Category Archives: Celebrations

San Fermín: One of the most popular celebrations in the world (Pamplona)

san fermin pañuelos

San Fermín Celebrations, or Sanfermines, are the most famous Spanish festivals around the world. It takes place in Pamplona the first days of July from the sixth to the fourteenth of this month.

Every year, in the celebrations week Pamplona receives the visit of thousands of people from other parts of Spain and foreigners. All of them with the intention of having a good time, enjoying the beginning of the summer, dancing and participate in the traditional activities, as the chupinazo, the procession or the bulls running.

 

Pamplona: The city

Pamplona (Iruña)pamplona is the capital of the Navarra region, located at the north of Spain, between Aragon, The Basque Country and La Rioja, with The Pyrenees to its north.

Normally Pamplona is a wealthy and calm city which has about 200,000 inhabitants. Its climate is mild, with a lot of green zones.

For many people who appreciate this way of life, these cities placed in the north of the country are the best places to live in Spain. However, in Summer San Fermin transforms Pamplona into an overcrowded city full of tourists and visitors who want to have fun and party.

 

What to do in San Fermin?

The “chupinazo” marks the start of Sanfermines the 6th of July at midday. It consists on the launching of a firework rocket from the balcony of the Town Hall, in the Consistorial Square, which is full of people dressed in white clothes and a red neckerchief, waiting for the beginning of the festivals.

Then, the same day at 16.30 is the “Riau-Riau”. A tradition since 1914, in where the people go singing and dancing with the municipal band from the Town Hall to the San Fermín Church.

Once started the celebrations, a lot of activities take place in Pamplona: music, attractions, night life and many other activities for all kind of people. However, the most popular events are the bulls running (“encierros”), about which we will talk later.

Another traditional activity is the San Fermín Procession. The 7th of July at 10.00 the procession starts in San Lorenzo parish church and citizens carry the saint through the streets of the city.

Finally, the last day of San Fermin festivals take place the “Pobre de mi”. Here, the people sing lamenting the end of the celebrations.

 

Running by the bulls

The mostencierro san fermin famous part of the celebrations are the “encierros”(running of the bulls), a race where the participants dressed in white clothes, run down the streets of the city center to avoid being hit by the horns of the bulls.

This runs starts every day at 8.00 and only adult people are allowed to run. Is spite of this, every year many runners are severely injured by the bulls, so if you are thinking of running of the bulls, take into account that it can be very risky, especially if you haven’t slept the last night or there are too many people in the streets.

Also, in the afternoon the bullfights (corridas de toros) are celebrated. Although, these ones are less popular than the bulls running of the mornings.

 

More interesting activities to do in Spain

– Celebrations in Spain

The most touristic cities and monuments

Plaza del Torico / Torico Square (Teruel)

torico square

Teruel is a small aragonese city of 36.000 inhabitants. It is between Zaragoza (173 km.) and Valencia (173 km.).

The Torico Square of Teruel (Plaza Carlos Castel, popularly known as “Plaza del Torico”), is the most important meeting point of the citizens in Teruel, and it is so called because of its history and customs. In fact, the King Alfonso II de Aragon and Earl of Barcelona, “El trovador” ( 1157-1196) founded Teruel in this point in 1170, since a black bull with a fire torch on his head appeared in this place after conquering the site. In this lively square there is a drinking water round fountain built in 1858, and in the middle of the fountain there is one high column with a tiny black statue of a bull on its top. This lovely square with an outstanding design is the icon of local people.

Being the heart of Teruel, the Torico square is ideally situated at the crossroad of seven traditional streets which go to the main places of the city. The Torico Square and its statue are the most famous landmarks of Teruel. It is not only popular with the tourists because its restaurants and surroundings but also its festivals, its typical porches, the beautiful buildings, its architecture, its museums, its gastronomy and so on.

It takes about one day to visit Teruel on foot. Visitors interested in culture should not miss the four mudejar towers, they were declared a World Heritage site in 1986 by UNESCO. Also, don’t forget the spellbinding unique Territorio Dinópolis.

 

 

Teruel celebrations: “The Angel Festival”

Most tourists to Teruel want to enjoy the “The Angel Festival” (or “Fiestas del Angel / Fiestas de las Vaquillas”) on 5th of July. During a week the Torico square comes alive with thousands of people who wear the traditional red cachirulo (a red neckerchief). They can run around the bulls, dance all the night, listen to the live music, drink regional wine, taste the delightful ham of Teruel in the Torico square and in the area. By the way, they can also see the citizens climbing the column and put a small red cachirulo to bull statue, watch fire bull (toro de fuego) (a bull with a fire torch on his head) running through the streets of Teruel.

 

Another interesting festival in Teruel: The Weddings of Isabel de Segura

People interested in medieval Festivals must not miss the Weddings of Isabel de Segura festival which is performed in the streets of Teruel by local people who wear medieval clothes style. Furthermore, the character of Isabel really comes alive during the representation of the Lovers of Teruel, and markets, taverns and all sorts of performs go back to 13th century.

In fact, Teruel becomes a medieval city where tourists and citizens can enjoy it together in February every year.

 

More places to visit near Teruel

Mudejar Towers of Teruel: Teruel attracts visitors from all over the world in order to see its beautiful Mudéjar Towers of Santa Maria, San Pedro and Salvador and San Martín , which were declared World of Heritage sites in 1986 by UNESCO.

Aragón: Read here more about this region, placed in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula and in the south of France. Read also our post about the Top cities and monuments of Spain