Matar judíos
| Matar judíos | |
|---|---|
 Leonese lemondade, drunk during the "Matar judíos" | |
| Type | Spanish |
| Significance | Celebration of Easter, revenge against the Jews for allegedly killing Jesus Christ |
| Celebrations |
|
| Date | Holy Week |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Started by | Unclear, possibly Suero de Quiñones during the 14th century |
| Related to | Easter |
Killing Jews (Template:Lang-es) is a tradition during Holy Week celebrations in the northern Spanish province of León, especially in the cities near León, during which participants drink Leonese lemonade, consisting primarily of lemonade, red wine, and sugars.[1]
Origins
There are competing histories about the origin of the expression "Matar Judios". According to one version, explains that during the Middle Ages, the local Christian population of León sought revenge on the Jewish population in the Jewish quarter near the Humedo neighborhood, inspired by the Antisemitic conspiracy theory that the Jews were collectively responsible for Jesus's death. To divert the rioters, local authorities allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages, include this spiced wine beverage. The rioters became drunk, and left the Jews in peace.[1]
In another telling by University of León historian Margarita Torres, pogroms during the 12th century by Kings Alfonso VIII of Castile and Peter II of Aragon on the Jewish quarter of León, then in the area of Puente Castro, forced the Jews of the city to resettle in the Santa Ana neighborhood. In 1196, the Jewish quarter of Leon was destroyed.[2] By the 15th century, Christian resentment over debts and loans owed to Jews and Antisemitic fervor led to violence against the Jewish population of Leon during Holy Week. In 1449, a nobleman in León named Suero de Quiñones owed money to a Jewish lender. To avoid paying off his debt, Quiñones rallied the Christian population against the Jews in retaliation for killing Jesus. On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Quiñones and his companions attacked the Jewish quarter and killed many Jews, including the lender to whom Quiñones owed money. To celebrate the program, Quiñones and his supporters drank wine.[3][4]
According to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, the name referred to public executions of Jews at show trials at Eastertime during the Middle Ages.[5]
The tradition has also been linked to the Spanish expression, "Limonada que trasiego, judío que pulverizo" ("Lemonade I drink, the Jew I pulverize").[3]
Celebration
20th century
By the beginning of the 20th century, Spanish press requested the phrase "matar judios" be retired for the tradition. During celebrations at the turn of the 20th century, revelers would create effigies of Jews, ridiculing and burning the representations of Jews.[2]
21st century
In Spain, but especially in northern Spain, locals use the term "matar judios" to refer to drinking Leonese lemonade at festivals held in town squares during Holy Week. For example, the city of León holds its "Matar Judios" festival on Good Friday. As many as 16,000 revelers consume 40,000 galloons of Leonese lemonade during the celebrations.[5] There are also celebrations in Ponferrada, Astorga, Sahagún, and La Maragatería. While the local Jewish community has sought to discontinue the tradition, it is recognized that current manifestations of the celebration are not reflections of Antisemitic sentiments.[2]
According to tradition, celebrants drink 33 glasses of lemonade between Friday of Sorrows and Easter Sunday, in commemoration of the age at which Jesus Christ died.[6] In the town of El Bierzo, locals will use the toast, "Salir a matar judios" -- "Let's go kill the Jews" -- while drinking Leonese lemonade during Holy Week.[4]
In recent years, bars and hotels in León have begun to offer Leonese lemonade year-round instead of only during Holy Week.[6]
Other parts of Spain
In Asturias and Catalonia, the tradition of "matar judíos" (Template:Lang-ca) was celebrated by children. Until the 1950s in Girona, children would go into the streets on Holy Saturday and make noise with pots, wodden utensils, drums, whistles, and trumpets as part of the celebration.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Limonada de León". Taste Atlas. AtlasMedia. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d Perez de Arlucea, Ana (2016-03-19). "Por qué en León se 'matan judíos' a sorbos de limonada". El Español. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ a b "La tradición de 'Matar judíos' se riega en León con 200.000 litros de limonada". Leonoticias. 2022-04-07.
- ^ a b "Seven surprisingly strange traditions celebrated at Easter in Spain". The Local Spain. The Local Europe. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Spanish village called 'kill Jews' mulls name change". Times of Israel. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ a b "La sagrada bebida". Diario de Leon. Retrieved 9 March 2023.