Holidays and Festivals in Spain

Spain allows its people to take up to fourteen public holidays in a year, of which nine are fixed days while other four can vary according to region. This is after all, the land of fiestas – some of which are religious in origin while others celebrate local culture. Still others may commemorate historical events or the arrival of different seasons. Here are then some of the major holidays and festivals celebrated in Spain.

New Year’s Day

Unlike revelers most parts of the world who start early on New Year’s Eve and then build to a crescendo at midnight, the Spanish see in the New Year in a comparatively more sedate manner, either with friends or with family. It is only after about 12.30 that they start going out to the bars and clubs and start partying which could continue till New Year’s Day morning or even the entire day.

One of the most enjoyable New Year’s rituals in Spain is that of eating twelve grapes at the twelve bongs of midnight – belief has it that for each grape that one gets right, good luck is assured for that month.

Epiphany

Epiphany is a Christian festival which celebrates the arrival of the Magi or the Three Kings at the crib of Infant Jesus. In Spain parades are held on January 5 in which the three Magi ride on horses or camels and throw sweets to children. At night before going to bed, children put food out for the kings in the hope that they will leave gifts for them. Traditionally presents were exchanged on this day but now Spanish culture is catching up on the popular concept of Santa Claus which is why children receive gifts on Christmas Day as well.

St Joseph’s Day

Originally San Jose, celebrated on March 19, used to be a holiday throughout Spain but now most regions have replaced it with festivals honoring their local patron saints. San Jose though continues to be the most popular fiesta in Valencia which is also known as the Las Fallas festival. On this occasion, Valencian communities make high-tech paper mache sculptures - sometimes in the shape of traditional figures, sometimes in the shape of famous people like Shrek or George W. Bush. The creations are on display all over the city before being burned in huge bonfires amidst much partying and merry-making.

Carnaval

Like many other Christian cultures, Spain too erupts in a period of revelry and indulgence during the Carnaval week before the austerities of Lenten set in. Many places in the country have carnival processions the weekend before Shrove Tuesday while in others the celebrations last a whole week. There is no one way that carnival is celebrated in Spain - each one of its cities has a slightly different style of Carnival revelry. The most glamorous is perhaps the one held at Tenerife which resembles the one at Rio de Janeiro more than any other. One of the most extravagant and creative Carnavale celebrations are to be seen in the port city of Cadiz which not only hosts a wide range of musical performances but also something known as Chirigotas which are humorous groups that perform satirical pieces about everything from politics to current events. Then there is the Sitges carnival in Catalonia which is a well known partying destination popular with people of all sexualities. Here Jueves Lardero ("Fatty Thursday") begins the festivities, with a humungous feast of local dishes. On the Sunday and the Tuesday the parade comes through town, while on Tuesday there is also a big drag queen show.

Semana Santa

The week leading up to Easter is marked with processions of which some are quite elaborate with lifelike representations of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary. Plays recounting the Passion of Christ are performed in certain areas and in Andalusia, people sing flamenco songs to the statues. The series of processions begin with Palm Sunday the week before Easter followed by those on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday since Easter Monday is less important in Spain then in the US or the UK. While processions can be seen all over Spain during Semana Santa, the ones in Seville are the most famous. Here there are more than 55 church brotherhoods, some dating as far back as the 13th century, which take part in Semana Santa, carrying over 115 different floats, or pasos, through the streets of Seville. Ultimately Semanta Santa is much more than processions since it also marks the arrival of spring and celebrates the renewal of life.

Sant Jordi

Saint George is the patron saint of Catallonia where his day is celebrated in a special way on April 23 by giving roses to the women and books to the men in memory of the writer Miguel de Cervantes who died on this day in 1616. The day is also celebrated in Caceres as the San Jorge Festival.

San Fermin

One of the best known Spanish fiestas throughout the world, the San Fermin festival begins on July 7 and continues for a week. It is associated with bull-runs encierros and bull-fights besides all the partying and merry-making. During the week, before each bullfight, the bulls are let loose and dash through the streets, accompanied by onlookers.
The origin of the fiesta of San Fermín goes back to the Middle Ages; over time became a combined celebration of three events - religious ceremonies in honor of San Fermín,  trade fairs as well as bullfights, which were first documented in the 14th century. It initially lasted two days and had a pregón or an opening speech, musicians, a tournament, theatre and bullfights. Eventually other events were added later, such as fireworks and dances, and now the fiesta lasts for a week.

Corpus Christi

This is celebrated on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday and is marked in several towns with flowers, especially in Cordoba where private houses are thrown open to the public. In Sitges again, streets are decorated with floral arrangements while in in Castrillo de Murcia they hold the Colacho Baby-Jumping Festival. In religious terms, this feast day is dedicated to the exaltation of the actual presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In 1317, John XXII ordered that the Body of Christ should be part of a solemn, public procession and from this time on, the feast of Corpus Christi became more and more widespread and popular.

San Juan

This festival on June 23 is originally a pre-Christian celebration of summer and the longest day of the year but later came to be adopted among the fiestas of the saints. Bonfires are lit and in some places, such as Malaga, people jump over the fires for luck or walk barefoot over hot coals. The fiesta is popular throughout Spain but particularly in Lalín in Galicia, Palamós and Roses in Girona, Alicante and Gran Canaria.

Dia de Hispanidad

October 12 is celebrated all over the country as Spain’s National day since this marks the day that Christopher Columbus is supposed to have discovered America. Parades and speeches take place throughout the day in different parts of the country.

Christmas

In Spain, like in many other European countries, Christmas is primarily a family festival. On the evening before, people gather around for a big family supper and later they may go out to attend midnight mass – known as la misa del gallo – at their local church. Traditionally most Spanish homes put up a Christmas crib known as Belen at this time instead of the more common Christmas tree. On Christmas Day family members sit down to a leisurely lunch which in Spain is characterized by plenty of seafood and special marzipan cakes.