News, numbers and gossip from Santiago

A passing pilgrim wonders what is being built in the Plaza Qunitana

Santiago is beside itself with excitement. The sounds of Christmas coming are in the air and the Plaza Quintana has taken on a Times Square atmosphere. For the first time the ice skating rink which was set up in the Area Central which is anything but central is now in the heart of the Old Town. The place is buzzing and yesterday people were peering through the windows to see the rehearsal for today's opening.

The ice rink will be open for two months until 10pm. School children will be admitted for 3.50€ and adults 6.50€.

Record breaking pilgrim numbers
The other big news is that the number of pilgrims continues to break all known records. Over many years the spike in numbers during a Holy Year were never matched in the years in between - when the Feast of St James does not fall on a Sunday. That's been the pattern. Until this year. During the last month for the first time ever the number of pilgrims who arrived during the Holy Year 2004 (179,994) has been exceeded in a normal year. By yesterday 181,789 pilgrims have arrived since 1st January 2011.  The full analysis of the numbers comes at the end of this post: see below.

Christmas Lights
The Christmas lights in this Cathedral city where the restrictions of Advent are still observed will be turned on on 17th December.

High Speed Train Link
The AVE service between Ourense - Santiago - A Coruna will open on 10 December. The travel time from Santiago to A Coruna will be cut to 28 minutes. The may help pilgrims who wish to travel in or out of A Coruna airport.

Cirque du Soleil
This show returns to Santiago between 7 - 11 December with 55 artists from 17 different countries. Tickets were sold out with hours of being available.

End of the 800 Anniversary of the Cathedral

Many people here in Galcia believe that the Feast of the Translación is  as important, if not more so that the Feast of St James held on 25th July. The Feast of the Translación which commemorates the transportation of St James' body to Galicia is to be held on 30 December and will mark the end of the Anniversary Year. The processions and Mass are spectacular with the armed forces of Spain on parade with senior representatives of the Royal Family and the political classes.
This is one of the ceremonies during the year when the botafumeiro is used for its liturgical purpose at the beginning of the Mass.

Numbers, numbers, numbers
During the month of November 1661 pilgrims arrived in Santiago. The total for the period 1 January to 30 November 2011 is 181,789.
The full analysis follows:

Spain	96771 (53,23%)
Germany	16574 (9,12%)
Italia	12119 (6,67%)
Portugal	8580 (4,72%)
France	8143 (4,48%)
United States	3733 (2,05%)
Ireland	2655 (1,46%)
United Kingdom	2366 (1,30%)
Holand	2348 (1,29%)
Canadá	2337 (1,29%)
Brasil	1951 (1,07%)
Austria	1847 (1,02%)
Poland	1807 (0,99%)
Corea	1692 (0,93%)
Belgica	1665 (0,92%)
Denmark	1639 (0,90%)
Australia	1389 (0,76%)
Sweden	1238 (0,68%)
Swizerland	1203 (0,66%)
México	1180 (0,65%)
República Checa	962 (0,53%)
Norway	908 (0,50%)
Japón	858 (0,47%)
Hungría	765 (0,42%)
Argentina	705 (0,39%)
Finlandia	648 (0,36%)
Eslovaquia	568 (0,31%)
Eslovenia	547 (0,30%)
South Africa	510 (0,28%)
Venezuela	431 (0,24%)
Colombia	417 (0,23%)
Russia	242 (0,13%)
Nueva Zelanda	236 (0,13%)
Rumania	201 (0,11%)
Chile	188 (0,10%)
Ecuador	173 (0,10%)
Uruguay	167 (0,09%)
Perú	147 (0,08%)
Israel	130 (0,07%)
Lituania	115 (0,06%)
China	108 (0,06%)

Gender	Nº de Peregrinos
Male	104874 (57,69%)
Female	76915 (42,31%)
Method of travel	Nº de Peregrinos
On foot	151817 (83,51%)
Bicycle	29516 (16,24%)
Horse	427 (0,23%)
Wheelchair	29 (0,02%)

Motivation	Nº de Peregrinos
Religious  or spiritual reasons	91614 (50,40%)
Religious	78971 (43,44%)
Not religious or spiritual	11204 (6,16%)

