Strange Festivals in Spain
It´s true that Spain has many weird and wonderful festivals that the rest of the world doesn´t really understand, but what are they, when are they and where are they?
Antzar Eguna
Where: Lekeito, Basque
Country
When: September
This
festival is NOT for animal lovers. Here, they tie dead geese to a piece of rope
and then hang them above the bay. The fisherman of the village then row out to
the bay, and try and hang onto the goose’s neck for as long as possible without
getting shaken off by the villagers that will be tugging the rope. If they
fall, they lose and if the neck breaks, they win.
The Indians (Los
Indianos)
Where: La Palma
When: February/March
In
this festival people dress up in White and throw flour at each other. It´s said
that the origin of this festival comes from the homecoming of the people from
the Canary Islands that went to find a better life in Latin America, but
returned home to a warm welcome.
The Jump of the Devil (El salto del Colacho)
Where: Castrillo de Murcia
When: May/June
New
mothers close your eyes now! In this festival the men of the village dress up
as devils and jump over new-born babies.
Cascamorras
Where: Baza, Andalucia
When: 6th September
Every
September 6th, the people of Baza cover themselves in oil and grease to throw
eggs and paint at the people from the neighbouring village. This is supposedly
a re-enactment of a medieval dispute.
Bilboko Aste Nagusia
Where: Bilbao
When: August
The
usually peaceful town of Bilbao comes alive in August with this 9 day festival
featuring strong men, Fireworks, music, or, our personal favourite, the ugly
face pulling competition.
Tomatina
Where: Bunol, Valencia
When: Last Wednesday in
August
This
is the famous tomato fight in Spain. The festival starts at 11am when people compete
to climb a greasy pole to retrieve a ham that is at the top of it. Only once
the ham has been retrieved can the tomato fight begin.
Las Fallas
Where: Valencia
When: 15 – 19 March
If
you´re a pyromaniac this festival is for you. Over the course of 5 days you will
see Fireworks, explosions, fires and even burning giant statues. Every year,
people work all year to create the biggest and the best paper mache statue,
which they then burn on the last day of this festival at midnight.
Wine Fight (Batalla
de vino)
Where: La Rioja, Haro
When: 29 June
On
saint Pedros day, there is a wine fight in Haro. Locals and tourists alike
dress up in White T-shirts and throw wine at each other.
Photo: Wikipedia
Romería of Saint Marta of Ribarteme
Where: Ribarteme, Galicia
When: 29 July
In
this strangely morbid festival, people that have had a near death experience
during the year play dead and are paraded in coffins carried by their family
through the streets of the village to the cemetery.
Giant Water Fight (La
Carrera del Agua)
Where: Lanjarón, Andalusia
When: 23 June
This
is the biggest and best water fight in the whole of Spain. Every year tourists
and locals come here to have a giant water fight.
Els Enfarinats
Where: Ibi, Alicante
When: 28 December
This
is probably the nearest you´ll get to a childhood food fight. During this
festival, people throw flour, eggs and firecrackers at one another in this
battle that takes place outside the town hall. A group of men called ´els
enfarinats´ will take over the town hall for the day, creating ridiculous laws
for the villagers to follow while another group called ´la oposicio´ try and
restore order.
Photo: pinterest
Written by: Olivia Taylor-Firth
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