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Fiestas in Spain
One
word: 'fiestas'. Oh ok. Three words: "fiestas in
Spain". Now we're talking. Spain has
its name permanently nailed at
the top spot of where
to party around the globe list, in terms of
variety and choice. No country
on earth is quite as good at enjoying
itself as Spain.
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Spain’s
rich cultural history, traditions, and many regions have
brought out fun and original celebrations.
Some
fiestas are of religious
nature, others are historical, and all vary in length and style, but
one thing remains the same in each: they all take place outdoors with
music, fireworks and involve a great deal of lively spirit by the
Spanish people.
Much of
Spanish life is lived outdoors, regardless of the weather, and fiestas
are
celebrated all through the year.
Events
are things happening in the area that aren't classified as the typical
'fiesta', but are interesting and fun enough to warrant a mention, and
duly apply to friends and family.
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Fiestas
in Spain are a good excuse for the whole area to party up,
and all power to the Spaniards for maintaining that ideal as an
integral part of their lifestyle.
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pre-cursor, we've put together a few photos of some days out
so that you get an idea of the many things you can do on your holiday
here: |
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If
you have interesting anecdotes/photo or two from New Year, fiestas, big
events etc, you can add them here... |
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There are separate fiesta slideshows and reports further down the page.
Click on the appropriate buttons where available,
e.g.
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Fiestas |
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Where
do you start? The idea of Spain and parties is
synonymous. There is
a festival going on in a village, somewhere
in Spain, every week, I'm sure of it. An entire family that
is
spread across the country would travel back to a particular
place
to celebrate a fiesta, and there are many instances of friends flying
in from around the globe to participate. If anything, fiestas
are
more than just a party, they're an integral social
gathering that
binds all who join in.
But,
the festival
calendar in Spain, every year goes into a frenzied zenith in
the summertime. Though there are festivals going on
throughout the year in Spain, the time to come for best festival
experience is in the months of June-September. Your vacation then has
the
added spice of landing straight into huge party where everyone
is invited.
| ALICANTE: Three Kings |
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Traditions
are firmly embedded in Spain - Santa Claus takes a back seat to the
three original gift-bearers: Caspar,
Melchior,
and Balthazar...
| 2010 |
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| ALICANTE:
Carnival |
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The
Carnival is associated mainly
with Catholicism, dates are variable. Celebrated with make-up and mask
making,
bands, games, music dancing, plenty of food and drink. In olden times
masks were
used of make jokes in public places while still in disguise, it was
banned at
one time, but later on the use of masks was restored.
| 2010 |
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| SANTA
POLA:
Moros
y Cristianos |
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The
first Moors+Christians celebration close to Perleta Magic.
Parades, bands, dances etc. There is a
much larger event in August.
| 2010 |
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| SANTA
POLA:
Medieval Market |
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A
costumed Medieval
market sets up in and around the castle/fortress in the centre
of Santa Pola over the Easter weekend, with many food options
and great gift
ideas.
| 2010 |
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| ELCHE: Semana Santa |
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Easter
celebrations and processions. Religious processions with
blanched palm
leaves
produced in the city’s palm groves and borne through the streets by the
faithful. Elche’s Holy Week is characterised by the processions of the
city’s
hooded “capurutxos”, identified by the colours and corresponding
embroidery of
their robes, accompany the floats bearing the
brotherhoods’ holy images.
The slideshow also includes photos from Semana Santa celebrations in
Alicante and Santa Pola.
| 2010 |
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| PERLETA:
Annual
Fiesta |
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Yes,
our local village has its annual shindig early on in the year,
in conjunction with
neighbouring Maitino which is barely 1km from Perleta - obviously the
bigger the better. There will be the standard fiesta features
of
selecting Fiesta Queen, parades of local culture groups, lots of noise,
action, food, dancing etc.
| 2010 |
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ALICANTE: Santa
Faz
pilgrimage
The
second Thursday after Easter, involves the "La
Peregrina" pilgrimage
and
worship of the relic of Santa Faz housed in the Santa
Faz monastery.
Every year, thousands of people
wearing rosemary
and
carrying the traditional cana
or cane
walk approximately 5 kilometres between Alicante city centre and the Santa
Faz monastery, which,
according
to tradition, houses the fabric that Veronica
used to dry the face of Christ on the Way of the Cross.
| ALICANTE: The
May
Crosses Festival |
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Santa
Cruz neighbourhood, located on
the slopes of Mount
Benacantil
decorate the streets with flower crosses as part of a competition to
see which
is judged to be the best. During the
festivities there are open-air dances,
processions
| 2010 |
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| ELCHE: The
Fiestas of the Cross |
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The
townspeople of
Elche
of Andalusian
origin celebrate this popular fiesta in several small Andalusian-style
marquees
erected along the Avinguda de la Libertat.
| 2010 |
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| ALICANTE: San
Juan
de Hogeres celebration |
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Celebrated
nationally with bonfires and
fireworks (20
- 24th). It has been officially declared to be of International Tourist
Interest, and its origins lie in the tradition of burning useless
objects with
the
arrival of the summer solstice. The
town of Alicante is the place to come, normally on the 23rd June, at
the port
and around the squares: huge hogueres
figures that adorn
the
squares, are put to the torch by the end of the festival. There is
music,
dancing, parades, fireworks and firecrackers, soaking, a special floral
tribute
to the Virgen del Remedio. Bonfires
are lit all down
the beach.
