Spanish FiestasSpanish Fiestas are official holidays or red days on the calendar, which often coincide with religious festivals and can last for several days. Spain has many fiestas for local patron saints and the Virgin Mary, as well as special days for regional communities. Spain is a country that respects many of its ‘Old Traditions’ and many of its Old Fiesta Days’. The majority of fiestas are upheld by Spain’s strong Catholic inheritance. Not all Spanish fiestas are celebrated with a pageant, but most of them include, religious processions, carnivals, bullfights and dancing etc, and are well worth going to have a look. The most important Spanish Fiestas or national holidays in Spain are: January 1st – Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) This is one of the national holidays in Spain,and all businesses are closed, including large commercial centres. It is traditional for families to meet and celebrate together. January 5th - Cabalgate De Los Reyes Magos This is not one of the Spanish fiestas or national holidays in Spain, but the evening is very important! This is the eve of when the Three Kings or Three Wise Men arrive in a cavalcade. The Kings are called Baltasar, Gaspar and Melchor. Christians know that this is the day the Three Kings arrive to see baby Jesus after following a star from faraway lands. The Three Magi of the Orient presented Jesus with three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. In Torrevieja the Three Kings parade, which features the 3 wise men on camels or horses, is held as an evening event and tends to be scheduled to begin between 20:00 and 21:00. Its traditional route takes it down a street called Ramon Gallud, which is the main shopping street in Torrevieja, and, it travels past the main town square. There is a great party atmosphere in the town and many sweets and other treats are thrown into the crowds. At the end of the procession the three wise men hand out gifts to the children. After the parade families go home to a celebration family meal.
January 6th - Dia de los tres Reyes This is the day everyone enjoys their new toys. It is one of the national holidays in Spain and everywhere is closed. This day is considered the last day of Christmas (Twelfth Night). 19th March - San Jose (Father's Day) This fiesta is only celebrated in the Valencian Region although it used to be a fiesta for the whole of Spain. On this day huge Fallas (fire and firework displays) are set alight in Valencia. The Fallas are huge constructions of paper, cardboard and wood that symbolises, people of splendid character. Semana Santa (Holy Week or Easter) This week is very important to the people of Spain, particularly Catholics. This celebration can be in either March or April. At Easter there are many processions including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, which illustrate the story of the events leading up to the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. These processions make up an important part of Spanish fiestas and religious traditions. Music plays an important part of the processions and sets the mood of the tale being told. Everyone takes great pride in playing in their band in the street parades. May 1st - Dia del Trabajo (Labour Day) This day is a national holiday in spain, the day Spain celebrates the worker. June 20th Hogueras de San Juan (St John's Bonfires) Of all the Spanish Fiestas this is the most outstanding festivity held in Alicante, declared to be of International Tourist Interest. It is based on the ancient custom of burning useless objects to celebrate the summer solstice, connecting with the feast day of St John the Baptist. It was first held in 1928, with lots of colour, gunpowder and bonfires. Of note are the Flower Offerings to Our Lady of Remedy (22nd June), the International Folklore Parade (23rd June) and The Mascletás or Fireworks Competitions (20th-24th June). There are also processions with marching bands, outdoor dances and sports competitions. The feast coincides with a bullfighting festival bringing in leading matadors, on foot and on horseback. At midnight on St John's Night (from 24th to 25th June) a huge fireworks display is set off from the top of Mount Benacantil, and all the bonfires, and monumental floats made in papier-mâché and wood are burnt to ashes. The holidays continue until the 29th of June, St Peter's Day. During the second half, a medieval market is held in the old quarter of town, and from the 25th to the 29th of June there is a fireworks competition, with displays being set off from Postiguet Beach. July Spanish Fiestas of Pamplona. The festival of San Fermín in the city of Pamplona, is a deeply-rooted celebration held annually from noon 6th July when the opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic txupinazo accompanied by music, to midnight 14th July with the singing of the Pobre de Mí. While its most famous event is the running of the bulls, the week-long celebration involves many other traditional and events. It is known locally as Sanfermines and is held in honor of Saint Fermin the patron saint of Pamplona and co-patron of Navarra. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, which brought it to the general attention of English-speaking people. It has become probably the most internationally renowned of all the Spanish Fiestas. Algorfa's Fiesta is held from July 4th - 16th To find out more about what is going on in Algorfa please click here for the daily itinerary August 15th - Asuncion (Assumption) All Spain will be having a National Holiday in honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the Catholic Church, this is the day where Mary was taken bodily to Heaven after her death. The Feast of the Assumption celebrates both the happy departure of Mary from this life by her natural death, and her assumption bodily into heaven. In his book The Marian Conspiracy Graham Philips believes that Mary’s body is buried in Wales in the church of St Mary, Llanerchymedd in Anglesey, Supposedly there is a letter written by St Augustine to the Pope in 597 which suggests that this was where Mary was buried. October 12th - Dia De La Hispanidad This is a national holiday in Spain which commemorates the exact date of 1492 when Christopher Columbus first set a foot in the Americas November 1st - Dia De Todos Los Santos (All Saint’s Day) This is a national Spanish Fiestas day. It is a day the Spanish remember their deceased. This is also the day where the Spanish remember all of their family who have died. Everyone visits the cemetery to leave flowers by the graves of loved ones. December 6th - Dia De La Constitucion (Day of the Constitution) This is another of the national holidays in Spain to commemorate the 6th of December 1978 when the Spanish people voted in a national referendum to approve the draft constitution which had been passed by the interim parliament representatives in October of the same year, after the long years of Franco’s dictatorship.
December 8th - Dia De LA Purisisma / Inmaculada Concepcion It is a national and a Catholic Spanish Fiestas day. You can say this is the start of Christmas for many families because on this day homes and Christmas trees are decorated. The Belén is also put on display. A Spanish Christmas is celebrated in a slightly different way to the British version. In the Plaza (town square) you will often see a model of Bethlehem and other parts of the Holy Land - this is known as the Belen (meaning Bethlehem) and is well worth a look. It is tradition in most Spanish families to have a family celebration meal on Christmas Eve night (Nochebuena). The meal consists of many courses including meat, cheese, prawns and other shell fish, a fish course, meat (often lamb) etc. and then they would have gateaux and other cakes (postres), coffee and liqueurs, plus chocolates and champagnes (cava) or cider (sidra)etc. As the meal only begins at about 10.30 pm, the food and drink continues until Christmas day arrives and then families often choose to exchange presents. Christmas day is a national fiesta but not celebrated with a family meal like the UK as they have done this the night before.Father Christmas in Spain is called Papa Noel, and, although this is not a real Spanish tradition, modern western influences have bought with them the 'Santa concept' and children expect Papa Noel to deliver them the latest toys etc. on Christmas night, just the same as children in the UK. December 25th - Dia De Navidad (Christmas Day) This is a national holiday in Spain. Everyone goes to church and families meet together for dinner. December 31st - Dia De Noche Vieja (Day of the Old Night) - New Year’s Eve Everywhere is open during the day, but the night is when everyone celebrates with a grand fiesta. On New Years Eve, at midnight, you will usually find a large crowd of people in the town hall square, where it is custom to take 12 grapes and eat one grape at the same time the church bell strikes for twelve, midnight. One grape is eaten for every peal of the bell. . If you can manage to eat all the grapes when the last bells toll it means a year of good luck for you.
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