnesses described the same surge replaying on Saturday during Sardine’s Funeral, a local event that draws a steady stream of people from Vega Baja, a flow not typically seen during the Bonfires celebrations in Alicante.
The TV column finds this context meaningful because, in another year marked by the easing of pandemic restrictions, À Punt pledged to showcase at least one Orihuela regiment as an International Tourist Interest symbol. The choice landed on the Good Friday General, a nod to an important local ritual. The broadcast extended a live link with Gandia, while Ferrán Cano underscored the event’s significance not only for the regional capital but for the entire Safor area, spanning from Oliva to Xeraco.
In Oriola, the procession’s narration was delivered in Valencian, with the narrator themselves noting details about all the city parades since Palm Sunday on a private Channel 12 TV broadcast. The commentary suggested a strong Vega Baja connection and a broader Alicante province relevance. À Punt’s coverage, by contrast, cast a wider net across Baix Segura, aligning well with regional interests in the southern zones.
The concern runs deeper than losing a local tongue in a public spectacle. The commentary, delivered in Valencian, offered a clear portrait of Vega Baja’s cultural heartbeat, a piece that deserves preservation. Yet some observers feel that those in charge do not always aim to attract the broader audience or elevate the profile of these traditions to the national stage, preferring to keep attention focused on a select narrative.