FESTIVALS IN SPAIN

And ancient celebrations in Soria

JANUARY• New Year’s Day

(national holiday): - January 1st

- The new calendar starts and Spanish people celebrate it having a family lunch together.

• The day of the Three Wise Men (national holiday):

- January 6th

- On the night of the 5th, the children all over Spain can’t sleep, waiting for the presents which the Three Wise Men will leave for them.

FEBRUARY• Carnival Time (national holiday on

Carnival-Tuesday): - Immediately before the period of Lent. - People dress up and go on processions,

and groups of friends get together to sing funny songs about current events.

MARCH• Father’s Day:

- March 19th.

- People give presents to their fathers, honouring the fathers of the world.

APRIL Easter (national

holiday on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday):

- It commemorates Jesus´s death and resurection.

- Some people go on processions.

• Day of Castilla y León:

- April 23rd. This is Castilla y León´s regional day. The date is the anniversary of the Battle of Villalar, in which Castilian rebels called Comuneros were dealt a crushing defeat by the royalist forces of King Charles I in the Revolt of the Comuneros on April 23, 1521.

- It is a work holiday in our region and some cultural events are celebrated.

- Castilla y León is the largest autonomous community in Spain and the third biggest region of the European Union.

MAY• Labour Day:

- May 1st. - Spanish people have a day off work and in some

cities there are processions and peaceful marches.• Mother’s Day:

- The first Sunday of May. - Spanish people give presents to their mothers to

celebrate this day.

June

• The fire walkers of San Pedro Manrique: San Pedro is a small village in the extreme Northeast corner of Soria (thirty miles from Soria). It consists of crossing live coals bonfire barefoot. The bonfire does not form lumps. Young men dance around the fire, and exactly at midnight everything is ready to begin the walk across the carpet. Ten to twelve young men are chosen to cross, and they generally carry someone on their shoulders, since the extra weight avoids combustion. They never get burned. Women dressed in white (called "móndidas"), carrying wicker baskets and long breadsticks ("arbujuelos"), walk in a procession. One of them, the most important one, offers the first "arbujuelo" to the priest. According to some, these women represent ancient Celtiberian priestesses.

June• Saint John is also the patron of our city. • We celebrate fiestas during six days: miércoles el

pregón, jueves la saca, viernes de toros, sábado agés, domingo de calderas y lunes de bailas:

JULY• Day of the Apostle Santiago (national

holiday): - July 25th.

- He is the patron of Spain.

- Hundreds of pilgrims arrive in the north of the country to walk to Santiago de Compostela.

AUGUST• Assumption of Mary (national holiday):

- August 15th.

- It commemorates the ascending of the Virgin Mary into Heaven when she died.

- Most villages celebrate fiestas in this week.

OCTOBER• El día de la Hispanidad (national holiday): -

October 12th. - This is the national day of Spain and a national

holiday that commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first arrival in America. It´s also Spain's Day of the Armed Forces, celebrated each year with a military parade in Madrid, presided over by the Spanish King.

NOVEMBER• All Saints’ Day:

- November 1st.

- It is a national holiday in honour of all the Saints.

- Spanish people visit the graves of their beloved and leave flowers there.

DECEMBER• Day of the Spanish

Constitution (national holiday):

- December 6th. - A national day in all

Spain that commemorates the day that the constitution was approved in Spain.

• The Immaculate Conception:

- December 8th.

- It is the day when we celebrate that the Virgin Mary was free of sin.

DECEMBER

• Christmas Eve: - December 24th. - Families meet and have

dinner all together.

• Christmas Day (national holiday):

- December 25th. - This time we enjoy lunch

together with our families.

• New Year’s Eve: - December 31st. - A family dinner to say

goodbye to the year and welcome a New Year. At midnight we eat 12 grapes and wish each other a happy New Year.