Cannon shots ceremony, Havana, Cuba.
Beginning at the end of the 17th century, Havana residents got used to hearing two cannon shots that would become part of their daily activities: the first rang out at 4:30 in the morning, and the other at 8:00 at night. The shots served as a reminder of the opening and closing of the bay and the doors to the city walls.
Initially, the cannons were fired from a warship anchored in the bay, and once the Fortress of San Carlos of the Cabana was completed in 1774, the shots were fired from its artillery battery, according to documents of the General Archive of the Indies. During the Spanish-American war (1898-1902), only one shot was fired daily, at 9:00 at night, and this has become a tradition for Havana natives.
The tradition stopped during the years of the Second World War, when General Manuel Lopez Migoya, head of the army at the time, stated:
We must save gunpowder, gentlemen. We are in a time of war.
In 1986, the ceremony was recreated as a sort of military spectacle in the Fortress of San Carlos of the Cabana, and was marked by its precise punctuality. A group of soldiers, well-versed in the military history of the 18th century, includes an official, several artillery men, a lamplighter, a flag bearer and a drummer.
One of the twenty-one bronze artillery pieces is used from the fortress’ battery, manufactured in the 18th century in munitions factories in Seville or Barcelona. They’re beautifully decorated, and they bear the Spanish coat of arms, the name of each cannon, and the year it was built.
The most common are cannons named Ruperto, Solano, Ganimedes, La Parca and Capitolino; they are still able to launch a cannon ball 800 meters. Every night, they shoot bags of jute instead of real cannon balls, and these only launch a few meters.
Soldier lights the cannon fire.
The ceremony begins a few minutes before 9:00, with the entrance of the lamplighter to the plaza, after it has gone dark and is in total silence, and he announces to the crowd the imminent closing of the doors of the fortress. Afterwards, the flag bearer enters, carrying an old Spanish flag, and the drummer follows, drumming a beat for all to hear.
— For the 9:00 cannon, fire! — orders the official, and a shot is fired off shortly thereafter.
After everything is completed, the official sends the order, Raise up!, and he orders the torch lit: Light the fire!, a few seconds before shooting the cannon.
— On my order, ready…Fire! — the official says at the end, and this is followed by drumbeats. A soldier lights the cannon fire and BOOM!, the shot is fired.
Thus, every night, Havana residents can check their watches by the sound of the «9:00 cannon fire».
If you visit Havana, I encourage you to enjoy this ritual, which is so unique to the city and is beloved by all those who love its traditions.
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