Magical Spain tours, castle, festival listing

<body>  <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="12"> <tr> <td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td class="textstyle3"><h1 class="Headline"><img src="Calendar_Images/festivals4.jpg" alt="Custom Spain Travel magical spain, spain tours, castle tours, festival" width="246" height="167" align="right">World Famous Festivals of Spain: Luxury Spain Travel</h1> <p class="header2"> No nation on earth is quite as good at enjoying itself as Spain. There are so many Spanish fiestas that no Known person has been able to experience them all in a single lifetime!</p> <p class="textstyle3">Each fiesta is different in Spain and Portugal and most have origens in the middle ages, Iberian Roman period or ancient Celtic or Mediterranean pagan rituals. In Pamplona, they celebrate the 'running of the bulls' in July made famous by Hemmingway; in Andalucia , horses, flamenco and guitars are integral to the celebrations; at the fiesta of Las Fallas in March in Valencia, huge bonfires and firework displays form the basis of the party. The fiestas can also get very original indeed, with parades of giant heads, monsters or full blown water and tomato fights! </p> <p class="header2">A few of MagicalSPAIN.com client favorites are:<img src="Calendar_Images/festivals2.jpg" width="246" height="167" align="right" alt="Local Spain food, cuisine magical spain, spain tours, castle tours, festival"></p> <p class="textstyle3"><font color="99000"><strong>Semana Santa in Andalucia:</strong></font> Year after year, each and every village proudly enjoys the beauty and mystery of "Semana Santa" or Holy Week although there are variances and some towns for instance, will preserve certain traditions more than others. <font color="990000"><br> <strong>The International Theater Festival of Sevilla:</strong></font> September (music, flamenco dance & open air theater) <br> <font color="990000"><strong>The International Music Festival of Barcelona:</strong></font> September-October. (Orchestral music, choirs, bands and soloists.) <br> <font color="990000"><strong>The International Festival of Santander:</strong></font> Second half of July-first half of August. (Music dance and theatre.) <br> <strong><font color="990000">The Merida Theatre Festival;</font></strong> Staged at the Roman theatre in Merida. End of July-beginning of August. (Greco-Roman and Mediterranean classical theatre exclusively.) <br> <strong><font color="990000">The National Classical Theatre Festival of Almagro:</font></strong> Three weeks in September. (National and international classical theatre). <br> <strong><font color="990000">The Madrid Autumn Festival:</font></strong> Mid-September to early October. (Concerts, opera, theatre, classical and modern dance.)</p> <p class="textstyle3"><img src="Calendar_Images/festival1.jpg" width="90" height="159" align="left" alt="magical spain, spain tours, castle tours, festival">The construction of human towers is not exclusive to the inhabitants of our region, they have already been made reference to in various countries and continents. From Morocco to India, from Italy to Germany, historically as well as currently. These constructions themselves might be considered ancestors of our modern Castells. <br> The clearest and most accepted hypothesis of the origin of Castells is that they evolved from centuries old folk dances. Those dances known as Balls de Valecians, and the Moixigangues or Muixerangues, are of a religious inspiration and have been practiced since the XVI century. These dances have always included the mounting of a small tower or pyramid by the dancers themselves. The little tower may represent a religious painting or sculpture. It’s not strange then that little by little with the competition between dance groups the tower evolved until one day it was constructed without the need of the dance. </p> <p class="textstyle3"><font color="990000"><strong>• Fiestas and Ferias in Andalucia:</strong></font> <br> <font color="990000"><strong>January</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">1-2</font> La Toma celebration of the entry of the Reyes Catolicos into the city - at Granada.<br> <font color="990000">6</font> LRomeria de la Virgen del Mar pilgrimage procession from Almeria.<br> <font color="990000">17</font> Romeria del Ermita del Santo. Similar event at Guadix.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>February</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">1</font> San Cecilio fiesta in Granada's traditionally gypsy quarter of Sacromonte.<br> Week before Lent Carnival is an extravagent week-long event in all the Andalucian cities. Cadiz, above all, celebrates, with uproarious street parades, fancy dress and satirical music competitions.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>March/April</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">Holy Week</font> (Semana Santa) has its most elaborate and dramtic celebrations in Andalucia. You'll find memorable processions of floats and penitents at Sevilla, Malaga, Granada and Cordoba and to a lesser extent in smaller towns such as Jerez, Arcos, Baeza and Ubeda. All culminate with <img src="Calendar_Images/festivals3.jpg" width="140" height="187" align="right" alt="castle tours, festival, magical spain, spain tour">dramatic candlelight processions at dawn on Good Friday, with Easter Day itself more of a family occasion.<br> <font color="990000">Last week of April</font> (approximately 2 weeks after Easter) Week-long feria de Abril at Sevilla: the largest fair in Spain. A Small April fair - featuring bull runing - is held in Vejer.