ANDALUCIA FIESTAS – PUBLIC HOLIDAYS – PARADES PROCESSIONS
Nationally there are up to 14 public holidays (what the British know as bank holidays) 9 are chosen Nationally and at least one day of the 14 is decided by the local community – Holiday dates are:
- January 1st – El primero de enero – El Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
- January 6th – El sexto de enero – El Día de Los Reyes (The Day of the Three Kings – Epiphany)
- There are 2 days of public holiday at Easter (Semana Santa) Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Good Friday).
- May 1st – El primero de mayo – El Día del Trabajador (May Day / Labour Day)
- July 15th – 16th – Virgen del Carmen
- August 15th – El decimoquinto de agosto – Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption Day (of the Virgin Mary))
- October 12th – El duodécimo de octubre – Día de la Hispanidad, Spain’s National Day
- November 1st – La primera de noviembre -Todos los Santos (All Souls Day)
- December 6th – La sexta de diciembre – Día de la Constitución Española (Constitution Day)
- December 8th – El octavo de diciembre – La Inmaculada Concepción (the Immaculate Conception (of the Virgin Mary))
- December 25th – El veinticinco. de diciembre – Navidad (Christmas Day).
Additionally local holidays are:
- February 28th – El veintiocho de febrero – Día de Andalucia (Andalucia day)
- June 24th – San Juan – a holiday in Benalmadena
- August 19th – El diecinueve de agosto – El Día de Málaga (Malaga day)
Carnaval is the first big fiesta after the Kings (Los Reyes) have brought the Christmas and New Years celebrations to a close.
In Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel the festivities are spread over three weeks. This year (2007) became the second year running to fall foul of the weather forcing the the closing parade to be aborted, although the party continued in Plaza Mezquita until the early hours (under cover) and Sunday dawned bright and clear allowing the parade of the lagartilla (Lizard) to go ahead as planned.
Each town and city in Spain has its own tradition to bring the carnival festivities to a close, and in Benalmadena the tradition is to parade a papier mache lizard through the streets with the carnival king and queen in attendance and any other of the previous nights fancy dress participants who have got up in time for the midday start. (2007 was not too bad by Spanish standards as it kicked of less that an hour late) Each year the lizard takes a different form, usually politically incorrect and mocking the towns or the countries dignitaries.
This year he was in prison garb, wearing a ball and chain and accompanied on the float with black dustbin bags stuffed full of cash, making their disrespect for the Marbella arrestees in the Malaya fraud trials.1
The bands that accompany the lizard on his last journey alternate their tunes between lively jazz music and mournful dirges and the widows dressed in their mourning attire and pretend to wail and scream at the lizards impending doom. On arrival at the beach in front of las gaviottas he is taken from his trailer and deposited on the sands where he finally in flames watched over by the bomberos (firemen) who are a new addition to the festivities to make sure that the crowd does not get too close to the flames. The mourners continue to keen until the lizard passes on and only his ashes remain. Mourners, the bands and the crowd then make their way to a gourmet tasting of local rustic dishes and to enjoy the performance of the irreverent carnival troubadours, before dispersing for the next 12 months.
CARNIVALS in Andalusia
As in many parts of the Catholic world, carnival in Andalusia is celebrated in the days leading up to the 40 days of Lent. Most towns host parades, dances, and a “Carnival Queen” contest.
Cadiz, one of Spain’s major ports in the 16th century, took inspiration from Venice—then a key trading partner—and adopted many of its carnival traditions. Over time, Cadiz has become the most vibrant and dazzling carnival destination on mainland Spain. It is especially famous for its humorous figurines and satirical musical groups.
Carnival festivities typically revolve around Shrove Tuesday, with most towns holding parades either the weekend before or after. In larger cities, celebrations often last an entire week.
Carnival is seen as a festival of the people—a lively and often rebellious celebration that pushes back against social restrictions. It provides a space to break free from convention, express creativity, and indulge in humor and irreverence, all made easier by masks and elaborate costumes.
Click here for pictures of the end of Carnaval 2005
Málaga Carnival
Carnival in Málaga is always celebrated in a unique and lively way, even though it is not recognized as an official public holiday. Festivities begin early, with carnival troupes competing in humorous performances and street band contests.
Soon after, the carnival takes over the city streets with a grand parade that winds its way through the historic city center and major thoroughfares. Many locals dress up in vibrant costumes to join the procession, while others line the streets to enjoy the lively performances and festive atmosphere.
One of the highlights occurs late in the carnival, when street bands perform all night long on stages set up in Plaza del Carbón, Plaza de los Mártires, and Plaza de las Flores.
