Festivals Of Spain
The best of Spanish festivals are concentrated between Easter and the September-October timeframe and most of them are held with great zeal and enthusiasm. One of the most outstanding festivals is La Tambora in San Sebastian, which is celebrated on January 19th and during which the city is decked out and the people party with all their might.
Religious and Cultural
The festival for Carnival takes place in the last days of February throughout the country, but the best celebrations are those in Sitges and Cádiz. The Holy Week is known for its processions of sacred images along the streets of different cities. If you book well in advance, you can spend this week in Seville.
Wild fun
In late April is the celebration of the Feria de Abril in Seville, a party that lasts a full week and is a counterpoint to the religious fervor that characterizes Holy Week. On the last Wednesday of August the whole city of Valencia Buñol breaks out for the festival known as La Tomatina, a festival during which the people have fun playing with the leftovers from the tomato crop. The Running of the Bulls (Fiesta de San Fermin), held in July in Pamplona, is perhaps the most famous and controversial holiday in Spain. On the north coast, during the first half of August, is the celebration of the Semana Grande, where an abundance of drinking (and hangovers) are guaranteed.
Bull fights
In the city of Pamplona lies one of the most famous arenas in the world. Bullfights, shows which are the battle between the bullfighters and the bulls, are held here every year. It is a ritual that is practiced in several Latin American countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Panama and even in France and Portugal. The bullfighter and the bull are not the only participants in the spectacle as there are a number of companions in a strict hierarchy involved in the ritual.
In the city of Pamplona, the Running of the Bulls starts with the bulls being let loose in the streets of the city. Sometimes inexperienced runners have caused accidents, leading to tripping and traffic jams. Also many runners have been injured and sometimes killed by the bulls. While this is one of the most traditional shows in Spain, there are many people who consider it a very cruel practice. Those who want to contact the oldest veins of Spanish culture should not miss a run, but those who feel that it is an abuse of animals should abstain from attending.