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Black Sarah Gypsy Pilgrimage
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When:
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May 2008 (annual)
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Where:
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Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
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| Costs: |
Free
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| Opening Hours: |
All day
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This pilgrimage brings gypsies from all over Europe who flock to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to honour their patron saint, Black Sarah. The festival involves a procession to the sea and the blessing of three sacred statues.
Legend has it that a boat containing two Marys, Mary Jacobe and Mary Salome, and Sarah, their servant, was cast out of Palestine and allowed to drift until it reached the Rhône estuary. These seafaring saints are today commemorated at the beautiful church, l'Eglise Merci (Church of Mercy), which contains statues of all three women. The festival takes place on 25 May, the Saint's day of Mary Jacobe.
Since Saint Sarah is the patron saint of gypsies, the Romani make their way to the town from all over the world in the preceding week, and the procession is accompanied by horseriding, folkloric gypsy performances and the sound of guitars, as they celebrate their annual gathering and devotion to the saint. Families are reunited and there is laughter and song until the early hours of the morning.
The bodily remains of Saint Sarah are kept in a crypt under the church. The Romani show their devotion by lighting a forest of white candles in the shadow of her dark image. Abandoned crutches stand in a corner of the crypt, attesting to past miracles and healings, and the room is full of little notes and slips of paper with wishes, prayers, intentions and vows.
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