On the eve of the carnival’s end, a big dance party is held, followed the next day by a final parade: the Burial of the Sardine. This symbolic and humorous procession marks the official close of the carnival. The route of this parade travels from Esperanza Bridge through Hilera Street, Pasillo de Santo Domingo, Pasillo de Santa Isabel, Cisneros, Especerías, Calle Larios, Plaza de la Marina, and Paseo de los Curas, ending at La Malagueta Beach, where the sardine is “buried” in a mock ceremony.
Easter – Semana Santa or “Holy Week
Easter week processions compete with one another in luxury and splendour. The parades leave each of the town´s churches to wind slowly around the streets, with their lifelike statues of Christ on the Cross and his mother the Virgin Mary in mourning.
The processions are organised by the religious brotherhoods, representing guilds of tradesmen or other groups. They spend all year long preparing the elaborate costumes and decorations. This is a serious fiesta and fireworks are not permitted. Drinking and celebrating is still frowned upon by many.
The most outstanding Easter week processions are those of the cities of Sevilla, Málaga and Córdoba and Granada, though the spectacle is worth seeing in any town or village. The processions take place during the week leading up to Easter Sunday.
The best days are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday. Easter Sunday itself has less intensity generally.
Good Friday Procession – Arroyo de la Miel
The Good Friday procession in Arroyo de la Miel is a powerful and moving event, held each year during Holy Week (Semana Santa). The procession begins in the early evening from the church located behind the railway station and continues late into the night, often returning well after midnight.
The focal point of the procession is the elaborately decorated religious floats, which are carried through the streets by members of local brotherhoods (cofradías). These floats are heavy and require the strength of dozens of participants, many of whom pay for the honour of carrying the statues. Their donations go toward the spectacular floral arrangements and ornate decorations that adorn the floats.
In acts of penance, some of the faithful walk blindfolded and barefoot, while others wear the traditional hooded robes associated with the brotherhoods—distinctive attire often misunderstood outside Spain but deeply rooted in religious symbolism and anonymity during acts of devotion.
Accompanied by solemn marching bands and local dignitaries, the procession is both a religious ceremony and a cultural spectacle.
If you are in the area during Easter, be sure to include this unforgettable event in your plans—it offers a profound insight into Andalusian tradition and spiritual devotion.
28th of February – Day of Andalucia. A state holiday throughout Andalucia that commemorates the 1980 referendum in which Andalusians voted in favour of full autonomy within Spain, which consolidated Andalusia as an autonomous community. It is a holiday to celebrate the Andalusian identity through institutional acts, hoisting flags, the anthem of Andalusia and traditions such as a breakfast of bread with oil.
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1st of May – A National Holiday – International Labor day. A national holiday in Spain.
May 1st in Andalucía is Labour Day (Día del Trabajador), a national public holiday with many shops and businesses closed, though bars, restaurants, and tourist attractions are typically open.
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The Cruces de Mayo (May Crosses) is a traditional Andalusian festival held in early May, celebrating the arrival of spring and rooted in deep religious and cultural symbolism. While more famously associated with cities like Córdoba and Granada, many towns and villages across Málaga province also take part in this colourful and joyful celebration.
At the heart of the festival are decorated crosses, typically made of flowers and surrounded by vibrant displays featuring pots of geraniums, traditional shawls, ceramics, and other Andalusian elements. These floral altars are often set up in public squares, patios, streets, or outside churches, and may be part of a competition for the most beautiful or creative display.
In many towns, the festival includes live music, folk dancing (especially sevillanas), and local food and drink, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere. People often dress in traditional flamenco-style clothing, and the celebration becomes a social event as well as a devotional one.
Some places in Málaga province known to celebrate Cruces de Mayo include:
Málaga city – Various neighbourhoods and cultural associations participate.
Ronda
Vélez-Málaga
Antequera
Alhaurín el Grande
Estepona
Each town adds its own local flavour, making it a great way to experience authentic Andalusian culture in a festive, community-driven setting.
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May (App 4th to 16th) Festival de los Patios Cordobeses/The Cordoba Patio FestivaL.
This centuries-old festival features the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Linares, whose image is carried across the countryside accompanied by horsemen and beautifully decorated carriages. The celebration also includes the Competition of the May Crosses and the Patio, Iron Grille, and Balcony Contest, during which Córdoba’s charming patios, side streets, and plazas burst into color with stunning floral displays.
A map provided by the local Tourism Office guides visitors to the participating courtyards, which open their doors to the public during the day. This festival is not to be missed by anyone who loves flowers and gardens—or by those simply curious to glimpse the hidden beauty of Córdoba’s private patios.
