UK and Spain

This page provides information for bank holidays in the UK, (public holidays in the UK), national fiestas in Spain and national holidays in Spain for 2010 and 2011.

Please note that Boxing Day is always on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day, however, if the 26th of December falls on a Saturday or Sunday, which it does in 2011, an extra holiday day is given on the following Monday. Therefore above you can see that the holiday given for Boxing Day 2011 is Monday the 28th of December.

Fiestas in Spain
Spain is well known for it’s fiestas and colourful parades, and most of them are well worth seeing. Below is a calendar of the National Fiestas (also known as Red Days), which shows a list of fiestas and their translation or UK equivalent. Remember that, unlike the UK where it has become the norm to open shops etc on a bank holiday the same as any other day, in Spain a National Fiesta is time for the whole nation to take the day off inc shops, banks and some cafes and bars, even if the fiesta falls in the middle of the week (which is normal). It’s also worth knowing that where fiestas fall on Tuesdays or Thursdays, or when two fiestas fall in the same week separated by 1 day, some businesses choose to take an extra day i.e. the Monday or Friday or the middle day to link them together - this is called a ‘puente’ a bridge day.

Please find listed below, in alphabetical order, the local fiestas and festivals in some of the larger cities in Spain. Don’t forget that a local fiesta also means that some businesses will be shut! However, if you need some shopping etc. urgently you may be able to travel to another town, out of the immediate area, where this particular fiesta is not celebrated. Some local festivals last over several days and include parades, music, paella contests and many other fun activities. The Spanish love to eat and have fun together, and fiestas and festivals are ideal times where families and the community in general strengthen their bond of friendship by joining together in some of the above mentioned activities.

Carnival time
Most cities, town and even small villages in Spain celebrate the ‘carnival season’ during the months of February or March, depending upon when Easter falls that year. One of the most popular explanations for the origin of the name ‘carnival’ is that the word comes from the Italian words “carne levare”, which in turn comes from the Latin words “caro” meaning flesh or meat, and “vale” meaning goodbye or farewell. So "Carnival" literally means "Goodbye to meat". This makes sense as the carnival always falls just before Lent, which is, in Catholic tradition, a period of 40 days and nights when eating meat is forbidden.

Easter
Easter is probably the most important time in the catholic calendar, and the celebration processions are a vital part of the commemoration of the historic and holy events. The date that Easter is celebrated varies from year to year (see the tables below for the correct dates), however the date for Easter in Spain is the same as the UK.

At Easter time there are a selection of processions including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. These parades portray the events that preceded the crucifixion of Jesus, and subsequent resurrection. The Easter parades are an important tradition in Spanish life and the majority of the local people are involved in one way or another. Musical bands play an important role in the parades and set the atmosphere of the story that is being told. Children and adults take great pride in representing their band by playing in the street processions, and the music is of a high standard.

Moors and Christians
Some of the most entertaining parades are the ones to celebrate the history of the Moors and Christians. The majority of towns and cities in Spain, although not all, regard this fiesta as an important festival, and party in good Spanish style! The festival processions tell the story of the invasion and storming of the castle by the Moors, and include mock fights, in period costume, as the battles between the Moors and Christians are re-enacted.

The Moors and Christians festival is a very historical but fun event which includes something for everyone, and it’s not to be missed!

The following are local holidays in their respective provinces:

February 11th to 17th 2010
Carnival in Alicante
Carnival time is one of Alicante’s most popular and lively celebrations. There are a few different days where you can sample the party atmosphere, which are listed below, however the main event is "Sábado Ramblero":

February 11th 2010
Dijous Gras
On the Thursday before "Sábado Ramblero" (February the 11th 2010), a parade takes place through some of Alicante's main streets, including San Vicente, Rambla de Méndez Núñez, and Labradores.

February 13th 2010
Sábado Ramblero
Most of the fun happens on "Sábado Ramblero", which is the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, this year being February the 13th. The celebrations include a big fancy dress parade with lively street music.

February 16th 2010
Carnival Tuesday
The "Procesión del Pelele" (procession of the puppets) travels through the streets of the ‘Old Quarter’ of Alicante during the evening. A figure of "Don Carnal" (Mr. Carnival) is put on mock trial and paraded through the streets.

February 17th 2010
Entierro de la Sardina (Burying the Sardine)
The burial of the ‘Sardine’ happens on Ash Wednesday (17th of February 2010), and involves a parade that ends with the burning of an effigy traditionally in the shape of a sardine.

