The history behind the Swallows return to Mission San Juan Capistrano is historical and religious. The beauty of it all has developed over the years to include many diverse groups that come together on this day to celebrate these small feathered wonders and the feast day of Saint Joseph. 

 

In the 1930’s, it began as a school carnival to celebrate the birds’ return, and has slowly evolved into the celebration it is today, growing from the region’s celebration of early California ‘cowboy’ culture and the Franciscan fraternity’s involvement in the development of the local indigenous people’s formation into the Catholic faith.

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Fonte: L'italo-Americano