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Apr 23, 1275
Moros y Cristianos
This holiday commemorates the Battle of Alcoy in 1275 of the Christian and Moorish armies. It is celebrated from April 21st to the 24th. The residents of Alcoy dress up as the Christian and Moorish "armies" have mock battles in the streets. There are also fireworks, and the balconies of the whole city are decorated with the flag of St. George. Although this holiday is celebrated throughout the Spanish coast, one of the best places to see this is Alcoy, a city in the providence of Alicante, Spain -
Pamplona Bull Run (San Fermin)
The Pamplona Bull Runs begin at 8 am on July 7th and the last at the same time on July 14th. The first official Bull Run was in 1591. The runners (dressed in white with a red handkerchief around their necks) are closely followed behind by the six fighting bulls. The course is 825 meters long. After arriving in the bullring, the bulls will fight later in the afternoon. This event has been dangerous. 15 people have died and over 200 been seriously injured since 1910. -
Castellers de Vilafranca
This holiday is celebrated by building massive human towers (castells) in the late summer and early fall. It originated from the 17th century, when a dance, which included several people balancing on each others shoulders, was popular. That dance has transformed into the tradition of building human towers up to ten people tall. Men, women, and children all compete together in teams all across Spain to make the highest tower. Castellers across Spain enjoy their dangerous sport. -
La Feria de Abril
La Feria de Abril (Seville’s April Fair) is celebrated in Seville, Spain with the flamenco dance, horses, and bullfighting. The fair lasts one week, from late April to early May. It was started as a livestock fair by José María Ybarra and Narciso Bonaplata in 1847. -
La Tomatina (Tomato Fight)
La Tomatina (Tomato Fight) is held in Buñol, Spain. It happens on the last Wednesday in August, between 11am and 1pm. This holiday began in 1944 when young men wanted to join a parade of gigantes y cabezudos (Giants and Big-Heads). The paraders and the young men started fighting. The young men grabbed tomatoes from a vegetable stand and started throwing them at the paraders. This incident has developed into the Tomatina of today.
