Torrevieja’s May Fair was a fiesta of colourful lamps, bright dresses, horses and lots of wine and tapas. The five day long party kicked off last Thursday, converting the area in which it is celebrated into a hive of Spanish traditions, with an Andalucian air, and even a small dose of bull fighting.
The welcoming huts all the way around the show ground near the port, welcomed all nationalities to taste their gastronomic delights, at very fair prices, accompanied by Sevillanas music and lots of merriment.
The opening ceremony went off with a bang, with fireworks, followed by celebratory hymns. Spanish ham and locally caught “pescadito” accompanied the many participants and visitors.
The Torrevieja Councillor for Fiestas, Eduardo Dolón, officially opened the fair, then the ten thousand low energy light bulbs were lit all at once, giving the whole show ground a burst of colour and light.
The shows of Flamenco dancing were watched by thousands of spectators. There were no fewer that 250 dancers whirling around the stage in the course of the late night event.
This was only one of the many fiestas which are celebrated throughout Spain. No country on earth is quite as good at enjoying itself as our adopted country, which may be one of the reasons that many of us have chosen to live here.
Spain’s rich cultural history, traditions, and many regions have brought out fun and original celebrations. Some are of religious nature, others are historical, and all vary in length and style, but one thing remains the same in each: they all take place outdoors with music, fireworks and involve a great deal of lively spirit by the Spanish people and others who have chosen to live there.
Much of Spanish life is lived in the streets and fiestas are celebrated all year. There are so many of them, it is said that even if you attend more than one per day, you would not be able to see them all in a single lifetime! Spain really is the land of fiestas. In every single city, town and village there is a festival of some kind which gets all the locals out on the streets partying with their neighbours.
The biggest festivals of international fame are the bullrunning of Pamplona, the fireworks of Las Fallas in Valencia, the mock battles of Moros y Cristianos in Alcoy, Semana Santa in all of Andalucia and the massive Feria de Abril in Seville.
So, just why are there so many fiestas in Spain? Spanish fiestas symbolise the very essence of Spain and the Spanish people. They’re colourful, vibrant, usually extremely noisy, often chaotic and always great fun.
The origins of many of the country’s countless fiestas lie in religious feasts, often honouring a patron saint. It’s the same in northern Europe where many public holidays were born out of religious “holy days”.
But northern Europe simply can’t compete with Spain when it comes to turning a religious celebration into a riotous, round-the-clock knees up. Perhaps it’s the warm weather or maybe it’s the exuberant, uninhibited nature of the Spaniards who just love to party, and never seem to get tired. One thing’s for certain, when it’s fiesta time, no-one does it better than the Spanish!
Other famous fiestas include the mad, messy Tomatina which takes place in the village of Buñol, about 30 miles west of Valencia, at the end of August,. It’s the world’s biggest tomato fight involving tens of thousands of people being pelted with several truck loads of tomatoes.
And if you think that’s a bit strange, what about the “Burial of the Sardine” fiesta held in Murcia City and Madrid and various other locations each year.
It takes place on Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of Lent, and involves revellers in fancy dress costumes attending the funeral of a sardine! The sardine in question may be a real one in a coffin though sometimes a plastic or cardboard effigy is used. The origins of this somewhat weird fiesta are in dispute, but one theory suggests that it dates back to the 18th century when rotten sardines were delivered to King Carlos III who promptly ordered their destruction.
One of Spain’s most impressive fiestas is the April Seville Fair (Feria de Abril) when the achingly romantic capital of Andalucia is transformed into a fairytale world of tented pavilions, costumed equestrian riders and flamboyant flamenco dancing. The elaborate week-long event started as a humble livestock market in the mid 19th century and now attracts more than one million visitors a year from all over the world.
However, smaller versions of this fiesta are held in towns throughout the region, usually at the beginning of May. The Santiago de Ribera May Fair started on May 1st, as did the San Pedro del Pinatar one, both of which were huge successes and a great way to taste some real Spanish culture.
The PSOE party of Orihuela held a special May Day Fiesta at the new Asturias Restaurant in Punta Prima, recognising workers all over the world. The Sevillanas Social Club Flamenco Dancers, directed by Raquel Pena, were on hand to entertain the crowds with their wonderful dancing and there was an optional lunch for people who wanted to relax and enjoy the bank holiday afternoon.
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