Everyone knows that the Spaniards are the most cheerful and friendly people, and the traditional Spanish “fiesta” has long been a household name for any holiday pastime, and the recreation and entertainment associated with it.
For any Spaniard, the fiesta is not just a holiday - it is a way of life. Therefore, the fiesta is celebrated brightly, incendiary, enchantingly. I must say that in Spain there are not just a lot of fiestas, but a lot. Almost every day you can celebrate fiestas! In addition to the national Spanish holidays, every region, city, town or village has at least one traditional local fiesta (the day of the patron saint of the city or some other important event in the history of the region). As a rule, any fiesta is celebrated cheerfully, and it is accompanied by noisy fairs, long and colorful processions, grandiose fireworks, theatrical processions or romeria (mass pilgrimage to local shrines). No one works these days and all shops are closed. The celebration of the fiesta can last for several days.
Winter
In winter, holidays in Spain, like all Catholics in the world, are traditional: Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year. December 8 is the Day of the Immaculate Conception (Día de la Inmaculada Concepción). It is a national holiday and public holiday throughout Spain. On Nochebuena (La Nochebuena) - a family dinner is organized on Christmas Eve and Christmas. December 28 is the Day of Innocent Souls (Día de los Santos Inocentes). This is a holiday of pranks and jokes. Then follows the New Year La(Nochevieja)
There are 2 holidays on January 6: Epiphany and Three Kings Day (Los Reyes Magos). The three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus at Christmas are Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. They are the Three Kings. The holiday is accompanied by theatrical processions, during which these three kings pass through the city on special platforms and throw various sweets into the crowd. Especially fast, cunning and enterprising participants of this holiday manage to collect several kilograms of sweets! On this day, children receive their Christmas gifts.
And in February or March, a carnival takes place, which is an analogue of Shrovetide. It is celebrated 40 days before Lent. The largest carnivals are held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and in terms of scale and entertainment, they are not inferior to the famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro, as well as in Cadiz. On the eve or on the first day of Great Lent, carnivals end with the “Funeral of the Sardine”: her model is solemnly buried or burned as a symbol of the end of carnival excesses. However, during the reign of the dictator Franco, carnivals were banned.
Spring
As in the rest of the world, with the advent of spring, the Spaniards are happy to spend time in nature, enjoying the fresh air and the opportunity to walk until late, dine on summer terraces and celebrate one of the most important religious holidays of the year - Semana Santa - Easter. Easter is celebrated in a special way, with each city, each community competing with each other in the brightness and splendor of the processions: as a rule, men in traditional Spanish costumes carry pasos on their shoulders - platforms with sculptures of Our Lady and Christ, as well as images (bas-reliefs) of scenes Passion of the Lord. Preparation for these processions begins a whole year in advance, so participation in them is especially honorable. Traditionally, Easter week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the Resurrection of Christ. In each town, the processions are unusual and colorful in their own way, but perhaps they will be the brightest in Murcia, Valladolid, Salamanca, and, of course, in Seville and Malaga.
In addition to Easter in the spring - from March 14 to March 19 - the famous fire festival in Valencia - Las Fallas - also takes place. The roots of this holiday go deep into the history associated with the pagan rituals of celebrating the day of the spring equinox. On this day, you can see huge figures made of papier-mâché, which reproduce both historical events and everyday moments of life. Then these figures are put on fire, thus showing that by burning the old, the way is opened for the new. And on the night of March 19, the whole city turns into one big fire, on which all Valencians solemnly burn all their old things. This is followed by a grand celebration of fireworks and marches.
Two weeks after Easter in Seville comes the April Fair (Feria), which lasts a whole week. This is a kind of city day, during which the fairground with costumed processions and traditional Spanish bullfights becomes the center of city life. All representatives of urban areas gather in casetas pavilions (entertainment establishments) to drink and dance until morning to the incendiary rhythms of sevillanas. Fairs are also held in other cities of Andalusia, not only in Seville. Throughout April, Ferias take place in Fuengirola, Marbella, Torremolinos and others.
