Drinking lemonades during Holy Week is a tradition unknown to many, at least outside the province of León. It is a sweet concoction, made from red wine macerated for days with lemons, oranges, dried figs and other fruits, to which sugar, cinnamon and a splash of some other liquor are added, which brightens the spirit during this religious holiday. This is a homemade preparation that is usually taken around several bars that each one makes in their own way, so no two lemonades are the same.
Once the proclamation was announced, there are many establishments that begin to serve lemonades these days. A drink with an enigmatic origin, on which historians have tried to shed some light. Next, we explain 4 curiosities about the origin of León's Holy Week drink par excellence.
The expression killing Jews has always been associated with the tradition of drinking lemonade. The reason is that this drink could be a symbol of the revenge that Christians took for the death of Jesus Christ, which is why it is drunk during Holy Week. The truth is that already in 1306, a decree signed by Philip IV, king of France and Navarre, stated that I drink lemonade, I pulverize a Jew. But these were lands far away from León, which has made researchers think of another hypothesis: that the drink was used precisely to prevent attacks on the Jewish people.
In the Middle Ages, Jews in León settled in suburbs beyond the medieval wall, such as Puente Castro. According to historical documentation, at that time it was prohibited to drink alcoholic beverages during Holy Week until Easter Sunday, with the exception of lemonade. The intention would be none other than to entertain the Christians in the taverns of the Barrio Húmedo, which had to be crossed to reach the Jewish settlements, and thus avoid any type of conflict or aggression towards this community.
Despite the edict of expulsion of the Jews from Spain promoted by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, many still resisted in León. However, after Philip III signed the decree that led to his definitive expulsion in 1609, this community no longer existed in the city. Hence the legend that the Leonese, without Jews to expel, went to the taverns to drink lemonade, with each glass symbolizing the slaughter of a Jew.
Other hypotheses suggest that lemonade arises from the pure need to extend wine harvests or, where appropriate, to dispose of production surpluses. Likewise, the religious component would reside in the fact that drinking a drink with a lower alcohol content than wine would be a way of 'not sinning' on dates such as Holy Week, when alcohol was prohibited.
The addition of fruits and sugar to the recipe could cause a second fermentation of the bacteria and yeasts naturally present in the wine. However, this excess of sugars itself would be able to somehow camouflage the acidic flavor that a new fermentation would entail.
The Junta de Castilla y León has omitted the regulation of homemade lemonade. This lack of traceability means that each manufacturer keeps the secret of their recipe. However, in this way the client has no guarantees about the quality of the ingredients used or the actual alcohol content.
