Festivals
The Spanish have a proud history and have many national
holidays and local fiestas, which involve the whole
community and are wonderful to experience, only some
of which are listed below:-
The Fallas (held in March)
dates from the Middle Ages. They are creations of paper
mache, wood and wax, created in towns across the Costa
Blanca, placed on main streets and burned on the night
of the Feast of St. Joseph. These figures often reflect
current political figures, events and popular personalities
and each figure represents a whole year's work for hundreds
of people. This is an annual event and each bonfire
contributes to a region-wide, colossal festival of fire.
Moors and Christians are four
day local festivals held along the coast at different
times by different towns. This festival commemorates
the expulsion of the Moors (Muslims) who controlled
Spain (especially the Southern Region) for many centuries,
by Isabella and Ferdinand (the Muslim Kingdom of Granada
was the last to fall, thus completing the Reconquista,
in 1492). The festival re-enacts a fabled battle where
Saint George himself apparently put in an appearance
in order to roust the Moors! There is much noise, firing
of cannons and guns, invasions on beaches, storming
of castles and fireworks and the festival culminates
in a solemn street procession where onlookers have an
opportunity to properly appreciate the beautiful Moorish
and medieval costumes, painstakingly recreated by the
locals at a cost of many thousands of Euros. There is
great competition between the towns as to who puts on
the best performance and is simply not to be missed
and a joy to experience.
Easter Week (“Semana
Santa”) is a much more solemn occasion with religious
street processions (including statues taken from the
local churches) paraded through the streets throughout
the week.
Christmas Festivities. In Spain
24th December is the most important day, as families
get together for traditional celebrations. However,
January 6th is Three Kings day and the climax of the
Christmas festive season in Spain. There is a street
procession of floats on the evening of 5th January when
the Three Kings put in an appearance and thousands of
sweets are thrown into the crowd during the procession,
to be greedily collected by the adults as well as the
children. Children then collect their gifts and have
the bank holiday of January 6th to enjoy them.
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