280
Calendar of traditions, festivals, and holidays
1 January
Año Nuevo
A public holiday in all Spanishspeaking
countries.
(New Year´s Day).
5 January
(Mexico)
Día de la Constitución
(Constitution Day). A public
holiday.
6 January
Día de Reyes
(Epiphany/Twelfth Night).
In many Spanish-speaking
countries, this is when presents
are given, rather than on
Christmas Day.
20 January
San Sebastián
Sebastian’s Day). Celebrated in
Spain with parades, sporting
events, and bullfights, it is also a
day of celebration and dancing
for the people of the Basque city
that bears the name of the saint.
(Saint
2 February
La Candelaria
An occasion for celebrations and
parades in many Spanishspeaking
countries.
(Candlemas).
3 February
Fiesta de San Blas
saint of Paraguay). A public
holiday.
(patron
21 February
(Mexico)
Anniversary of the birth of
Benito Juárez
nineteenth-century statesman,
who was twice president. A
public holiday.
, a famous
26 February
Aberri Eguna
day and a public holiday in the
Basque country of Spain.
- Basque national
12–19 March
Las Fallas
known
held in Valencia in eastern
Spain. The high point of the
celebration is on the last night,
when the
figures with large heads), which
have been carefully prepared
by the
through the streets and then
burned, all this to the
accompaniment of an enormous
fireworks display.
are one of the bestfiestas in Spain. They arecabezudos (carnivalfalleros, are paraded
14 April
(Paraguay)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
23 April
San Jordi
Catalonia’s patron saint.
According to
give men books and men give
women roses on this Catalan
version of St Valentine´s Day.
The feast day ofcustom, women
1 May
Día del Trabajo
A public holiday in all Spanishspeaking
countries.
(Labor Day).
5 May
(Mexico)
The anniversary of the victory of
the state of Puebla against the
French invasion of 1862. A public
holiday.
Calendar of traditions, festivals, and holidays
281
25 May
(Argentina)
The anniversary of the May
revolution of 1810.
20 June
(Argentina)
Día de la Bandera
(Argentinian National Day).
A public holiday.
(Colombia)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
24 June
San Juan
Traditionally fires are lit on the
night of San Juan in order to
keep away the cold of winter. In
some places, people jump over
the fires and in others the
faithful will try to walk through
them barefoot. The custom is
slowly dying out, but continues
in many parts of the Spanishspeaking
world.
(Feast of St John).
5 July
(Venezuela)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
6–14 July
Sanfermines.
encierro
bulls’), takes place in Pamplona
in northern Spain. The animals
are released into the barricaded
streets and people run in front of
them, in honor of the town´s
patron saint, San Fermín, who
was put to death by being
dragged by bulls.
The festival of el(the ‘running of the
9 July
(Argentina)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
25 July
Fiesta de Santiago
James). The famous
Santiago
thousands of people from all
over Spain and many other parts
of Europe to the holy city of
Santiago de Compostela, takes
place in the week leading up to
St James’ Day, 25 July. The city
also has its
time. The streets are full of
musicians and performers for
two weeks of celebrations
culminating in the
Apóstol
(Feast of StCamino de, the pilgrimage offiestas around thisFestival del.
28 July
(Peru)
Día de la Independencia.
A public holiday.
6 August
(Bolivia)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
10 August
(Ecuador)
Primer Grito de
Independencia
holiday commemorating the
first cry of independence in 1809.
. A public
17 August
(Argentina)
A public holiday to celebrate the
anniversary of the death of the
San Martín who liberated
Argentina from Spanish rule in
1816.
25 August
(Uruguay)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
11 September
Día Nacional de Cataluña
.
282
Calendar of traditions, festivals, and holidays
Catalonian National Day and a
public holiday in Catalonia.
13 September
(Mexico)
Commemoration of the
Héroes
while defending the castle of
Chapultepec against European
invaders in 1847.
Niños(child heroes) who fell
15 September
(Mexico)
Conmemoración de la
Proclamación de la
Independencia
the country, at 11 o’clock at
night, there is a communal
shout,
Padre Hidalgo’s cry of
independence from the Spanish
in the town of Dolores.
. ThroughoutEl Grito, in memory of
18 September
(Chile)
Día de la Independencia
A public holiday.
.
12 October
Día de la Hispanidad
A public holiday, this is also
.
Columbus Day
celebrated in all Spanishspeaking
countries, as well as
the US, in commemoration of the
discovery of the Americas by
Christopher Columbus in 1492.
In Spanish-speaking countries of
the Americas, it is also called the
, which is
Día de la Raza
the Race) in celebration of the
(literally, Day of
mestizaje
which gave birth to the
populations of today.
, the mingling of races,
31 October
Todos los Santos
People all over the Spanishspeaking
world flock to the
cemeteries on this and the
following day
Difuntos/Muertos
on the graves of relatives and
friends and to remember the
dead. In Mexico this is an
important festival in which
Catholic traditions are mixed
with those of pre-Hispanic
religions.
(All Saints).el día de losto put flowers
10 November
(Argentina)
Fiesta de la Tradición
festival takes place throughout
the country but is especially
important in the town of San
Antonio de Areco, near Buenos
Aires. The capital also holds a
festival in November, the
. This
Semana de Buenos Aires
honor of its patron saint San
Martín de Tours.
, in
20 November
(Mexico)
Día de la Revolución de 1910.
A public holiday to celebrate the
revolution of 1910.
2 December
(Mexico)
Virgen de Guadalupe
Celebrations are held in honor of
the patron saint of the country,
with music and dancers, in
particular the
dance, wearing bells around
their ankles, to the sound of
stringed instruments and
conches.
.concheros, who
25 December
Navidad
time of great religious celebration
in all Spanish-speaking
countries. In many places,(Christmas Day). A
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