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>May</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">First week</font> Cruces de Mayo in Cordoba celebrates the Holy Cross and includes a "prettiest patio" competition in a town full of prize examples.<br> <font color="990000">Early May</font> (usually the week after Sevilla's fair). Somewhat aristocratic Horse Fair at Jerez de la Frontera.<br> <font color="990000">3</font> Moros y Cristianos ("Moors and Christians") carnival at Pampaneira (Alpujarras).<br> <font color="990000">17</font> San Isidro Romeria at Setenil (Cadiz).<br> <font color="990000">Pentecost</font> (7 weeks after Easter) Romeria del Rocio, when horse drawn carriages and processions converge from all over the south on El Rocio (Huelva) <br> <font color="990000">Corpus Christi</font> (variable - Thursday after Trinity) Bullfights and festivities at Granada, Sevilla, Ronda, Vejer and Zahara de la Sierra.<br> <font color="990000">Last week</font> Feria de la Manzanilla, Sanlucar de Barrameda. Prolonged binge to celebrate the town's major product, with flamenco and sporting events on the river beach.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>June</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">Second week</font> Feria de San Bernabe at Marbella, often spectacular since this is the richest town in Andalucia.<br> <font color="990000">13</font> San Antonio fiesta at Trevelez (Alpujarras) with mock battles between Moors and Christians.<br> <font color="990000">Third week</font> The Algeviras fair and fiesta, another major event of the south.<br> <font color="990000">23-24</font> Candelas de San Juan - bonfires and effigies at Vejer and elsewhere.<br> <font color="990000">30</font> Conil Feria.<br> <font color="990000">End of June/early July</font> International Festival of Music and Dance - major dance/flamenco groups and chamber orchestras perform in Granada's Alhambra palace, Generalife and Carlos V palace.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>July</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">Early July</font> The International Guitar Festival at Cordoba brings together top international acts from classical, flamenco and Latin American music.<br> <font color="990000">16</font> La Virgen del Carmen - At the end of day on July 16th the towns and fishing villages of the coast parade their statues of her by the water, and set sail in gaily adorned boats, accompanied by the blowing of horns and bursts of fireworks in the night sky. A good place to see this fiesta is Estepona, where the Virgen del Carmen is one of the town´s most beloved saints.<br> <font color="990000">End of month</font> Virgen de Mar - Almeria's major annual shindig, with parades, horse riding events, concerts and lots of drinking.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>August</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">5</font> Trevelez observes a midnight romeria to Mulhacen.<br> <font color="990000">13-21</font> Feria de Malaga - one of Andalucia's most enjoyable fiestas for visitors, who are heartily welcomed by the ebullient malagueños.<br> <font color="990000">15</font> Ascension of the Virgin Fair with casetas (dance tents) at Vejer and elsewhere. Riotous Noche de Vino wine festival at Competa (Malaga).<br> <font color="990000">Third week</font> The first cycle of horse races along Sanlucar de Barrameda's beach, with heavy official and unofficial betting the second tournament takes place a week later.<br> <font color="990000">23-25</font> Guadalquivir festival at Sanlucar de Barrameda with bullfights and an important flamenco competition.<br> <font color="990000"><strong>September</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">First two weeks</font> Ronda's annual feria with flamenco contests and Corrida Goyesca - bullfights in eighteenth-century dress.<br> <font color="990000">1-3</font> Celebration of the Virgen de la Luz in Tarifa: prcessions and horeback riding.<br> <font color="990000">First/second week</font> Vendimia (celebration of the vintage) at Jerez.<br> <font color="990000">29-Oct 2</font> Feria in Orgiva (Alpujarras).<br> <font color="990000"><strong>October</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">15-23</font> Feria de San Lucas- Jaen's Major fiesta, dating back to the fifteenth century.<br> <font color="990000">6-13</font> Fiestas del Pilar. Zaragoza<br> <font color="990000">10-13</font> Moros y Cristianos en Honor de la Virgen de las Injurias. Callosa D’En Sarriá (Alicante)<br> <font color="990000">17-19</font> As San Lucas. Mondoñedo (Lugo).<br> <font color="990000">18</font> Romería de Nuestra Señora de Valme. Dos Hermanas (Sevilla)<br> <font color="990000">23-25</font> Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán. Consuegra (Toledo).<br> <font color="990000"><strong>November</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">1</font> Todas las ciudades. Día de Todos los Santos. <br> <font color="990000">11</font> Orense. Magostos.<br> <font color="990000">11</font> Moreda de Aller. Los Humanitarios.<br> <font color="990000">11</font> Bueu. Fiesta de San Martín.<br> <font color="990000">17</font> Villarrubia de los Ojos. Romería de la Virgen de la Sierra.<br> <font color="990000">17-25</font> Lorca. Fiestas hispano-árabes.<br> <font color="990000">30 </font>Castro Urdiales. Día de San Andrés. <br> <font color="990000"><strong>December</strong></font><br> <font color="990000">5-8</font> Fiestas Patronales de la Virgen del Castillo. Yecla (Murcia). 7. Los Escobazos. Cáceres<br> <font color="990000">7-8</font> La Encamisá. Torrejoncillo (Cáceres).<br> <font color="990000">13</font> Fiesta de Santa Lucía. Santa Lucía (Las Palmas).<br> <font color="990000">25</font> Navidad. Toda España.<br> <font color="990000">31</font> Fiesta del Estandarte. 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