Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is a Christian feast day, or solemnity, commemorating the supreme gift of the institution by Jesus Christ of the Holy Eucharist.
Corpus Christi is one of the largest festivals in the province of Granada, Andalucía. Granada's Corpus Christi celebration originates from the reconquest of Granada city by the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella, and is one of the main annual celebrations. It is normally held during June; however, with the dates being determined by Easter, they can vary enormously.
Corpus Christi is one of the largest festivals in the province of Granada, Andalucía. Granada's Corpus Christi celebration originates from the reconquest of Granada city by the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella, and is one of the main annual celebrations. It is normally held during June; however, with the dates being determined by Easter, they can vary enormously.
May Crosses
The first weekend in May sees the annual celebration of 'Las Cruces de Mayo' in the city of Granada. Many smaller towns and villages will hold a scaled down version of this festival.
In the Costa Tropical, Motril always has a full programme of activities arranged, including a children's funfair, temporary bars, music and dancing.
The origins of the 'Feast of the Cross', also known as the 'Invention of the Cross', date back to the seventh century under the rule of Emperor Constantine I the Great.
In the Costa Tropical, Motril always has a full programme of activities arranged, including a children's funfair, temporary bars, music and dancing.
The origins of the 'Feast of the Cross', also known as the 'Invention of the Cross', date back to the seventh century under the rule of Emperor Constantine I the Great.
Semana Santa
The First Council of Nicaea (325AD) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox.
The Christian Church use March 21 as the date of the equinox; therefore, in Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Holy Week in Spain runs from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday, with schools in Andalucía returning on, what is known in the UK, as Easter Monday.
The Christian Church use March 21 as the date of the equinox; therefore, in Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Holy Week in Spain runs from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday, with schools in Andalucía returning on, what is known in the UK, as Easter Monday.
Moors & Christians Battle
The feast of Moors and Christians, celebrated at different times of the year throughout Spain, is a symbol of remembrance of the retaking of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule.
Whilst the festival in Alcoy, Alicante is probably the most well documented, the town of Vélez de Benaudalla, in the Costa Tropical de Granada, is renowned locally for celebrating this annual event in style. Each year detailed preparations are made for the celebration which is held over 4 days straddling the 13th June.
Whilst the festival in Alcoy, Alicante is probably the most well documented, the town of Vélez de Benaudalla, in the Costa Tropical de Granada, is renowned locally for celebrating this annual event in style. Each year detailed preparations are made for the celebration which is held over 4 days straddling the 13th June.
What's On
What to Do
No nation on earth is quite as good at enjoying itself as Spain. It has been said that because so many fiestas are held the length and breadth of the country, even if you could attend more than one a day, you would not be able to visit them all in a single lifetime.Fiestas are regarded as a crucial part of the Spanish way of life, and the Province of Granada, in the heart of Andalucía, is no stranger to art of celebrating. Every town and village within the province gives at least a couple of days a year over to partying, with many of the smaller fiestas being held in honour of the patron saint of the particular municipality. Many of the larger cities are divided into areas known as ‘barrios’, and in somewhere such as Granada, each barrio will organise its own fiesta.
As well as these community celebrations, each year Spain plays host to some really major events, probably the most famous being the Running of the Bulls at Pamplona; the fireworks of Las Fallas in Valencia; the Feria of Málaga, and of course, the amazing, coordinated religious processions of Semana Santa (Holy Week), the most notable of which are held in Sevilla.
The town of Buñol in Valencia is host to arguably the most bizarre of all festivals; the annual ‘Tomatina’ is a fiesta centred around an hour long orgy of tomato throwing, and is held every year on the last Wednesday in August.
The sheer vibrancy, sights, sounds and colour associated with the variety of events on offer countrywide make these Spanish spectacles unmissable.
