CELEBRATION OF THE “PASCUA MILITAR”

On 6th January, the King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Asturias presided over the “Pascua Militar”, whose celebration began in the Armoury Square of the Royal Palace with official honours and the revision of the Royal Guard formation.  The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; the deputy vice-president and Interior minister, Mr. Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, and the Defence ministress, Ms. Carme Chacón, accompanied by over 200 institutional representatives of the Nation, the Army and the Civil Guard.  Following the military parade were the traditional reception and addresses by King Juan Carlos –wearing the uniform of Field Marshall of the Army- and the ministress of Defence.  With this ceremony, the military New Year marks its beginning, an assessment is made of the previous year and the lines of action to be undertaken are set for the coming year.

Commemorated throughout Spain 

The same arrangements were repeated in the “Pascua” celebrations in Seville, where the Land Force Headquarters is located, and in which Lieutenant General Sañudo held the King’s representation; in Valencia, where the ceremony was presided over by the commander of the High Readiness Land Headquarters, Lieutenant General Sánchez-Lafuente; in Melilla, with the post’s commanding general, General Muro, heading the event; and in Ceuta, where General Vidal de Loño, commander of the General Command, likewise was witness to the 12- gun salute known as "cañonazo de las doce". Included in these events was the medal ceremony for distinguished personnel, but in the case of Melilla, a ceremony was also organised in recognition of the Post’s veteran service persons, personified in the figure of retired Captain Fernández Viñas, with a career of over 30 years, most of which were served in the Legion.  The “Pascua Militar” was instituted by King Carlos III in commemoration of the recuperation of the town of Mahón on 6th January 1782, with which the conquest was accomplished of Menorca, under English power from 1713 by virtue of the Utrecht treaty.