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Famous Celebrations in Spain

Amruta Gaikwad
Spain is a country of great cultures and amazing traditions. Given further is the collection of some of the interesting festivities in Spain.
Spain, located in the southwestern part of Europe, is a home to people from different cultures. These different people have brought with them many diverse traditions and festivities, which take place all through the year.
Every festival comes with a story and when it comes to Spanish festivities, it is even more interesting to know about them. Every event in Spain, is a big deal and celebrated with great pomp and show. Here are some festivities in Spain, which are worth being a part of.

Carnival

February is the month, to witness the crazy carnivals. It is celebrated in different parts of the country, which follow different ways to make these carnivals enjoyable. It's the best time, where people socialize and get together, with an intention of having fun.
Canary Islands, Cadiz and Stiges are the cities, which conduct one of the most amazing and wild carnivals. A lot of people are dressed in unusual and beautiful costumes, and sing and dance all through the night. The streets are occupied with many people as they watch and participate in many events and parties
The carnival in Spain is filled with many wonderful and interesting events such as, beauty pageants, music shows and various forms of dances. Every citizen of Spain actively participate in these carnivals. In case, these competitions do not interest you, then you can always book your villas and throw a great party or instead head to open air parties.
Carnivals, is a reflection of art, where artistes display their skills. This fun filled spectacle takes place just before Lent, which involves 40 days of fasting and as per old traditions no parties were permitted. Origin of carnival is under many speculations, but masquerading and parades were observed in Italy and soon spread to other European countries.

San Fermin - Running of the Bulls

San Fermin is among the popularly celebrated events in Spain. Saint Fermin was dragged by the bulls on the streets of Pampola, which is an event of great significance. The festivities take place from 6th July from noon and goes on till 14th July.
The event is inaugurated with the launch of a rocket, an act popularly known as Chupinazo. As the day proceeds, the city council members, parade from City Hall to the Saint Fermin chapel, while many young people block the streets by performing various art forms. Each day involves certain events for which this festival is famous.
The event begins at 8 in the morning, when the firecracker is launched, indicating the release of the bulls. It takes place from the 7th to 14th July.  After the bull run, the bulls come back to the bullring of Pamplona and are killed in the bullfight. This is the most dangerous and yet intriguing part.
Many bulls get killed and people or bullfighters who participate in this also pay with their lives. Other than this, sports such as stone lifting, hay bale lifting and wood cutting are organized. San Fermin, is among the most awaited events of the year, where many Spanish and even people from all around the world visit to witness the great bullfights.

Easter

Easter begins with Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and comes to end with Easter Monday (Lune de Pascua). A lot of people carry palm leaves and visit the church to get it blessed by the priest. Many churches also organize a parade mark the arrival of Jesus.
On Easter Sunday, many dummies are made, which are ultimately torn into pieces and thrown into the air. The Easter Sunday meal is a special one, as the godfather presents the cake, La Mona to his godchild. These cake come in many shapes and designs, which are served by wine or honey syrup.

Tomato Festival

Known as Tomatina, this big tomato fight event takes place in Bunyol. This festival takes place on the last Wednesday of August.
Many people from different parts of Spain gather at Bunyol and throw around 240,000 pounds of tomato at each other. The tomatoes are specially grown for this event and are smashed before the fight to avoid injury. Many participants protect themselves by wearing goggles and gloves and continue to fight up to 1 hour.

Christmas in Spain

Christmas is celebrated all around the world. However, in Spain it is a little different. At the time of Christmas eve, 24th December, people light up bonfires, while candles are placed outside every house.
Many people attend the Christmas mass and enjoy various Christmas recipes cooked on that day. The next day is spend in family reunions and exchanging gifts among friends, family and neighbors.
In Spain, Christmas does not end on the eve of 25th December. It is followed by Days of Innocent, which is celebrated on 28th December. The story of this day goes way back in history, which marks a huge massacre, where many innocent people were killed. However, in present times, the Spanish play pranks and consider this as a Fool's Day.
Some of these festivities have attracted tourists, who visit and enjoy all these wonderful events. Festivities are one of the factors, that attract people to this destination. However, its great cuisine, enchanting beaches and wonderful culture also pull the attention of many, who wish to become a part this beautiful country.