María Aragón Llabata: "It's Impossible to Explain the Emotion of Experiencing a Mascletà"

María Aragón Llabata knows that putting into words how the Hogueras of Alicante are experienced from within is "very complicated." Yet, she manages to do so: "It's that emotion of feeling a mascletà, that heart-stopping moment when you finally see the bonfire in your neighbourhood, and that sense of familiarity with the smell of gunpowder."

This Alicante native has had a remarkable year as the bellea in her foguera, Barrio Obrero. She is now immersed in the race to become the bellea del foc of Alicante 2025. In this new phase, she remains surrounded by her fellow festival-goers, with whom "I am happy" as she feels the committee is "my home."

She has known many of them since 2011, when she joined Barrio Obrero, where she has also been a dama d'honor and continues in management as the secretary of this foguera. Before that, she was part of San Antón Alto, where she served as a children's lady for two consecutive years.

Out of the entire festival calendar, María Aragón Llabata highlights the flower offering to the Virgin of Remedio. "I can't help but get emotional every time I parade through the streets of Alicante, knowing that She awaits me in San Nicolás to thank her from the bottom of my heart for everything experienced that year."

She enjoys this festival to the fullest with her group of young people. "If I think of funny anecdotes, they appear in all of them," whether during the nights at the racó with "endless laughter" or during "hours and hours preparing presentations, playbacks, carols, and any other crazy idea we come up with."

During the main days of June, they even hire a charanga to visit neighbouring bonfires at night or prepare the big party at their racó, with a 'glitter bar' or a photo booth. "Everything with them (her young foguerers) gets better."