May 1 is Labor Day (Dia del Trabajo).
Every year in the first week of May, the Horse Fair (La Feria del Caballo) is celebrated in Jerez de la Frontera. The fair colorfully recreates the atmosphere of true Andalusia with its hot horses and beauties in flamenco outfits.
In Granada and Cordoba they celebrate the Day of the Cross (Día de la Cruz). All local residents decorate the crosses with red and white carnations, after which these creations are installed on the streets and squares. Making these jewelry turns into a whole competition.
In Madrid, starting from May 11, a series of grandiose holidays dedicated to St. Isidro is the patron saint of the city. They also coincide with the bullfighting season. Celebrations are traditionally accompanied by carnival processions, performances, street concerts and religious processions.
Summer
Summer begins with the first major fiesta - the celebration of the Trinity (Pentecost). It is celebrated in late May - early June. The most grandiose and magnificent celebration takes place in El Rocio (El Rocio), where all Catholics (both from Spain and from all over the world) make a pilgrimage to bow to the statue of the Blessed Virgin.
Saint John's Day (John the Baptist) is celebrated on June 23rd. On the Mediterranean coast, it is celebrated for almost a week and in a special way: all Spaniards with their families move to the beaches, where they spend several days in tents, around huge bonfires and at plentiful feasts. By tradition, people noisily jump over fires, sing songs with a guitar. It is these elements of the holiday (jumps and songs) that are so similar to Ivan Kupala Day, which is celebrated in Russia.
On the day of St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen On June 29, flotillas of decorated boats go out to sea from all ports.
But, perhaps, the most spectacular and extreme holiday (especially loved by those who prefer thrills and adrenaline, love to take risks) falls on the first half of July and takes place in Pamplona. This is the famous Sanfermines bull run. From 6 to 14 every morning six bulls are released from the corral. They furiously rush after the daredevils running ahead along the narrow cobbled streets of the old city. It is rare when this action is not accompanied by victims (most often human). Not everyone can look at this: for some, it ends in fainting, shock. People with an unstable nervous system are not recommended to visit this spectacle.
In the northern province of Asturias, also in July, there is a cider festival. It is traditionally celebrated with cider pouring competitions.
For religious Spanish Catholics, the day of the Assumption of Our Lady is of particular importance. It is celebrated everywhere on August 15th.
And in the city of Bunol, which is 50 kilometers from Valencia, the famous tomato massacre is held - Tomatina. It falls on the last Wednesday of August. On this day, all residents of the town and tourists go to the central square and throw tomatoes at each other. And all this is accompanied by friendly laughter. Gets by without casualties.
Autumn
Autumn is harvest time, so there are few holidays during this period. In most wine-growing regions, grapes are harvested for subsequent wine processing. Some villages celebrate matanza (matanza) - the annual pig slaughter festival. And on November 1st, on All Saints' Day, people bring flowers to cemeteries, thus commemorating the dead.
In addition, the hunting season begins in autumn, which lasts from September to February.
But in October they celebrate the day of the Spanish nation (Dia de la Hispanidad) - October 12th. This holiday commemorates the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492. The most significant event of this day is the grand fiesta Dia del Pilar in Zaragoza, which also marks the end of the bullfighting season.
HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED ON THE COSTA DEL SOL
Like all Spaniards, southerners also like to arrange holidays with or without reason. But the inhabitants of the southernmost coast of the Costa del Sol are especially distinguished by their craving for fun. And if on one of the summer evenings you once hear salutes, then do not hesitate - this is another fiesta being celebrated. On the Costa del Sol, in addition to national holidays (Day of the Spanish Nation in October, Constitution Day in December, Christmas, New Year, Easter, Three Kings in January), local holidays are very popular.
The year begins, of course, with the celebration of the largest national event - the day of the Three Kings, or Magi, who came to baby Jesus with their gifts. The holiday falls on January 6th. On the eve of this day, a procession of three kings passes through the center of each city, who enchantingly scatter sweets into the crowd. And the next day, the children receive their Christmas presents.
