Bullfighting, flamenco and the beaches of the Costa Brava are the standard set of synonyms for "Spain" known to the average tourist. For those who have studied the issue a little more before the trip, the traditions of Spain and its culture open up from various angles and it turns out that in the state in the Pyrenees there are still a great many opportunities for surprise, admiration and daily discoveries.
Bread or circuses?
Spaniards love holidays and most of the "red days of the calendar" are street processions and crowded demonstrations. In addition to bullfighting, which, by the way, was officially banned almost everywhere, there is another tradition in Spain with the participation of horned ones. The Bull Run is an annual race through the streets of Pamplona where four-legged animals try to catch up with two-legged ones. You can tickle your nerves in the first half of July.
Less dangerous but more spectacular is the annual Tomato Clash on the last Wednesday in August in Valencia. Thousands of people take part in the tomato war, and on this day the streets turn into "bloody" rivers of juice and pulp of fallen vegetables.
Strangeness for the good
Several strange traditions of Spain have their own explanation and are very popular with the local population. Tourists who find themselves in the country at the right time enjoy watching the rituals and even participate in them with the consent of the hospitable hosts:
- On the day of St. Anthony in the temple dedicated to him in Madrid, queues line up for a blessing. The suffering ones are … pets, which have the right to receive the patronage of the church once a year. The next stage in this funny Spanish tradition is a parade with the participation of heroes of the occasion.
- Saint Anthony himself undergoes a very strange procedure in Malaga. On his day, local unmarried ladies throw stones at his statue, trying to get straight to the causal place. For this, the saint is obliged to send down husbands to them, obviously, in order to avoid a similar fate in the next year.
- Babies dressed as devils and adults jumping over them are equally amazed. Thus, the Spaniards drive away evil spirits from the children.
Useful little things
The Spaniards sacredly observe the afternoon sisesta and most shops and banks will be closed from 13 to 16 hours. But the evening hours of the institutions are shifted to a later time and you can make purchases or change currency, especially in tourist areas, until nightfall.
Going on vacation to the Pyrenees, you need to be ready to smile and greet, have fun and drink wine. All these traditions of Spain are more likely the way of life of the country that gave the world flamenco and bullfighting, Carmen and Don Quixote, Gaudí and the golden beaches of the Mediterranean.
