Are you planning to go to Spain on holiday? Do you want to discover this beautiful country's culture and traditions in a fun way? Whether you are travelling in spring, summer, fall or winter, you can do exactly that by attending one of the many festivals that fill the Spanish cultural agenda. Here are the most famous Spanish folk festivals not to be missed!
La Semana Santa
One of the most exciting and iconic Spanish holidays, La Semana Santa is celebrated throughout Spain. However, if you want to make the most of your Spanish festival experience, you should go to Seville, where the party is at its best. A holidays that begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, La Semana Santa is celebrated by cultural, musical and theatrical performances. A number of 58 processions are held throughout the whole country. 50.000 people march in the streets on special paths (carrera official) that lead to the church, carrying sculptures of religious figures, and singing flamenco songs with religious connotations (saetas). For an entire week, the streets of many Spanish cities are bustling with people. The whole atmosphere is vivid and colorful.
La San Fermin
The festival of San Fermin is famous worldwide because of the bulls that fill the streets of Pamplona and the bullfights that attract thousands of visitors on an annual basis. La San Fermin is one of the most original and cheerful celebrations in Spain! The festival starts every year on July 6th and the renouned Txupinazo – a fireworks show that takes place in front of the city's Town Hall. The first firecracker is lit under the cries of the locals who, for this occasion, wear around their neck the iconic red scarf. The famous corrida or encierro represents the most important event of the festival. Every morning at 8:00, the bulls are released and the race starts. The runway is about 830 meters long and the venue is made up of the streets leading to the Arena. The craziest and probably the most impressive image you will get here is that of hundreds of men running in front of the bulls! Another event that appeals to the crowds is the procession held in the honor of Saint Fermin.
La Tomatina Festival - Wikimedia Commons/Tm
La Tomatina festival takes place every year, on the fourth Wednesday of August, in Buñol – a Spanish town in the region of Valencia. This unique festival brings together locals and tourists willing to have fun throwing tomatoes at each other. The origin of this tomatoes battle goes back to a dispute that occurred in 1945. La Tomatina begins at 9 AM, on the village square. A huge poll covered in soap with a piece of ham on top is erected before the festival and some try to climb to the top in order to win the prize. Buckets of water are thrown on participants from the balconies. At 11 AM, the first truck loaded with ammunition (the tomatoes) appears and within seconds, everything is covered in red. At the end of the battle, the brave participants are cleaned by water jet. If you are into unique festival experiences, feel free to attend La Tomatina - one of the most bizarre festivals in Spain!