Then the season of carnivals begins, which take place in almost every city on the coast: Malaga, Marbella, Estepona, Torremolinos, etc. They begin to celebrate from the end of February - the beginning of March and end on the eve of Lent. At this time, on the streets of cities you can meet all the fairy-tale characters: pirates, harlequins, witches, princesses, ballerinas... And the day before the end of the carnival, they arrange a flower fight in the central part of the city. Especially for this action, flower petals and boxes of confetti are prepared. On the last day, the 'burial of the sardine' is celebrated everywhere - an original procession symbolizing the beginning of the fast and the end of the carnival week. In Malaga, this procession begins at 6 pm on the main street of Larios and in two hours reaches the beach area of La Malagueta, where the papier-mâché sprat figure is solemnly burned.
Of course, one cannot fail to mention one of the most important holidays of the year in all of Spain, and especially in the south and the Sunny Coast - Holy Week, Easter or, as the Spaniards themselves say, Semana Santa, the celebration of which is especially impressive and bright in Malaga, where it has been declared a holiday of international tourist importance since 1965. It is celebrated in April-March, depending on the church calendar for each year. Residents in every town and village on the coast start preparing for Easter processions long beforehand, because it is very difficult to coordinate movement along the narrow central streets of platforms with a sculptural image of scenes of the Passion of the Lord, the weight of which can reach up to 6 tons and require the effort of up to 250 men. All processions are broadcast live on local television, although most residents, wearing their best clothes, prefer to follow the processions 'live' - taking the best places on the street so as not to miss a single detail in the processions passing by.
Also on the Costa del Sol traditionally celebrate the Day of the Holy Cross (Las Cruces de Mayo). It is celebrated on May 2 in all cities of the coast. The history of this holiday, according to one version, begins with the discovery of the cross by the mother of Constantine the Great - St. Helena. Jesus was crucified on this Cross. The flower-adorned Cross, life-size or reduced, is the centerpiece of this traditional Andalusian celebration. This holiday can last for several days, during which national festivities take place, competitions for the best decoration of the cross; concerts, flamenco and sevillana dance shows are held.
Another national holiday on the coast (celebrated throughout Spain) is St. Juan's Day (Día de San Juan). It falls on the eve of the night of June 23 and is very similar to the Slavic holiday of Ivan Kupala Day. It is celebrated with families and friends on the seashore, with tents, huge bonfires and plentiful feasts right on the shore.
But the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Carmen (La Festividad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen) - the patroness of sailors - has developed thanks to the tradition of fishing villages, which in the past were all cities on the Costa del Sol. It is celebrated on July 16 with national festivities along the entire coast: in Marbella, Estepona, Mijas and other cities. This feast lasts for several days and ends with the culminating procession of the Blessed Virgin Carmen “by land and sea”: a sculptural platform depicting the Virgin of Carmen is carried along the main street of each city. The solemn procession reaches the sea, where this sculpture is placed in a boat. Further, this boat with the “shrine”, accompanied by a retinue of other fishing boats decorated for the occasion, sails along the entire coast.
In addition to the aforementioned national Spanish holidays, each city on the Costa del Sol has its own local fiestas: these can be holidays for some historical event or the day of the patron saint of the city.
For example, on May 1 in Mijas, in addition to celebrating Labor Day, they celebrate a local fiesta called Sardinada. During this period, the season for catching sardines begins, so the city hall organizes a general feast for residents, during which about a ton of sardines fried over a fire are eaten.
And in Estepona, in mid-May, wide festivities are held on the occasion of the pilgrimage of St. Isidro (San Isidro Labrador) - the patron saint of the city, right at the place of his pilgrimage. The series of festivities ends on May 15, as usual, with a solemn procession, when the statue of St. Isidra is raised to the skete of the same name on the mountain, first on oxen, and the other half of the way on hands. The road to the skete is paved with palm branches and decorated with flowers. When the figure of St. Isidra is brought into the skete, white doves are released and fireworks are noisily launched.
