Fiestas

Far be it for us to suggest that the Spanish adopt any excuse for a party, but they do have quite a lot. The Fiestas take place all over Spain, some being national and some being regional. So seriously do the Spanish take these Fiestas that on certain dates it is practically illegal to work unless you are in an essential industry. Spain may no longer have an official state religion but most of the Fiestas are based around religious events and although a lot of the ritual still stays true to this spiritual pursuit, most are looking forward to a different sort of spirit after the processions are over. At this time the worship of Saint Gordons and Smirnov take place. Below are a list of some of the main Fiestas that take place in Benidorm.

JANUARY

Fiesta season kicks of when the year is only 4 days old. The 5th and 6th sees the arrival of The Three Kings in Benidorm. The 5th, is the main day with the Kings parading all through Benidorm and handing out sweets for all the children.

FEBRUARY

The month of Carnival. Unfortunately at this time there is no date confirmed yet but usually it is held in the first 2 weeks of this month. The city goes mad with bars hosting big parties and everyone, young and old get dressed up and go in to the street. Men seem to especially like dressing up as “loose” women during these parties.

MARCH

Andalucía Day 1st

Cridà Fallas - This is the official start of the Fallas on the 7th

Fallas 2009 - 14th to the 19th The Valencian fiesta is celebrated in Benidorm with the "plantà" of fallas, the traditional offering of flowers and a parade of floats. Fireworks and concerts. Fallas burnt on 19th.

Commemoration of the " Vírgen del Sufragio' 16th At the old town church on plaza San Jaime there is an offering of flowers. The discovery of the Patron Saint, the ‘Vírgen del Sufragio' is reenacted as the Virgin is carried from the beach by the harbor up to the Church. The procession will be accompanied by loud marching bands, music and the ringing of church bells to lets everyone know the virgin has arrived.

APRIL

Semana Santa  (Easter) 5th to 12th. Watch the processions which act out the crucifixion of Jesus and all the other parts of the Easter story. Processions starts and ends at the town Church in the old town

Feste de la Santa Faç 23rd

MAY

Festa de La Creu 1st

Fiesta House of Andalucía 1st to 3rd

Fiesta del Barrio “Los Carrascos" 1st to 3rd

Fiestas del Barrio “Foietes” 8th to 10th

Medieval Market 9th and 10th

Saint Isidro 15th

Fiesta of Saint Isidre 15th to 17th

JUNE

Romería del Corpus Casa de Andalucía 10th to 14th

Fogueres de Sant Joan 2009 19th to 24th,Bonfires of Saint John 24th. The Bonfires (which take the form of huge Papier Mache statues) are at La Cala (Gran Bali), Mercado and Park Elx, where they are exhibited.  They stay there until the 24th when they are all burnt. This is proceeded by four days of contests and fireworks. Be at La Cala beach on the night; this is a typical magical Spanish event that is not to missed. There will be theatre on the beach and thousands of people on the beach laughing, dancing and partying as well as 100´s of bonfires and at the stroke of midnight everyone goes  into the sea.

JULY

San Fermin 6th & 7th

Fiestas Del Carmen 16th, a procession of boats for the patron Saint of Sailors

San Jaime, the Patron Saint of Benidorm is celebrated on the 25th

AUGUST

San Roque 16th

Fiestas del Rincón de Loix 21st to 23rd

SEPTEMBER

Fiestas de Asturias 7th & 8th

Harvest festival all through the month.

The last week of the month, Moors & Christians, the festival serves as a reminder of 1492 when the Christians fought against the Moors to drive them off the Peninsula.There will be beautiful processions where you will be dazzled by eye popping, stunning costumes and ear drum crunching marching band music that will get you clapping with everybody else.

October

Festes del Roser 7th to 11th

Valencian Community Day 9th Regional Holiday

Día de la Hispanidad - Spain Day 12th National Holiday

NOVEMBER

All Saints Day 1st The day of the dead, when flowers are placed on the
graves and those who have passed. A day of remembrance.

Festes Majors Patronals (The Benidorm Fiesta) 7th to 11th
Each year this is on the second Sunday in November. This fiesta is a whirling Dervish of noise. People crowd the street to watch the many processions. There are street parties held everywhere. A lot of empty shops will become Penya. These Penyas are sort of like Fiesta friends clubs, they save up for it all year round to host these “Penyas” where they will party literally till they drop. This fiesta week is very noisy and there will be no need to complain to the police about noise pollution as for that week anything goes. The last three days of the fiesta there will fantastic fireworks display at 2 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Plaza Triangular as well as a midnight one, to close the fiestas.

Festes del Calvari 7th to 11th

Festa de la Carxofa (Artichoke Fiesta) 13th to 15th, one of the oldest fiestas in Benidorm.

DECEMBER

Like anywhere else Christmas is a magic time here in Spain. Benidorm is decorated to the nines like tinsel is going out of style. Lights everywhere give Benidorm the appearance of a less garish Las Vegas look a like, but never the less the atmosphere is festive and fun.
Christmas Eve is for the Spanish a bigger celebration then Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is about being with your nearest and dearest, at home or going out for a fantastic night of partying.

As Boxing Day is not celebrated in Spain all shops and offices should be open unless stated otherwise.

New Years Eve is simply amazing and the camaraderie amongst those waiting for the countdown is amazing. Traditionally the countdown to the new year in Benidorm is held on the Plaza Triangular. A live band will be ready to lead the masses out of the old and in to the new. everyone there will have some Cava as provided by the City of Benidorm and with each stroke of midnight you have to eat a grape for good luck in the new year. Another tradition is that in order to get lucky on all fronts in the new year you have to wear new red undies and then burn them the next day.

And then it all starts again, what a hang over!