April 15th 2010
Santa Cruz
The festival of Santa Cruz is celebrated on the 15th of April 2010. The people of the district of Santa Cruz, which is situated on the slopes of mount Benacantil (within the Alicante city area), decorate their streets with crosses made of flowers, and participate in a competition to see which one is the best. During the festival certain streets are blocked off from traffic, and there’s open air dancing areas and children’s toys (e.g. bouncy castles etc.).

February 11th to 17th 2010
Barcelona Carnival
The carnivals in Barcelona are very popular and spectacular to see. In the Catalan language a carnival is called "Carnestoltes".

February 11th 2010
Dijous Gras / Jueves Ladero (Fat Thursday)
In a similar theme to the British ‘Shrove Tuesday’, ‘Fat Thursday’ is traditionally the day that the carnival celebrations begin. The idea is that you eat lots in preparation for the 40 days and nights of lent that begin on the following Wednesday. The main character of the carnival, which is the carnival King (Rei Carnestoltes or Rey Carnaval) makes his arrival during the procession celebrations of Dijous Gras (Jueves Ladero/ Fat Thursday). The idea is that the big fat carnival king figure takes on board the responsibility of all of the sins and bad things that have happened during the previous year. On the last day of Carnival, the carnival king is burnt, taking all of the sins with him. During the burning of the figurine there is a big feast, after which there’s a solemn procession symbolising the sad funeral of the carnival king. This procession comes complete with weeping widows dressed all in black.

February 13th 2010
La Grand Rua de Carnaval /La Gran Rua de la Ciutat (The big street carnival)
At 20:30 the procession of carnival floats, dancing groups and bands etc. begins to move down Carretera de Sants, one of the main streets through Barcelona.

One of the traditions of the carnival season is eating eggs, usually in the form of tortillas (omelettes), with cooking and tasting competitions. Another tradition is a “botifarrada,” where everyone eats as much botifarra (Catalan sausage) as they desire. There are also sardine tasting events, as this is another traditional ingredient to a Catalan carnival. It is also customary that each district award prizes for the best decorated stalls in their food market. The main award is called the "Pebrot d'Or" or “Pimiento de Oro”, which translates to the “Golden Pepper”.

Most of the activities during the Barcelona carnival take place in and around the centre of the community and/or the food markets in each district of this vast city.

February 17th 2010
Enterrament de la sardine (Burying the Sardine)
The Barcelona carnival usually ends on “el Miércoles de Ceniza” (Ash Wednesday), which in 2010 falls on February the 17th. The traditional “Enterrament de la Sardina”, is literally “burying the sardine”, which, signifies the end of the carnival.

February 3rd 2010
Saint Blas Day
On the 3rd of February a nine day religious festival begins, which is based at the Church of San Nicolás, and celebrates the life and work of St. Blas. This saint is also known as Blaise of Sebaste, Blase, Blasien, or Biagio.

The history of Saint Blaise says that he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia, and was martyred in the early fourth century under the reign of Licinius. It is said that he was born into a rich and noble family who raised him as a Christian, and through his Christian training and beliefs, became a bishop. In later years, when the Christians were being persecuted, it is said that he received a message from God telling him to go into the hills to escape capture. Hunters were out in the hills and saw a man walking, unafraid, amongst sick wild animals and curing them. They recognised Blaise as being a man of the church, and so captured him and took him back for trial. On the way back to the town, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, and in gratitude, the poor woman sneaked into the prison with food and candles. In the end the governor had Blaise killed.

Saint Blasé was made one of the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’, and is highly respected throughout Central Europe. In holy painting he is depicted with a metal comb and a tall candle. Saint Blase is also a patron saint of physicians, sick cattle, and of wild animals because of his care for them and of those with throat problems.

In Catholic tradition, Saint Blaise's feast day, February 3, is the day of the ‘Blessing of the Throats’, when two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the blessing is said.

February 4th 2010
Saint Agueda's Day
Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay, and the festival of its patron saint (Saint Agueda) is a particularly historic one. This fiesta in Bilbao dates back many centuries and it steeped with history and tradition. To celebrate this festival, many choirs, mainly children's choirs, parade the streets with their beautiful music, sing songs in honour of their saint. Many of the choirs are dressed in traditional costume, making the event even more spectacular.