Day of the patron saint of the city - St. Bernabé (Día de San Bernabé) is celebrated on June 11 in Marbella. Then comes a week-long series of holidays in honor of the conquest of Spain by the Catholic kings in 1485. In the old part of the city, a fair is held during the day with performances by musicians and traditional bullfights. And closer to night, dances begin on the fairgrounds, songs that continue until the morning and are accompanied by visits to casetas (typical Andalusian fairground bars).
For many years, an international fair (Día Internacional de los Pueblos) has been held in Mijas on the second weekend of June with the participation of 30 countries. During this fair, each country presents the best of its culture: food, drinks, national clothes; in addition, master classes are arranged. Marches and processions are held around the city, accompanied by national songs and dances.
The fair is also held in Estepona in early July. It is called Fiestas Mayores and lasts a whole week. For 7 whole days, the city is in full swing with festivities: Spanish beauties in traditional dresses dance flamenco, horse-drawn rides and decorated wagons, fair casetas with food and drinks. And at the end of the holiday, of course, fireworks.
In Fuengirola, throughout July, the Sohail Castle (Castillo Sohail) hosts the International Music and Dance Festival, which brings together all the most famous music and dance groups in the world.
In the town of Benalauria, on the first Sunday of August, the Moors and Christians (Fiesta de Moros y Cristianos) are celebrated, which are distinguished by their Mediterranean tradition and originality. Especially on this day, all local residents decorate the city in the spirit of the 15th century, thereby recreating the atmosphere of the time when their lands were conquered from the Moors.
On August 19, an extravaganza takes place in Malaga. In addition to traditional folk festivals and bullfights, city residents bring flower gifts to the sanctuary of St. Victoria, the patroness of the city. Then they arrange a folklore festival and, not ignoring the smallest residents, a Magic Fairy with puppet theater, magic tricks, fairy tales and games is organized in the park (from 12:00 to 15:00).
Feria St. Archangel Miguel (Feria de San Miguel), celebrated on September 29, is the most important holiday of Torremolinos. On the streets of the city on this day you can see romeros - wagons with pilgrims decorated with flowers and garlands. This is followed by a solemn service and a fair, which lasts 3 days, during which songs do not stop, dances, fireworks and plentiful treats do not stop. Bullfights are held every day of the fair. This is fun time. In addition, the “Tourist Day” is also held, which has already become traditional. Throughout the day, sailing regattas and other sports competitions are held. And in conclusion, the people choose the most beautiful couple among tourists.
The Fuengirola Fairy (Feria del Rosario), celebrated on October 7, is especially significant: it is one of the most important fairs in Andalusia, since its main event is the display of the most thoroughbred and expensive Andalusian stallions in luxurious teams.
In addition to the national holiday of All Saints Day, which falls on November 1st, Marbella also celebrates Chestnut Day (Día del Tostón). This day the inhabitants of the city spend in nature, arranging picnics, where they drink anise tincture under chestnuts roasted on a fire.
The Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales Festival completes the series of festivities on the Costa del Sol. During this festival, traditional Spanish fandango music is performed: it is performed to the accompaniment of primitive two-string violins, guitars, metal saucers, a tambourine, and household utensils such as a kitchen mortar or bottles, as well as old Spanish dances.
Spain… Amazing, charming, mysterious… A country with a rich history and cultural heritage. Numerous architectural monuments, the ancient cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, the famous bullfight, especially popular in Andalusia, the incendiary flamenco dance - all this and not only makes millions of people from all over the world come back here again and again. Spanish football teams have long gained prestige in the international arena, becoming owners of prestigious awards. And their fans are in almost every country. Tours to Spain occupy a leading position not only in Europe, but also in the world, and a favorable, warm climate and hundreds of kilometers of sandy beaches are conducive to relaxation both in summer and in winter. The coast of Spain is washed by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country itself is located on the Iberian Peninsula and borders France, Portugal and Morocco. In Spain, there is the famous, incendiary island of Ibiza with its unforgettable vacation. Spaniards are friendly people and easy to communicate with.
Spain is so multifaceted that every time it appears before you is different, unexpected, but always excitingly interesting.
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