Finisterra	71 (0,04%)
Grandas de Salime	69 (0,04%)
Molinaseca	67 (0,04%)
Canfranc	64 (0,04%)
Granada	62 (0,03%)
Fonsagrada	61 (0,03%)
Rábade	59 (0,03%)
Italia	58 (0,03%)
Cast. la Mancha	57 (0,03%)
Com. Valenciana	57 (0,03%)
París	56 (0,03%)
Castilla La Mancha	55 (0,03%)
Castilla la Mancha	49 (0,03%)
Tineo	49 (0,03%)
Allariz	48 (0,03%)
Cadavo	48 (0,03%)
La Rioja	48 (0,03%)
Malaga	43 (0,02%)
Valladolid	40 (0,02%)
Huelva	38 (0,02%)
Povoa de Varzim	37 (0,02%)
Salas	36 (0,02%)
San Sebastian	35 (0,02%)
Nájera	34 (0,02%)
Benavente	34 (0,02%)
La Mesa	32 (0,02%)
Roma	32 (0,02%)
Córdoba	32 (0,02%)
Castrojeriz	30 (0,02%)
Cataluña	30 (0,02%)
Fonfría	29 (0,02%)
Badajoz	28 (0,02%)
Murcia	23 (0,01%)
A Guarda	23 (0,01%)
Ponferrada. C.Inv.	23 (0,01%)
Resto Galicia	22 (0,01%)
Vegadeo	20 (0,01%)
Polonia	17 (0,01%)
Reino Unido	16 (0,01%)
Grado	14 (0,01%)
La Rioja	13 (0,01%)
Republica Checa	12 (0,01%)
Baiona	12 (0,01%)
La Bañeza	12 (0,01%)
Vilabade	11 (0,01%)
Dinamarca	10 (0,01%)
San Juan de Ortega	10 (0,01%)
A Rúa	10 (0,01%)
Luxemburgo	8 (0,00%)
Inglaterra	6 (0,00%)
Sobrado	5 (0,00%)
Leyre	5 (0,00%)
Viveiro	4 (0,00%)
Monforte de Lemos	3 (0,00%)
Ortigueira	3 (0,00%)
Hungría	3 (0,00%)
Valcarlos	3 (0,00%)
Pontedeume	3 (0,00%)
Covelo	2 (0,00%)
Andorra	2 (0,00%)
Finlandia	2 (0,00%)
Gonzar	2 (0,00%)
United Kingdom	2 (0,00%)
Quiroga	2 (0,00%)
Egipto	2 (0,00%)
Jerusalem	1 (0,00%)
Cea	1 (0,00%)
Irlanda	1 (0,00%)
Mella	1 (0,00%)
Artieda	1 (0,00%)
Guntín	1 (0,00%)
Irlanda	1 (0,00%)
Grecia	1 (0,00%)
Peñaseita	1 (0,00%)
Petín	1 (0,00%)

Employment status	Nº de Peregrinos
Employed	44080 (24,25%)
Students	31634 (17,40%)
Technicians	24908 (13,70%)
Retired	20309 (11,17%)
Self employed	18325 (10,08%)
Teachers	13714 (7,54%)
Civil servants	9345 (5,14%)
Manual workers	6300 (3,47%)
Unemployed	4091 (2,25%)
Housewives	3977 (2,19%)
Artists	1522 (0,84%)
Executives	1379 (0,76%)
Priests	815 (0,45%)
Farmworkers	570 (0,31%)
Religious	441 (0,24%)
Sailors	226 (0,12%)
Sportspeople	113 (0,06%)
Oikoten	40 (0,02%)

Ages	Nº de Peregrinos
30 - 60	104631 (57,56%)
< 30	51732 (28,46%)
> 60	25426 (13,99%)

Routes travelled	Nº de Peregrinos
Frances-Camino de	131696 (72,44%)
Portugues-Camino	21850 (12,02%)
Norte-Camino de	11846 (6,52%)
Via de la Plata	7953 (4,37%)
Primitivo-Camino	5177 (2,85%)
Ingles-Camino	2678 (1,47%)
Otros caminos	388 (0,21%)
Muxia-Finisterre	201 (0,11%)