Matar judíos

Spanish folk tradition
  • drinking alcoholic beverages, especially Leonese lemonade
DateHoly WeekFrequencyAnnualStarted byDisputed, possibly Suero de Quiñones during the 15th centuryRelated toEaster
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Matar judíos (lit. 'killing Jews') is a tradition during Holy Week celebrations in the northern Spanish Province of León, especially in the city of León and its environs, during which participants drink Leonese lemonade, consisting primarily of lemonade, red wine, and sugars.[1]

Supporters of keeping the name argue that the contemporary practice has no antisemitic aspects and is a reminder of historical injustices.[2][3]

Origins

There are competing histories about the origin of the tradition "Matar Judíos".

In the most common version from University of León historian Margarita Torres [es], violence against the Jewish quarter of León, then in the area of Puente Castro [es], during the 12th century by Kings Alfonso VIII of Castile and Peter II of Aragon forced the city's Jews to resettle in the Santa Ana neighborhood. In 1196, the Jewish quarter of Leon was destroyed.[2]

Part of the 16th century sarcophagus of Suero de Quiñones by Italian sculptor Pompeo Leoni

By the 15th century, Christian resentment in León over debts and loans owed to Jews and general Antisemitic fervor commonly led to violence against the Jewish population during Holy Week. In 1449, Leonese nobleman Suero de Quiñones owed money to a Jewish lender. To avoid paying off his debt, Quiñones rallied the Christian population against the Jews, inspired by the Antisemitic conspiracy theory that the Jews were collectively responsible for Jesus's death. 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 pogrom, Quiñones and his supporters drank wine.[4][5]

Another theory is 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 Jewish deicide canard. To divert the rioters, local authorities allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages, include the spiced wine beverage that came to be known as Leonese lemonade. The rioters became drunk and left the Jews in peace.[1]

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.[6]

Celebration

20th century

By the beginning of the 20th century, there were efforts by the Spanish press to retire the "matar judíos" name 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

The city of León holds its "Matar Judíos" festival on Good Friday. As many as 16,000 revelers consume 40,000 gallons of Leonese lemonade during the celebrations.[6] There are also celebrations in Ponferrada, Astorga, Sahagún, and La Maragatería. While the local Jewish community has sought to discontinue the tradition, the general Leonese population argues 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.[7] In the region of El Bierzo, locals will use the toast, "Salir a matar judíos" -- "Let's go kill the Jews"—while drinking Leonese lemonade during Holy Week.[5] The tradition has also been linked to the Spanish expression, "Limonada que trasiego, judío que pulverizo" ("Lemonade I drink, the Jew I pulverize").[4]

Leonese lemonade

In recent years, bars and hotels in León have begun to offer Leonese lemonade year-round instead of only during Holy Week.[7]

Other parts of Spain

In the autonomous communities of Asturias and Catalonia, the tradition of "matar judíos" (Catalan: matar jueus) was celebrated by children. For example, until the 1950s in Girona, children would go into the streets on Holy Saturday and make noise with pots, wooden utensils, drums, whistles, and trumpets as part of the celebration.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Limonada de León". Taste Atlas. AtlasMedia. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Perez de Arlucea, Ana (2016-03-19). "Por qué en León se 'matan judíos' a sorbos de limonada". El Español. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  3. ^ Bartov, Shira Li (2024). ‘Kill Jews’ cocktail rocks Spanish town’s Holy Week: ‘An expression, it’s not racist’. Times of Israel. 30 March 2024. Accessed 31 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "La tradición de 'Matar judíos' se riega en León con 200.000 litros de limonada". Leonoticias. 2022-04-07.
  5. ^ a b "Seven surprisingly strange traditions celebrated at Easter in Spain". The Local Spain. The Local Europe. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Spanish village called 'kill Jews' mulls name change". Times of Israel. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b "La sagrada bebida". Diario de Leon. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2023.