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Fests & Traditions |
![Spain fest, Spain fests, El Pilar Zaragoza, Las Fallas Valencia, San Isidro Madrid, San Fermines Pamplona, El Rocío Sevilla, Feria de Abril Sevilla, Carnaval Cádiz Tenerife](encierro.JPG) |
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Pamplona: San Fermines
The festival of San
Fermin is by far the best known event taking place in Pamplona.
TV-spectators in all the world are surprised, impressed or shocked each
year when they watch the spectacle of bulls running through the streets
of the town and hundreds of young men, usually dressed in traditional
white shirts and red belts, ahead of them. Taking this challenge
frequently ends in blood and tears. Hemingway was deeply
impressed by Pamplona's Sanfermines, as by the tradition of
bullfighting in general, and reports on it in several of his books. The
way through the town leads to the bullring, where in the evening of the
same day are celebrated some of the most important bullfights of all the
season, with the very best toreros.
The spectacle as described above takes place on the first day of the
festival, on July, 7th. During the following week all
Pamplona is the scenery of an enormous party, with dancing and singing
and drinking - it is certainly the most exciting week of all the year.
Although the Sanfermines of Pamplona are the best known event of
that kind, there are similar festivals in several of the villages around:
in Tudela from July, 24th to 28th, in
Estella from the first Saturday in August, in Tafalla from
August, 15th to 20th, and in Sanguesa from
September, 11th to 17th.
Another very interesting tradition in the province is the
"Ceremonia del Tributo de las tres Vacas", in Roncal valley,
on July, 13th. A contract from 1375 obligates the
inhabitants of the french Baretous valley to pay an annual
tribute in form of three cows to the people of Piedra San Martín.
The ceremony is executed by the town-mayors, in medieval gowns.
On May, 25th takes place a festival of traditional
regional dances, called Baile de la Era, in Estella.
On June, 24th, pilgrims of all the region come
together in a cave close to the Hermitage of San Juan de Xar, in
Yanci, to wash themselves in the water of its three springs.
Illnesses are said to be cured by that in a miraculous way.
Valencia: Las Fallas |
Valencia is known in all the country for its
rollicking festivals and for its spectacular fireworks, which have
developed in this city to an art of its own. Here they spend a whole
year building a pyrotechnical work of art which then will burn down in
one single night. This also shows the character of the population to
really enjoy the moment and celebrate each festival as if it were the
last one.
Most important are certainly the Fallas de San
José, a celebration of the beginning of springtime. In all
the town you will see impressive cardboard-constructions which will be
burned at the last day of the festival, March, 19th,
after a great party in the streets and locals of Valencia that takes
four days.
But the spectacle goes on during an entire week more, with dances in
those beautiful regional dresses, bullfights and fireworks.
For Feria de Julio (in July) all Valencia is decorated
with a sea of flowers. Again there are dancing parties, fireworks and
some of the most important bullfights of Spain.
At October, 9th, the Day of Comunidad Valenciana,
there are commemorations of the reconquest of the town from the Moors.
Another typical festival is the "Fiesta de la Mocaorá", an
event in particular beloved by gourmets: specially for it are prepared
those traditional specialities of marzipan, Piuletes and
Tronadors.
Sevilla: Semana Santa and Feria de Abril
If you would like to discover the popular customs
of this region, you should visit Seville in springtime, when within only
two weeks take place the two most important festivities of this city:
Semana Santa, Easter Week, with its world-famous processions, and
Feria de Sevilla, the Flamenco-event in the land.
The traditions of Semana Santa go back to 16th
century, when the Catholic Church decided to present the Passion of
Christ to the population in an easily understandable way: they had
made huge wooden figures of Saints by the greatest artists of that time
and those figures were carried with the processions. The realism of this
representation impressed people deeply indeed., and still today the
Sevillanos are cheering the Holy Virgin of their
parish church in a way that is often hard to understand for spectators.
