It's
hard to
beat the
experience
of
arriving
in some
small
Spanish
village,
expecting
no more
than a
bed for
the
night,
to
discover
the
streets
decked
out with
flags
and
streamers,
a band
playing
in the
plaza
and the
entire
population
out
celebrating
the
local
fiesta.
Everywhere
in Spain,
from the
tiniest
hamlet
to the
great
cities,
devotes
at least
a couple
of days
a year
to their
festivals.
Usually
it's the
local
saint's
day, but
there
are
celebrations
of
harvests,
of
deliverance
from the
Moors,
of safe
return
from the
sea -
any
excuse
will do.
There
are also
the
events
of the
Catholic
calendar,
most
notably
Semana
Santa (Holy
Week),
which in
Audalucía
sees
theatrical
religious
floats
carried
through
the
streets,
accompanied
by
hooded
penitents
atoning
for the
year's
misdeeds.
Each
festival
is
different.
In the
Basque
country
there
will
often be
bulls
running
flamenco
and the
guitar
are an
essential
part of
any
celebration;
in
Valencia
they
specialize
in huge
bonfires
and
deranged
firework
displays
(climaxing
in Las
Fallas
in March).
But this
is just
the
mainstream.
Fiestas
can be
very
strange
indeed,
ranging
from
parades
of
devils
to full-blown
battles
with
water or
even
tomatoes.
Fiestas
calendar
Fiestas
are an
absolutely
crucial
part of
Spanish
life.
Even the
smallest
village
gives at
least a
couple
of days
a year
over to
partying,
and
happening
across a
local
event
can be
huge fun,
propelling
you
right
into the
heart of
its
culture.
But as
well as
such
community
celebrations,
Spain
has some
really
major
events:
most
famously
the
Running
of the
Bulls at
Pamplona,
the
April
Feria of
Seville,
and the
great
religious
processions
of
Semana
Santa,
leading
up to
Easter.
Any of
these
can be
worth
planning
your
whole
trip
around.
Following
is a
very
basic
calendar
of
fiesta
highlights
. For
more
detailed
information,
consult
local
tourist
offices.
Outsiders
are
always
welcome
at
fiestas,
the one
problem
being
that it
can be
hard to
find a
hotel,
unless
you book
well in
advance.
Note
that
saint's
day
festivals
- indeed
all
Spanish
celebrations
- can
vary in
date
, often
being
observed
over the
weekend
closest
to the
dates
given in
our
listings.
Contact
local
tourist
offices
for more
details.
JANUARY
16-17:
San
Antoni's
day
is
preceded
by
bonfires
and
processions,
especially
on the
Balearic
Islands
.
FEBRUARY
Carnaval
(the
week
preceding
Ash
Wednesday
and
Lent) is
an
excuse
for wild
partying
and
masques,
most
riotous
in
Cádiz
(Andalucía),
Sitges
(Catalunya),
and
Águilas
(Valencia).
MARCH
12-19
Las
Fallas
in
Valencia
is the
biggest
of the
bonfire
festivals
held for
San
José,
climaxing
on the
Night of
Fire
when
enormous
caricatures
are
burnt
and
firecrackers
take
over the
streets.
Easter
(March/April)
Semana
Santa
(Holy
Week) is
celebrated
across
Spain
with
religious
processions,
at their
most
theatrical
in the
cities
of
Sevilla,
Málaga,
Murcia
and
Valladolid
, where
pasos
- huge
floats
of
religious
scenes -
are
carried
down the
streets,
accompanied
by
hooded
penitents
atoning
for the
year's
misdeeds.
Good
Friday
sees the
biggest
processions.
APRIL
22-24:
Moros y
Cristianos
- mock
battle
between
Moors
and
Christians
- in
Alcoy,
Valencia.
(Similar
events
take
place
throughout
the year
all
around
Spain.
23: San
Jordi
-
Catalunya's
patron
saint's
day is a
big
party
across
the
region
and is
also
celebrated
on
National
Book Day
throughout
Spain.
Last
week:
Feria de
Abril
-
spectacular
week-long
fair at
Sevilla.
MAY
Early
May:
Horse
Fair
at Jerez
(Andalucía).
7-22:
San
Isidro
-
Madrid's
patron
saint
(15th) -
is a
signal
for
parades,
free
concerts,
and the
start of
the
bullfight
season.
Pentecost
(Whitsun:7th
Sunday
after
Easter):
the
great
pilgrimage
to El
Rocío,
near
Huelva
(Andalucía).
Corpus
Christi
(Thursday
after
Trinity;
May/June)
is a
focus
for
religious
processions,
accompanied
by
floats
and
penitents,
notably
in
Toledo,
Granada
and
Valencia.
Many
town
fiestas
also
take
place,
including
the
spectacular
costumed
events
of the
Festa
de la
Patum
(Catalunya).
JUNE
23-24:
San Juan
and
midsummer's
eve is
celebrated
with
bonfires
all over
Spain -
particularly
in San
Juan de
Alicante,
where a
local
version
of Las
Fallas
takes
place.
29: San
Pedro
- patron
of
fishermen
- is
honoured
by
flotillas
of
boats,
and
partying
all
along
the
coast.
JULY
7-14:
San
Fermin
- the
famed
running
of the
bulls
at
Pamplona
.
25:
Santiago
-
Spain's
patron
saint,
St James
- is
honoured
at
Santiago
de
Compostela,
with
fireworks
and
bonfires.
AUGUST
10-11
: Elche
(Valencia)
hosts
mock
battles
between
Christians
and
Moors,
ending
with a
centuries-old
mystery
play.
First/second
week
: Mass
canoe
races
down the
Río
Sella in
Asturias.
Third
week
:
Toledo's
main
fiesta,
climaxing
in
amazing
fireworks
at the
weekend.
Last
week:
Gigantones
(giant
puppets)
are
paraded
in
Alcalá
de
Henares
(Castile).
Last Wed
(usually):
La
Tomatina
in Buñol,
near
Valencia:
the
country's
craziest
fiesta,
a two-hour
tomato
fight.
SEPTEMBER
First
week:
Vendimia
(grape
harvest)
celebrations
at
Valdepeñas
(New
Castile),
Jerez
(Andalucía)
and
other
wine
towns.
21:
Rioja
wine
harvest
celebrated
in
Logroño
(Old
Castile).
OCTOBER
1:
San
Miguel
Villages
across
the
country
celebrate
their
patron
saint's
day
12: La
Virgen
del
Pilar
- the
patron
saint of
Aragón -
is an
excuse
for
bullfights
and
jota
dancing
at
Zaragoza
and
elsewhere.
DECEMBER
31:
Nochevieja
New year
is
celebrated
by
eating a
grape
for
every
stroke
of the
clock in
Plaza
del Sol
in
Madrid.
