Oleiro Sunday and the Game of the Pots of the Xinzo Entroido
On Oleiro Sunday of the Xinzo Entroido hundreds of clay pots from Niñodaguia fly across the Praza Maior and smash on the ground; whoever drops the pot must pay a round of wine.
- When
- the Sunday after Fareleiro
- Where
- Praza Maior, Barrio de Abaixo and Praza de Oriente
- Object
- clay pots from Niñodaguia
- Rule
- whoever drops the pot pays a round of wine
Oleiro Sunday is the second great date of the traditional cycle of the Xinzo de Limia Entroido, after Fareleiro. The Town Council describes the Xogo das Olas (Game of the Pots) as "one of the most original, spectacular and showy traditions" of the Antela cycle [1][2]. An ola is a clay vessel; at Oleiro hundreds of them pass from hand to hand, fly through the air and end up smashing on the ground.
An origin at the fountains
According to the Town Council, the game comes from an old custom: the young men "stole" the pots from the young women who went to fetch water at the fountains and passed the vessels from hand to hand, a way of approaching them and starting to talk [2]. What began as a prank by young men became, over time, a collective game and one of the most recognisable images of the town’s Entroido.
How it is played
Today the game takes place in the evening: it starts in the Praza Maior, continues through the streets of the Barrio de Abaixo and ends in the Praza de Oriente [2]. Hundreds of pots brought from Niñodaguia fly and end up in pieces on the ground; most are empty, but some hide surprises that are only discovered when they break [2]. The rule is simple: whoever drops the pot must pay a round of wine to the other participants [2].
The description given by the comarca’s 2007 website added a ritual detail: a group of people in a circle in the Praza Maior pass the pots, filled with water or flour; whoever drops theirs pays a bottle of wine, which is placed in the Sacred Pot and shared afterwards by the participants [3].
The pots of Niñodaguia
The pots are not made in Xinzo: they are brought in for the occasion from Niñodaguia [2][3], a parish in the concello of Baltar. See Niñodaguia.
The children’s oleiro and women’s participation
The same 2007 website applauded the organisers for holding an oleiro for children in the morning, while the evening oleiro "would be, as always, spectacular" [3]. In the 2009 report the archive highlights the images of the first woman "in the history of the Entroido" who dared to play alongside the men in the Xogo das Olas [4].
Frequently asked questions
What is Oleiro Sunday?
The day of the Xogo das Olas, when clay pots are passed around and smashed in the Praza Maior [1][2].
Where do the pots come from?
What happens to whoever drops a pot?
They must pay a round of wine to the other participants [2].
Links
Sources
- Entroido de Xinzo, un sentimento (Concello de Xinzo). http://xinzo.gal/entroido/
- Oleiro (Concello de Xinzo). http://xinzo.gal/entroido/info/oleiro/
- Oleiro 2007 (xinzodelimia.eu). http://www.xinzodelimia.eu:80/oleiro_2007.htm
- Oleiro 2009 (xinzodelimia.eu). http://www.xinzodelimia.eu:80/oleiro_2009.htm
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