Top Festivals in Spain
Previously we featured an article about festivals in Barcelona. Here are a selection of more festivals in Spain:
España may be best known throughout the world for the fabulous beaches of Costa del Sol, platters piled high with paella, a nightcap of chocolate con churros, lovely ladies dancing the flamenco, Picasso’s strange and compelling surrealist depictions of the Spanish Civil War, and of course, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (which has been widely mimicked worldwide with such festivals as the Running of the Nudes, also held in Pamplona, the Running of the Sheep in Reed Point, Montana, AND San Angelo, Texas, and the Running of the Cows in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado). What people who have not been to Spain may not be aware of, is just how many fabulous festivals are held throughout the year across the country. Here are just a few you will definitely want to check out if you’re in and around Spain.
San Fermin, or The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, is without a doubt, Spain’s most well-known festival worldwide (although not the most popular or widely celebrated within their borders). The festival of San Fermin is actually only loosely associated with the Running of the Bulls, mainly due to the fact that the time devoted to honoring the martyr San Fermin de Amiens coincided with a bull-fighting festival that occurred around the same time. Also, San Fermin is commonly believed to have been dragged through the streets by a bull as part of his martyrdom, even though it was actually his mentor, Saturnin, who suffered this fate. In any case, about a million people show up in Pamplona every July to either run in front of the bulls or watch those adventurous (or crazy) enough to do so.
Semana Santa, the week-long festival held throughout Spain (it literally translates to Holy Week) is actually a lot more important to citizens than the tourist-attraction that San Fermin has become. It takes place during the last week of Lent, starting on Palm Sunday and culminating with Easter Sunday. The most elaborate festivals are held in the cities of Seville and Málaga , where they have been celebrated since the Middle Ages. They include extravagant processions where pasos (sculptures depicting the life of Christ) are carried by penitents dressed in long robes with conical hats (you may recognize the look; it was notably borrowed by members of the American KKK).
Tomatina Tomato Fight
And then there is the Tomatina Tomato Fight. What apparently started as a public disturbance in the small village of Buñol (outside Valencia) in the 1940s became an annual tradition that is now touted as the world’s largest food fight. Another good one is the festival of Las Fallas (literally, the fires) in Valencia, Alicante, whereby ninots (large, elaborate statues) are displayed throughout the city leading up to the festival and then set ablaze so that the entire town (which triples in population from about 1 million to over 3 million every March) looks like it’s burning. Hello, pyromania! The fires are attributed to pagan festivals of spring that occur at the same time of year, although the festival itself is meant to celebrate St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of Carpenters.
Although there are dozens of festivals throughout the country that might attract travelers, steeped in tradition as they are, there are a few that simply must be seen to be believed. So if you find yourself falling victim to the travel bug and Spain seems like the place to be, plan a trip around one of these festivals as a way to have a truly unique experience and see the best that the Spanish people have to offer in the way of entertainment, culture, and tradition.
Thanks to Kyle Simpson for this article – Kyle also writes for Upgradeable where you can find the right ram and laptop memory to get your computer running like a powerhouse.