Ahead of the procession comes a group of so-called Nazarenos, in
long gowns with hoods, behind them Penitents, with crosses on
their shoulders, then the figures of the Saints carried by Costaleros,
each of whom has to carry a weight of up to 100 kg. All those men are
members of a Cofradia, a brotherhood dedicating to organize one
of those processions. There are 52 Cofradias in Seville.
Those processions are deeply impressing for the spectator, and thousands
of tourists come to Seville each year in Easter week.
All but different is Feria de Abril,
taking place two weeks later. Originally it was just a cattle-market,
but through the years it turned out to be one of the greatest popular
festivities in Spain. You will have the opportunity to see the typical
flamenco dresses, which almost all women, never mind their age, wear.
Innumerable casetas, provisional houses, are built on the terrain
and decorated with colorful lamps. In the morning arrive the landowners
on horses or in horse-coaches. In the afternoon starts a great party of
Flamenco and sherry-wine
in each Caseta that will take all the night long
. That is repeated day by day during an entire
week.
During this same week take place as well the most important bullfights
in town.
In the following weeks there are similar but of course much smaller
Ferias in many of the villages and towns around.
Another certainly attractive event for visitors is the Day of
Inmaculada. In the night from 7th to 8th of
December come together all the Tunas (student's fraternities
in traditional medieval dresses) of the city - and many of all the
country - at the statue of the Virgin Inmaculada, between
cathedral and Alcazar, to perform their traditional songs.
The next morning takes place the Danza de los Seises in the
cathedral, a dance performance of children as well in traditional
dresses.
At the evening of January, 5th there is the colorful
Procession of the three Magi, who pass on horse-coaches
and give small presents and sweets to the children.
Zaragoza: El Pilar
Zaragoza's most famous festival is
Fiestas del Pilar in October, a celebration in the honour
of the town's patroness "Virgen del Pilar". This festival showcases the
folkloristic customs of the region Aragón, and is very attractive for
the visitor.
"Fiestas de Primavera" in May celebrate the
beginning of springtime. Directly after this festival takes place a
nationally important exposition of paintings and sculptures.
Among the most attractive folkloristical events in the province are:
Corpus Christi in Daroca, La Vendimia (Thanksgiving)
in Cariñena, Festival de la Fruta in Calatayud
and Festival de la Aceituna in Caspe.
But perhaps most impressive are the Batallas de Moros y Cristianos,
the "Fights between Christians and Moors": those are theaters
that have as a subject the reconquest of Spain and feature popular
dances and poetry. Such performances take place in Zaragoza,
Cetina, Ateca, Longares, Ambel and Tauste.
Madrid: San Isidro
La
Villa, the "village", is how the inhabitants
of Madrid call their city, and in many quarters there are still alive
traditions of a time before all those villages have melted together into
Spain's capital.
The celebrations of New Year, anyhow, are spectacular. Thousands
of people flock together at Puerta del Sol. In the rhythm of the
beats of the big clock at midnight, everybody tries to eat twelve
grapes. That shall bring good luck for the coming year, and all the
Spaniards who are not there, watch the event on TV. After midnight, all
the city becomes the scenery of a great party.
On 5th of January takes place, as in many Spanish
towns, the procession of the three Magi.
On May 15th there is the Fiesta de San Isidro
to the honour of Madrid's patron, one of the most spectacular events in
all the year with numerous concerts and other kinds of public
performances, and the the best bullfights of all the season.
During July and August the town-hall organizes a series of
cultural events for what they call Veranos de la Villa, "Summer
in the Village".
The festival Verbena de la Paloma, from 6th to 15th
of August, shows best the popular traditions of Madrid, with
regional costumes and dances, the so-called Chotis.
During September the concert-houses and theaters have their best
performances, while in November you may visit Madrid's
International Jazz-Festival. At the same time there are also the
traditional Fiestas de la Almudena.
In December there is an exposition of Christmas cribs at Plaza
Mayor.
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Suggest:
Spain fest, Spain fests, El Pilar Zaragoza, Las Fallas Valencia, San
Isidro Madrid, San Fermines Pamplona, El Rocío Sevilla, Feria de Abril
Sevilla, Carnaval Cádiz Tenerife,
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