February (date to be confirmed) 2010
Bilbao Carnival
During the carnival celebrations there are colourful parades with fun entertainment for the whole family and party atmosphere takes over the city centre. Details are still to be published.

During the summer months, there’s a programme of theatre, music, dance, street fairs for every weekend. The weekly markets are held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings on the banks of the River Ter.

At the end of October Gerona celebrates its annual festival of San Narcis with musical performances, street fairs and markets. There are giant figures in processions and the traditional fire-run, etc. As well as a trade fair and fun fair, with various attractions. This is one of the liveliest fiestas in Girona, and a great occasion for the locals and visitors to enjoy.

February 14th 2010
Granada carnival
10:00 Official start of the carnival
13:00 Declaration of the carnival including a parade with the ‘Carnival princesses’

February 15th 2010
Granada carnival
16:00 Children’s carnival parade, including the children of the city’s local schools.

February 16th 2010
Granada carnival
16:00 to 16:30 Registration, in the town hall, of the children who want to participate in the parade of masks. There are two age groups: Infantil – up to and including 12 years old and Juvenil from 13 to 16 years old.
16:30 Children’s parade of masks
19:00 Reception in recognition of the IES (university) of Granada for their work on the carnival this year and during the past years. This is held in the ‘Actor’s room’ in the town hall.

February 21st 2010
Granada carnival
12:00 Registration, in the town hall, of all the fiesta groups and music groups who want to participate in the carnival parade. Initial inscription needs to be made at the town hall before the 11th of February.
16:00 Carnival parade of the fiesta groups and music groups.

February 22nd 2010
Granada carnival
This is a day used for rest and recuperation from the weekend’s celebrations and is a day when the local business day a day off!

June 3rd 2010
Corpus Christi
During the festival of Corpus Christi there are many activities that take place in and around Granada, including flamenco dancing shows and children's entertainment for example, workshops and bouncy castles.

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The Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival is the most important festival of its kind in any Mediterranean country and includes performances from some of the best musicians and dancers in the business. This flamenco festival begins on the 16th of February and goes on until the 22nd of February and takes place in the ‘Casa Encendida’ and ‘Teatro Canal de la Comunidad de Madrid’ (theater).

The 17th January doesn't warrant a day off, but is a special day in the local's diary. It's the day when people go with their pets to receive a blessing from San Antonio Abad. There is a grand procession, and then the distribution of the blessed bread to all those present.

The 22nd January is the patron saint's day for Valencia (San Vicente). By the order of Emperor Diocleciano, in the year 304, Vicente, who was a young deacon at the time, was martyred in Valencia. In honour of this martyr (Vicente), he was named the Patron Saint of Valencia. Vicente is not only the Patron Saint of Valencia, but is also the Patron Saint of the Guild of Tailors and Dressmakers.

August 21st and 22nd 2011
Formula 1 in Valencia
Michael Schumacher will be getting back behind the wheel of a Ferrari, to substitute his team mate Felipe Massa, in the 11th race on this year's world championship calendar, in Valencia. This is a street circuit and takes place on the 21st and 22nd of August. Although this isn’t a ‘fiesta’, the atmosphere will certainly be ‘party like’, and well worth a visit! Although you can fly directly into Valencia, you may find it cheaper and just as good to travel to the Costa Blanca (Alicante) as this is a popular route for all of the low cost airlines and the journey to Valencia is about 3 to 4 hours.

The festival of the Cincomarzada on the 5th of March is one of the most popular fiestas in Zaragoza is . This fiesta is to remember the invasion of the city of Zaragoza by the Carlist troops on March the 5th, 1838.

April 23rd is Saint George's Day, who is the Patron Saint of the region of Aragon. In the streets of Zaragoza there are concerts, dancing and open-air performances to celebrate this festival. Also there are guided tours around the Pignatelli Building (the buildings of the government of Aragón), the Armijo Palace (the Magistrate of Aragón), and the home of the Cortes de Aragón in the Aljafería Palace.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings during spring there are sports and recreational activities, musical performances and children’s activities, laid on by the town hall, which are held in the municipal parks (especially the Primo de Rivera park).

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2011

Please note that Boxing Day is always on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day, however, if the 26th of December falls on a Saturday or Sunday, which it does in 2011, an extra holiday day is given on the following Monday. Therefore above you can see that the holiday given for Boxing Day 2011 is Monday the 28th of December.