| 2010 |
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| SANTA
POLA: La
Virgen del
Carmen |
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On
July 16th local sailors
honour their patroness. Celebrations are found the main port area where
a stage
is erected, feasting all night, and culminates with the sailing of
decorated
(floral offerings) boats to Isla Tabarca, with Masses,
offerings of flowers for fishermen
lost at sea, processions
and fireworks.
| 2010 |
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VALVERDE: Annual Fiesta |
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In July
the village of
Valverde comes alive with processions, Fiesta Queen
competitions, food and dancing. and
the restaurants flood the available space with outdoor tables and
seating and have
a dazzling array of food on offer.
| 2010 |
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| ELCHE: Annual Fiesta |
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Moros
y
Cristianos (8th-15th).
A
full program
of:
bands, speeches, the firing of muskets and ammunitions re-inactment,
the
different groups depict the entrance of Moors and Christians with
spectacular
parades, display of the Moorish and
Christian Embassies, marches...
Nit
de Alba.
A fireworks night. Everywhere you go, there
are fireworks all
brilliantly lit up like Christmas tree. Hundreds of fireworks light up
the sky
in a barrage of colour and sound. The fiesta’s origins date back to the
Middle
Ages when families offered a rocket to the Virgin for each of their
children.
Fireworks include an enormous white starburst, La Palmera de la Virgen,
which
is released from the Basilica de Santa Maria. You don't plan
to go to
sleep on a night like this.
Misteri
d'Elx
The Play has been declared a Masterpiece of World Oral and
Intangible
Heritage by UNESCO, performed on August 14th and 15th. It is also
distinguished
as a National Artistic Monument and as a Fiesta of International
Tourist Interest.
| 2010 |
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| SANTA
POLA:
Moros
y Cristianos |
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Ambled
into Santa Pola
for a late afternoon drink near the beach... then wandered
into
town at dusk to find an invasion going on...
| 2009 |
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ALICANTE: Virgen
del
Remedio Summer Festival
La Alborada
choir concert and
culminates with the procession of the image of the Virgen del
Remedio,
female
patron saint of Alicante.
| POBLA
DEL DUC: La
Raima |
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Pobla
del Duc, a small village in the hills behind Gandia, celebrates their
grape harvest with La Raima, a week long festival which includes La
Batalla de la Uvas
(Battle of the Grapes), where participants engage in a food fight using
more than six truckloads of grapes. Messy, fun, and we had to
give it a go.
| 2009 |
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SANTA
POLA: Virgen
de Loreto
In the first week of September the town celebrates both
their
patron saint, and hosts a Moors and Christians (Moros y
Christianos) which
marks
the expulsion of the Moors from the region, spread out
over the entire week.
Festivities, music, dancing, dress-up
as Moors
or Christians in
fabulous, intricately
designed, fantastic outfits, eating, drinking, and of course lots of
loud
fireworks.
| JAVEA: local
fiesta |
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Quite
unique in that one part of the fiesta sees a bull-ring set up
at
the port on one of the docks, with one side open to the harbour.
Young men wearing nothing by swimming trunks and training
shoes
engage with bulls on a surreal game of tag. The intent is not
to
get 'tagged' by the bulls horns, but to delight the crowd with guile
and speed to either dash by and impale a plastic cup on the end of the
horn or entice the bull to charge and lead it into
the harbour.
Fresh seafood is cooked on huge long hotplates and served with ice-cold
beer.
| 2009 |
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| ELCHE:
Medieval
Festival |
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Elche
becomes the fitting backdrop for the Medieval Festival,
transporting
visitors back to ancient times and helping them to understand better
the origins of this medieval city. The street market, strolling
troubadours and music minstrels, processions and fire jumpers take over
the city for a few days during which there are also other cultural
events such as seminars dealing with medieval music and theatre as well
as striking performances of the Elche Mystery Play.
| 2009 |
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ELCHE:
Fiesta
of the Virgens Arrival
The image
of the Virgin of the Assumption and the “Consueta”, the
libretto for the Elche Mystery Play. At 15:00 hours every
December 28th
Canto leaves Huerto
de les
Portes Encarnaes on
horseback to proclaim his
discovery to
the Town Council. The re-enactment on years with an
even number, a
pilgrimage commemorating the event is held, setting out from Santa Pola
to
Elche. It starts at 07:30 at Santa Pola’s Tamarit beach and finishes in
Hort de
les Portes Encarnaes.
SANTA
POLA: La
Venida de la Virgen de Loreto
Commemoration
of the
Virgen de Loreto's arrival by sea, with an
re-enactment of
events. It is said that this event took place in 1643.
| ELCHE: Belen Bancaja |
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Christmas
Nativity scenes are typically small to medium affairs - try this one
that is three times the size of your house...
| 2009 |
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In terms of fiestas in Spain, these barely represent a few
inches of ice on the top of the iceberg. Every small
town
and village has one if not more celebrations during each year, not
counting the major provincial events.
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Events |
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SANTA
POLA: Half
Marathon
SANTA POLA:
World
Formula
Windsurfing Championships
SANTA POLA:
Sports
Duathlon.
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ACCOMMODATION |
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