Muixeranga honors DANA victims in Catarroja

La Nova Muixeranga d’Algemesí and the Associació Víctimes Mortals de la DANA 29O are holding a tribute on Saturday, May 23, in Catarroja for people killed and affected by the October 29, 2024 floods. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Parc de les Barraques, next to the monument to fishermen, in one of the municipalities hardest hit by the disaster. Organizers said the event will combine a muixeranga performance, a laurel wreath offering and the public delivery of money raised through a solidarity campaign. Media attention is set for 10:50 a.m. before the ceremony begins. ### Why is Catarroja the site of the tribute? Catarroja was named by organizers as one of the places most affected by the October 29, 2024 DANA floods, and the ceremony is being framed as a public act of remembrance in that setting. The tribute is directed at both those who died and people who suffered the consequences of the torrential rains, according to reports on the event. (europapress.es) The Parc de les Barraques location, beside the monument to fishermen, gives the event an open public setting for relatives, residents and local groups, according to coverage of the ceremony. Organizers said the act is intended as a collective gesture of mourning and memory. (europapress.es) ### What exactly will La Nova Muixeranga do there? La Nova Muixeranga d’Algemesí said it will raise the “Reverència,” described by organizers as one of the most solemn and emotional constructions in its repertoire. The figure is being presented as a collective sign of respect, grief and remembrance for victims and survivors of the 2024 floods. (europapress.es) Algemesí’s city government describes the muixeranga tradition as a ceremonial practice in which the Muixeranga and the Nova Muixeranga build human figures and towers to the sound of dolçaina and tabalet. The municipality says the tradition dates back to at least 1733. ### What money is being handed over? Organizers said the ceremony will include the public presentation of a check with funds raised through the T-shirt campaign “20.11 Ni oblit ni perdó.” The money is to go to the Associació de Víctimes Mortals de la DANA 29O. (europapress.es) (algemesi.es) València Diari described the association as a group bringing together relatives and people close to those who died in the floods. That report said the group works to preserve the memory of what happened and to seek support and institutional recognition. ### What other elements are part of the ceremony? (europapress.es) The program also includes an offering of a laurel wreath in memory of those killed in the floods. Organizers said the combination of the wreath, the human figure and the check handover is meant to join remembrance with material support. (valenciadiari.com) Europa Press reported that organizers described the tribute as bringing together memory, popular culture and social commitment. That characterization came from the event organizers, who said the image of the Reverència in Catarroja would serve as the central symbolic act. (europapress.es) ### How does this fit into the muixeranga’s public role after the floods? February 2025 coverage in Levante-EMV said the muixeranga had already returned to flood-hit towns including Paiporta and Catarroja under the slogan “Juntes i junts ens tornarem a alçar.” That earlier reappearance followed severe damage from the DANA in Algemesí and surrounding areas. (europapress.es) Saturday’s ceremony in Catarroja now places La Nova Muixeranga alongside the victims’ association in a more formal act centered on remembrance and fundraising. The next scheduled step is the 11 a.m. gathering on May 23 at Parc de les Barraques, with the public handover of the campaign funds to the association during the event. (europapress.es) (levante-emv.com)