Easter, or Semana Santa as it’s known locally, is Spain’s most important religious festival. The celebrations date back to the sixteenth century, and include sombre processions with ornate floats commemorating Jesus Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The most famous Easter Week celebrations take place in Andalucia, in southern Spain. However, cities throughout…
Category: Festivals & Traditions
Myths and Legends of Barcelona
With over two thousand years of history, it’s no wonder that Barcelona has more than its fair share of myths, legends and superstitions. From the squares and alleyways of the Gothic Quarter to the peak of Mount Tibidabo, in this post, we uncover the best-known stories. The Vampire of Barcelona At the beginning of the…
A Man With as Many Noses as There Are Days Left In the Year
L’Home dels Nassos (the man of the noses) is a mythical figure from Catalan folklore with as many noses as there are days left in the year. On January 1st he has 365 noses which he then loses, one per day, as the year advances. During most of the year, the nose man hides away…
Manresa’s Medieval Fair : La Fira de l’Aixada
Every year, at the end of February, Manresa celebrates La Fira de l’Aixada (festival of the mysterious light) which dates back to 1686 and sees the town step back in time to the 14th Century. In addition to the medieval market, there is a busy schedule of theatrical performances, processions, music and dance commemorating events…
Barcelona Light Festival 2024 : LLum BCN Poblenou
Barcelona’s Festival of light Llum BCN takes place in February in the Poblenou neighbourhood. When darkness falls, buildings, streets, and plazas are transformed by large-scale projections and audio-visual displays created by local and international artists and students from Barcelona’s art, architecture, and design schools. The festival started out as part of the annual Festes de…
Fira de La Candelera – Molins de Rei
La Fira de la Candelera takes place in Molins de Rei during the first weekend of February. Traditionally this is an important date for farmers and rural communities because it marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. La Candelera (English: Candlemas) is a Roman Catholic holiday celebrated on the 2nd of…
Barcelona Rock Fest 2024: Everything You Need To Know!
Since its first edition in 2014, Barcelona Rock Fest has quickly established itself as one of Europe’s top rock and metal music festivals. The lineup gets better each year and includes big-name acts like Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper. In addition to an extensive lineup of…
The Tres Tombs Horse Parade
Every January, in towns and cities across Spain, animals take to the streets to celebrate the feast of St Anthony Abbot. Saint Anthony was a Roman Catholic monk born in Egypt in the 3rd century and is the patron saint of (among others) domestic animals, basket weavers, farmers, grave diggers and the sick. Several towns…
A Storybook Christmas in La Plaça de Sant Jaume
Each December Christmas takes to the streets and plazas of Barcelona in the form of markets, lights, trees and pessebres (nativity scenes). The word pessebre means crib in Catalan and most of the nativity scenes which can be seen in Barcelona follow the traditional format of stable, manger, 3 kings, cows, shepherds etc… One notable…
Girona Flower Festival – Girona Temps de Flors
Each spring, during the 2nd week of May, the streets of Girona fill with colour as the city hosts it’s annual flower festival Girona Temps de Flors. The festival takes place in the historic city centre and medieval Jewish quarter El Call Jueu. The most impressive floral displays include the Cathedral steps, the Arab baths,…
Where to See Christmas Nativity Scenes in Barcelona in 2024
Plaça de Sant Jaume If you’re in Barcelona at Christmas time you shouldn’t miss the large nativity scene in Plaça de Sant Jaume. The nativity occupies about a quarter of the plaza and the design changes every year. The nativity scene shown below is from 2014 and was a recreation of the Roman city of Barcino.…
Christmas Lights 2013
Barcelona’s Christmas lights were officially switched on by the mayor on November 22nd 2013 . This year there are a total of 85kms of illuminations and most of Barcelona’s main shopping streets have displays. The best known are in the centre of the city on Passeig de Gracia, Portal de l’Àngel, Las Ramblas, Carrer Aragó…
The Nativity Scene at Plaça Sant Jaume
Every December a giant Nativity scene or “Pesebre” is installed in Plaça Sant Jaume. The design changes each year and never fails to surprise. In 2013 the Pesebre depicted life on Barcelona’s rooftops and is one of the most original and interesting that I’ve seen to date. The traditional characters are all represented but with a…
Curling One Out For Christmas !
If you thought that Southpark’s “Mr. Hankey” was the only toilet related Christmas character – Think again ! The Catalan Christmas tradition includes 2 poo-related characters: The Caganer or “Shitter”- A cheeky figure that first appeared in Catalan nativity scenes during the 18th Century. Caga Tió – The Catalan equivalent of Father Christmas ! The…
Christmas Markets in Barcelona 2024
Barcelona is a great place for Christmas shopping, with a wide range of shops and department stores catering to all budgets and tastes. There are also several traditional Christmas markets that take place every year. La Fira de Santa Llucia The Market of Saint Lucia is Barcelona’s oldest Christmas market and dates back to the…
Catalonia’s National Day – La Diada de Catalunya
Every year on the 11th of September, thousands of Barcelona residents take to the streets to celebrate a public holiday called La Diada de Catalunya or National Day of Catalonia. Often refered to as simply La Diada, the day comemorates the fall of Barcelona to the French and Castilian troops of Phillip V of Spain during the War…
La Casa dels Entremesos: The Giants Museum
No Catalan festival would be complete without a procession of dancing giants. The papier mâché giants date back to the 14th century when they first appeared in Corpus Christi celebrations. Over the years they have been joined by “Capgrossos” (big heads), dragons and other animals. All of which can be seen dancing and whirling their way…
L’Ou Com Balla: Dancing Eggs !
If you like quirky and unusual traditions then you’ll love L’Ou Com Balla aka The Dancing Egg which takes place every year as part of Barcelona’s Corpus Christi celebrations. Basically the idea is that an egg is placed in a fountain and dances suspended by a jet of water. There are a total of 12 eggs…
Human Towers at the Sagrada Familia
The Festa Mayor de la Sagrada Familia (festival of the Sagrada Familia district) started this weekend. The festival lasts from the 19th of April until the 6th of May and kicked off with a display of human towers called castells in front of the Sagrada Familia Basilica. Castells are built by teams called colles who perform…
Calçotada – Traditional Catalan Winter Barbecues
Calçots are a seasonal vegetable similar to leeks or spring onions grown in the area surrounding Barcelona and Tarragona. They are normally available from January ’til April and by far the best way to try them is cooked on a barbecue accompanied by Romesco sauce, local wine and a group of friends. Don’t let the…
