The biznaga: a symbol of Málaga

El biznaga malagueña is a symbol of one of the beautiful cities in Andalucia, it’s a symbol for the city Málaga. When you have been to Málaga in summer you can’t have missed them, but their name probably sounds unfamiliar. So what is the biznaga exactly and why is it so special, that it became the symbol of this Andalusian city? You can read it all in this blog!

"A gift from god"

The biznaga what is it? Well simply said the biznaga is a very special flower, a handmade flower of jasmine with a very strong aroma. The word “biznaga” itself is Arabic and means “a gift from God”. The flower is an elegant way for malagueños to give a little gift to their loved ones, in Málaga they give biznagas instead of a red rose. Every day in summer, these handcrafted flowers can be bought from Biznagueros, these are men in traditional clothing who sell them on the streets in the evening. You will only see this happening in Málaga and immediate surroundings. They sell thousands a year!

"How they make the biznaga"

Now, you are probably wondering how the Biznagueros make these special flowers. Months before summer they collect a kind of thistle named Ammi visnaga. They will use the stem of the Ammi visnaga as the stem of the handmade flower. But before this is possible they have to dry the stem until it is beige and hard. When it’s summer there is an abundance of Jasmine, especially in Malaga because of the climate. They pick the jasmine in the early morning before they open, and attach them to the dried Ammi visnaga stem. When the biznagas are ready, and open after a few hours of work, the Biznaguero will sell them on the streets of Málaga.

"Strongly connected to Málaga"

This Biznaga is strongly connected to Malaga that there is even a statue in Malaga that honors the Biznaga sellers. Also, the symbol of the Málaga film festival is the golden and silver Biznaga. This annual film festival in the city of Málaga is officially called Festival de Málaga Cine Español.

So now you have read this blog you know what the biznaga is, how the Biznagueros make this flower, and how strongly connected the biznaga is to Malaga. For more information, you can click on one of these links:

Málaga - https://www.google.com/maps?q=malaga&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwibo6H...
Jasmine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine
Ammi visnaga - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammi_visnaga
Statue of a Biznaguero - https://goo.gl/maps/hZ14V2yxU4qqPvz97
Festival de Málaga Cine Español - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1laga_Film_Festival

This video might also be interesting for you:
La biznaga, un símbolo para la ciudad de Málaga- https://youtu.be/8VA3TUJpCdk