When is Feast of St. Vincent of Saragossa?
This holiday is a municipal regional holiday observed in the city of Valencia, Spain on January 22nd.
In 2023, the holiday will be observed on April 24th Since 2019, work was being done on modifying the January date, and the change was originally intended to be applied in 2021. However, the coronavirus pandemic changed plans, and the holiday was kept in January for the last time in 2022.
Now the time has come for change and April has been the month chosen to place the two local holidays.
History of Feast of St. Vincent of Saragossa
Saint Vincent Martyr, (also known as Saint Vincent of Saragossa), was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon and Valencia. His feast day is January 22nd in the Roman Catholic Church. Vincent was martyred during the Christian persecutions under the rule of Emperor Diocletian around the year 304.
Vincent was taken along with his Bishop to Valencia. Here he was asked to renounce his faith, which Vincent steadfastly and vocally refused to do so. This angered the Romans so much that they went out of their way to ensure that his torture and death were particularly cruel and painful. Vincent endured these torments with such peace and dignity that after Vincent died, his jailer was so moved, he converted to Christianity.
There are several notable places in the city recalling the martyrdom of Saint Vincent. The jail in which he was held is now a museum next to the Cathedral. In his iconography, the saint is shown with a wheel from a horse carriage. One of the tortures was that he was tied to a wheel of a cart that was pulled along the Via Augusta in Valencia, a street that is now named after St. Vincent.
After his death, his body was taken to Lisbon, though his left arm remains on display in Valencia Cathedral.
Another Vincent, St. Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of the Valenciana Community. This excess of Vincents may seem like a coincidence, however, Vincent Ferrer was named after the earlier saint.
St. Vincent in the Caribbean is named after St. Vincent of Saragossa as Christopher Columbus was the first European to visit the island on January 22nd 1498.
St. Vincent is the patron saint of winegrowers, schoolgirls, and vinegar makers. Old weather lore says if there is sun on this day, good wine crops may be expected in the ensuing season.
