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Spanish Festivals and Holidays
Aside from the "usual" holidays and events (Christmas, New Years Day, etc.) Spain has many unique festivals. Some are world famous, whilst some are a little more secret. No matter how widely known, each celebration is important and just as exciting.
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Jan 1st |
Ano Nuevo (New Year's Day) |
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Jan 6th |
Dia de los Reyes (12th night, when Christmas presents are given |
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Mar 19th |
San Jose (Father's Day) |
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Variable |
Viernes Santo (Good Friday) |
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Variable |
Dia de Pascua (Easter Sunday) |
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May 1st |
Dia del Trabajo (Labour Day) |
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Jun 24th |
San Juan (St.John's Day) |
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Variable (mid June) |
Corpus Christi |
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Jun 29th |
San Pedro y San Pablo (St.Peter & St.Paul) |
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Jul 25th |
Santiago (St.James, patron saint of Spain) |
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Aug 15th |
Asuncion (Assumption) |
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Oct 12th |
Dia de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day) |
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Nov 1st |
Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) |
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Dec 6th |
Dia de la Constitucion (Constitution Day) |
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Dec 8th |
Immaculada Concepcion (Immaculate Conception) |
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Dec 25th |
Navidad (Christmas Day) |
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January |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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1st |
National |
New Year's Day |
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2nd |
Granada |
Reconquest Festival - celebrating the Christian conquest of the Moors in 1492 |
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6th |
National |
Epiphany - Three Kings Day - children receive Christmas presents and candy. |
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17th |
Mallorca and mainland |
San Anton - patron saint of domestic animals. Bonfires are lit and demon figures are used. Also celebrated in much of the mainland with bonfires and mounted processions. In Ciudad Real bread rolls are blessed and cockerels auctioned off. |
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17th |
Alicante |
Porrat de San Anton. A traditional market selling local products. An animal show and the blessing of the animals in the bullring. Held in the quarter of the city named after the saint. |
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17th |
La Puebla, Majorca |
St. Anthony - bonfires, dancing and riotous events |
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29th |
Zaragoza, Aragon |
St.Valerus |
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20th |
national |
San Sebastian (Saint Stephen) |
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February |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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28th |
Andalucia |
Dia de Andalucia |
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2nd-5th |
Bocairente, Valencia |
Re-enactment of struggle between Christians and Moors - parades and fireworks, colourful costumes |
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11th-Mar21st |
Cadiz |
Festival de Cadiz - Oldest festival in Spain - parades and colourful costumes |
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Various |
Madrid |
Madrid Carnival - masked ball, fancy dress and the burial of a sardine followed by a concert in Plaza Mayor |
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1st-2nd |
Antequera |
Candelaria (Night) |
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March |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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28th |
National |
Good Friday |
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End |
National |
Easter Monday |
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31st |
Pais Vasco (Basque Country) |
Dia de Patria Vasco |
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3rd |
Islas Baleares |
Dia de Baleares |
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12th-19th |
Valencia |
Fallas de Valencia - fiesta centering around the burning of effigies of winter demons - bullfights and fireworks |
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12th |
Gibraltar (UK) |
Commonwealth Day |
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April |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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27th |
Barcelona |
Virgin of Montserrat |
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23rd |
Catalonia |
St.George, patron saint of Catalonia |
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25th |
Saucejo, Seville |
St.Barbara, patroness of miners |
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25th |
Aragon |
San Jorge |
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23rd |
Castilla y Leon |
Fiesta de la Castilla y Leon |
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20th-25th |
Seville |
Feria de Sevilla - all night Flamenco dancing, bullfights, dancing in the streets and horse riding - the most celebrated event in Spain |
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Varies |
Alcoy, near Alicante |
Moros y Christians - battle re-enactment with circus-like atmosphere |
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28th-April 4th |
Seville and National |
Holy week - processions and floats |
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26th-29th |
Andujar (Jaen) |
Romeria - the oldest festival in Spain and of National interest |
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1st |
Calatayud, Aragon |
Sunday of San Lazaro |
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Thursday following Easter week |
Alicante |
Pilgrimage of the Holy Visage. A very important and popular event when 200,000 people holding pilgrimage canes walk to the Monastery of Santa Faz to worship at the shrine. They have picnic lunches and a large arts and crafts market is held. |
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May |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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11th |
Barcelona |
Day of Sant Ponc, patron saint of herbalists |
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1st |
National |
Labour Day |
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2nd |
Madrid |
Dia de Comunidad de Madrid |
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31st |
Castilla-La-Mancha |
Dia de Comunidad de Castilla-La-Mancha |
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30th |
Canarias |
Dia de Canarias |
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First two weeks |
Cordoba |
Festival de los Patios - residents decorate their patios with cascades of flowers and visitors wander from patio to patio |
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12th-21st |
Madrid |
Fiesta de San Isidro - 10 day celebration of the patron saint - parties, parades, bullfights and dances |
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9th-16th |
Jerez de la Frontera |
Horse Fair - greatest horses in the world on parade |
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15th |
Estepona, Malaga |
San Isidro's Day |
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2nd Sunday |
Antequera |
Romeria day |
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1-3rd |
Alicante |
May Crosses (Cruces de Mayo). The Santa Cruz quarter dresses with sweet smelling crosses made from flowers. The finest win awards and dances and games are organised. |
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June |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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24th |
National |
Saint John (San Juan) see below |
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23rd |
Catalonia |
Dia de Sant Joan |
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Carrion de los Cespedes, Seville |
Corpus Christi fiesta |
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9th |
La Rioja |
Dia de La Rioja |
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9th |
Murcia |
Dia de la Region |
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All |
Madrid |
Veranos de la Villa - dancing, music and concerts, often free of charge - all summer long |
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6th |
National |
Corpus Christi - big parades especially in Toledo, Malaga, Granada and Seville |
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20th |
Alicante |
St.John's Bonfires - bonfires through the night signal 5 days of festivities - business in Alicante comes to a standstill |
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24th |
National |
San Juan - Celebrated with bonfires on the beach, lasting all night through the night of the 23rd. At midnight everyone rushes into the sea to symbolise the baptisms by John the Baptist. The theory is that you wash your feet in the sea to cleanse your sins. There is also the tradition of jumping the bonfire, to burn away your sins (or something like that). |
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July |
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Day |
Place |
Event |
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29th |
Los Morales, Seville |
St.Marta, local patron saint |
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28th |
Cantabria |
Dia de Cantabria |
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25th |
Galicia |
Santiago Apostle |
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First weekend |
San Lorenzo, Galicia |
A Rapa das Bestas - capture and branding of wild horses from the hills attracts equestrian lovers from all over Europe |
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Early July |
Pamplona |
Running of the bulls - most popular event in Spain where bulls are released into the streets - also features other events - known as Fiesta de San Fermin |
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22nd-25th |
Antequera |
Feria de Santiago |
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Benidorm |
Song Festival |
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13th-22nd |
LaLinea |
Annual Feria week based on Virgen del Carmen. Town's anniversary on the 20th. |
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16th |
Estepona |
Virgen del Carmen: Annual feast of the fishermen when the waters are blessed and the Virgen is carried to sea in a procession |
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14th Aprox |
Sotogrande |
Polo season begins. |
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3rd-8th |
Estepona |
Annual Feria with large fun fair. |
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13th |
Fuengirola |
Annual Feria at the Sohail Castle. |
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16th |
Alicante |
Virgen del Carmen: Annual celebration when the fishing port comes alive to mark their patron saint. Events spread to the Island of Tabarca. |
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