Spaniards are known for their vibrant lifestyle, which is why thousands of people flock to the country each year to take part in their national festivals. Of course, there is a celebration held somewhere in Spain almost every week; however, there are a few in particular that are worth travelling to experience.
Firstly, there is a week of celebrations in February as the Catholic population prepares for Lent, known as "Carnaval". A time for excess before the restrictions of Lent, the festivities can go on from dusk until dawn and take place in almost every Spanish town and city. In fact, those known for the most raucous parties are the Canary Islands and Cadiz.
In April, the very diverse Moros y Cristianos festival takes place. Across the country, people celebrate the fight between the Moorish and Christian armies with mock battles in the streets, amongst a plethora of firework and gun shots. Indeed, Alcoy in the Alicante region holds the biggest Moros y Cristianos party, with over four days of mock battles, marches and flowing Sangria.
Seville's La Feria de Abril takes place two weeks after Easter and is a blaze of flamenco dancers and parades. One of Spain's biggest annual festivals, there are over 1000 marquees, each with a bar, music and plenty of colourful costumes. Whilst in June, head to any beach in the Alicante region to catch a glimpse of the massive bonfires and all night partying that mark the longest day of the year.
One of the most famous of Spain's festivals is the Running of the Bulls, which takes place in Pamplona in July. The festival takes place over the course of nine days, where anyone who wishes to participate must run in front of a hoard bulls which have been let loose in a sub section of the town's street. What's more, every evening the bulls which ran are then fought by professional bull-fighters and ultimately sacrificed; but whether or not you choose to participate this is a unique festival that gets the heart racing.
Adrenaline-fuelled in a completely different manner, La Tomatina - located in a town near Valencia called Bunol - plays host to one of the world's largest food fights. As such, thousands gather in the town square to throw tomatoes at each other for an hour on the last Wednesday of August each year. However, it is not solely dominated by tomato throwing; fireworks, parades, dancing and music also take place during this week long festival.
As you can imagine, it can get very busy in these towns and cities during their festival periods; therefore, prepare well in advance and have a rough idea of which festival you would like to attend. If you are unsure of which festival to attend, on your travels you will find useful information from the tourist offices, locals and from the many Spain hotels. But whichever festival you decide to explore, you are sure to enjoy your festive fiestas!
Written by: Andrew Regan
About the author:
Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.