Tours to Spanish Barcelona are popular both in summer and in winter, because in the city where the great Gaudi worked, there is always something to see and do. And if you carefully study the local calendar, you can time your trip to one of Barcelona's holidays in order to get to know its inhabitants better and enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
Let's take a look at the calendar
The traditional big dates in Barcelona are Christmas and Easter, New Years and Constitution Day. And the residents of the capital of Catalonia, beloved by travelers, offer to participate in events dedicated to:
- Feast of the Three Kings. A fancy-dress street procession on January 6 can overshadow even the average Caribbean carnival. The holiday symbolizes the arrival of the Magi to the city to worship the baby Jesus.
- Your own Valentine's Day. A special holiday in Barcelona is celebrated on April 23rd and is dedicated to Saint George. According to legend, the main character killed the dragon and gave the lady of the heart a red rose that grew where the dragon's blood was shed. The symbols of Valentine's Day are scarlet roses that literally fill city streets and squares.
- St. John's Day. As you might guess, this is the Spanish analogue of Ivan Kupala. He is greeted on the night of the summer solstice, and parties on this day are accompanied by fireworks, bonfires and a particularly noisy atmosphere.
- Boxing Day. On December 26, it replaces Christmas and is dedicated to visits to family and friends with the presentation of pleasant souvenirs in honor of the coming winter holidays.
The main feature of the holidays in Barcelona is real festivities and parades. The warm climate and southern temperament do not leave any city dweller indifferent, and therefore any event here takes on a citywide scale.
In honor of heavenly patrons
The main holiday of Barcelona is considered by the locals to be the La Merce festival, which traditionally starts in the capital of Catalonia at the end of September. It is arranged in honor of Our Lady of Mercy, whose name in Spanish sounds like Virgen de la Mercè. According to legend, in the 17th century, she saved the city from locusts, after which she was awarded the title of heavenly patroness.
The program of the festival, magnificently passing through the streets of Barcelona for several days, includes dances and costume balls, processions of acrobats and magicians, gymnastic demonstrations and tricks of fire eaters, laser shows, fireworks and theatrical performances.
Pastry shops and coffee shops prepare special desserts for the holiday, and equipment for a grand pyrotechnic performance is being installed on the Plaza de España.
For music lovers and theatergoers
Artists also have a favorite holiday in Barcelona. Every summer, it hosts a theater, music and dance festival called El Grec.
Its program includes ballet and opera performances, performances, performances by artists of the original genre. World stars become guests and participants of the festival, and for the poor townspeople some of the performances are organized free of charge on open street stages.
