Moors and Christians: Spain's biggest summer fiesta
Monday, August 5, 2019 @ 3:23 PM
SUMMER is the season when Spain seems to wake up in earnest – despite the heat making its inhabitants want to go back to sleep – and streets that were quiet the rest of the year start to overflow with people, parades, music, fireworks, and just about anything noisy and colourful it can get its hands on.
This is the season when towns and villages celebrate their patron saint festivals – and, as is normally the case with a Spanish fiesta, the actual high-jinks bear little resemblance to the 'saint of the day' on the calendar whose life and times it purports to honour.
Usually a formal mass and procession will be involved somewhere, but the rest of the week or fortnight involves late-night open-air live music and discos, huge al fresco dinners the public are invited to, and a massive firework display on the last day.
The odd sports tournament might take place, and children's water park set up, to keep everyone occupied in the daytime.
Many patron saint fiestas in the south and east are scheduled to coincide with the spectacular Moors and Christians festival – arguably one of the most visual and flamboyant of the year and one that every resident or tourist should ensure they witness at least once in a lifetime.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com