Calendar of Events for 2009

Spain celebrates a fiesta or national holiday every month of the year, this normally affects the opening hours of banks, museums, shops etc. Most will close; some will just open restricted hours.

The Spanish embrace their fiestas and traditions, with all of the family enjoying the festivities until the early hours of the morning; grandparents and grandchildren included!

We have compiled a list of many of the fiesta programmed for 2009 - this may change as dates are amended - often at last minute!

1 January: New Year’s Day – a day to recover from the excesses of the previous night!

6 January: Fiesta de Los Reyes, when the three kings of Orient bring their Christmas presents to the children. On the evening of the 5th of January, three men dress up as the kings, (one with a black face) ride through the streets, scattering sweets to the crowds of excited children. The 6th of January is a public holiday to celebrate the feast of Epiphany

1 – 10 February: Cádiz hosts the liveliest and most dazzling carnival in mainland Spain, allegedly the 3rd largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad

27 February - 14 March: Flamenco Festival in Jerez

28 February: Día de Andalucía - public holiday in Andalucía

5 - 12 April: Semana Santa is celebrated in the week running up to Easter Sunday (12th April). The best days are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday. The Easter week processions compete with one another in luxury and splendour. The parades wind slowly through the streets, with their lifelike statues of Christ on the Cross, and the Virgin Mary in mourning. The most outstanding Easter week processions are those of the cities of Córdoba, Granada and of course Seville. The spectacle is worth seeing in any town or village, particularly Medina Sidonia, Vejer, Gaucín Cádiz and Jerez.

28 April - 3 May: Fería de Sevilla; from around midday until early evening, Sevillanos parade around the fairgrounds in carriages or on horseback. An incredible extravaganza of display and voyeurism!

1 May: Labour Day - a national holiday all over Spain, celebrated on the 1st May, not the first Monday in May as in the UK.

1 May: Fería de Vino Fino in El Puerto de Santa Maria – 4 days of fun and frivolity in this traditionally Spanish, coastal city.

3 May: Motorcycle Grand Prix in Jerez

3 May: Los Cruces’ in Córdoba. The crosses (Cruces) identify distinct zones of the city which compete for the prize of the best florally decorated cross. In the times of Franco it was an excuse for young, single people to mingle and perhaps meet their future husband or wife

3 May: Celebration of ‘Los Cruces’ in Granada, Plaza Nueva is closed off to all traffic - restricting access to hotels in the Albaícin, thus avoid arriving on 3 May into Granada with a car!

4 - 16 May: ‘Fiesta de Los Patos’ in Córdoba. Proud owners compete for the prize awarded to the most beautifully decorated patio. A map provided by the Tourist Office will help you find the competing patios which are open to the public during the day

2 - 10 May: Fería de los Caballos in Jerez. Some of the world's finest horses and riders compete in the endurance, coach-driving and dressage competitions

22 - 31 May: Córdoba May Fair; a slightly less extravagant version of the Spring Fair in Seville

22 - 31 May: San Lucar de Barameda, the coastal town near Cadiz celebrates the Fería de Manzanilla, accompanied by copious amounts of the potent local sherry

24 June: Fiesta de San Juan - celebrated with fireworks, bonfires and grilled sardines on the beach. It is good luck to paddle your toes in the sea after midnight

15 June: Asuncion (Assumption Day)

1 - 7 September: Bullfights in Ronda’s famous old bullring. Visitors and residents flock to the historic mountain town to enjoy the pageantry of olden times. The bullfights are dedicated to Spanish artist Goya, with the bullfighters dressed in18th century Goyesque costumes. The ladies sit in their finest dresses watching the spectacle

12 October: Día de la Hispanidad, celebrating Christopher Columbus discovering ‘The New World’ and the Moors being expelled from Spain in 1492

1 November: Día de Todos Los Santos - all saints day

2 November: Public holiday in Andalucía only

6 December: Día de la Constitución

7 December: Public holiday in Andalucía only

8 December: Immaculada Concepción

24 December: Christmas Eve; many restaurants and bars are closed as the families enjoy dinner together in the house.

25 December: Christmas Day; families take a ‘paseo’, enjoying the fresh air and time relaxing together.

31 December: New Years Eve, celebrated with a lavish meal accompanied by plenty of wine and champagne. Traditionalists celebrate at midnight with 12 grapes, one for each chime of the bell, the singing and dancing goes on until the small hours!