The nun Juliana of Liège often experienced a strange vision whenever she prayed: a full moon whose center was darkened by shadow. Eventually, Jesus revealed to her the meaning of this vision—the bright circle represented all the existing liturgical celebrations, while the darkened center symbolized the absence of a feast dedicated to the exaltation of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, a subject of much debate at the time. Official recognition of this new feast day, later known as Corpus Christi, was granted in 1246, and it reached Spain sometime during the 14th century. In Benalmádena Pueblo, a beautiful local tradition accompanies the celebration. On the night before the procession, residents decorate the route with a stunning carpet of flower petals and aromatic herbs. The procession pauses at various altars, each blessed by the priest before moving on, and eventually returns to Calle Real, where the intricate floral designs become the very carpet for the sacred march. As the procession passes, the hours of careful work are gradually erased, leaving only traces for the street cleaners—a fleeting but unforgettable act of devotion and beauty.
Throughout the different neighbourhoods of Malaga, spectacular goings-on celebrate the Feast of St John (San Juan).
The fiesta is a pagan tradition given Christian sanction for it dates back to an ancient celebration of the Midsummer Solstice. It is a festival of bonfires and mayhem in the streets, echoed all over Spain.
The climax of the festival comes at midnight on the 23rd when juas, large cloth figures filled with sawdust, paper or similar materials, are set on fire. These figures are made by the people of the neighbourhoods and usually represent a grotesque caricature of some public figure. The bonfire is also the occasion to get rid of old furniture, which helps to keep the fire burning much longer!
Most of the bonfires prepared to burn the juas are set up along the beach. When the flames have dwindled to an appropriate size, young people start jumping over the fire, demonstrating great ability in a competition of skill and bravery. At the same time the rest of the group continues to dance around the fire.
According to tradition, the night of San Juan is magical (in Rome it is thought the witches fly) and anyone having a swim in the sea or who washes his/her face with sea water at the stroke of midnight will conserve eternal beauty.
The Veladilla, or evening celebrations, organised by the youth group at the church of San Juan are particularly noteworthy. After decorating the Calle San Juan and surrounding streets, the group organises games for children and adults, dances, competitions, masquerades, etc. There is also a beauty contest to choose Miss Veladilla for the coming year.
A great night to find oneself in the pretty town of Malaga, or any coastal town including Benalmadena where their festivities are accompanied by a glorious firework display that seems to go on forever, the beaches are packed as are the esplanades with onlookers. Those seeking eternal youth take to the sea at the stroke of midnight, and the firework display starts at 1.00 am and is worth staying up for, the locals don’t mind the late hour as they are here for the night.
THE VIRGEN DEL CARMEN
Andalucia is famous for its pilgrimages or “romerías” – so called because pilgrims traditionally walked to Rome, and therefore became known as “romeros” – to popular shrines, around which fiestas are held.
Many towns celebrate their Romaria to a local shrine a few miles away. It is a day in the countryside visiting a chapel or a sanctuary.
Interestingly it is one of the few fiestas that is celebrated outside the nucleus of the town.
The sanctuary is a physical and a spiritual point of reference. The departure from the town for the sanctuary is a proud public ceremony with all the necessary elements in a certain order.
Flags and standards carried are by horsemen, decorated carts, men or women who are serving a pennance, then tractors, lorries and all sorts of agricultural vehicles. The municipal band usually provides the music.
Perhaps the most spectacular is the one devoted to the Virgen del Rocío, popularly called “El Rocio” for short. Nearly a million people from all over Spain and Andalucia make the long journey to gather in a small hamlet of El Rocio in the marshlands of the Guadalquivir River delta (south of Almonte), where the statue of the “Madonna of the Dew” has been worshipped since 1280. The pilgrims come on horseback and in gaily decorated covered wagons from all over the region, transforming the area into a colourful and noisy party. Pentecost Sunday is the 7th Sunday after Easter and the climax of the festival is the weekend before Pentecost Monday In the early hours of the Monday the Virgin is brought out of the church. This remarkable event is always televised Locally a romería finishes in Fuengirola, when the streets are closed to allow the elaborate caravans and horsemen to parade – a spectacle well worth catching.
In Arroyo de la miel a similar version is enjoyed by all, click here for pictures of the
15th of August
A National Holiday Asunción de la Virgen.
According to Roman Catholic theology, the Virgin Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This means that Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. The feast day recognising Mary’s passage into Heaven is celebrated as The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics
19th of August
Incorporation of Malaga in the kingdom of Catilla. This is a local holiday in the province of Malaga.
SUMMER FAIRS
Every town and village in Andalucia has its own feria or fair, and it would be possible, if one had superhuman powers of endurance, to spend the whole summer following them about the region. The summer annual feria originated in the middle ages, and was the principal means of interchange of local products within the kingdom. The first feria takes place at Seville in April (two weeks after Semana Santa) and the last is at San Pedro de Alcántara in mid October.
With Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel celebrating in mid June
The ‘day fair’ takes place it the streets of the town itself. Streets are closed to traffic, businesses close for the week. Tables and chairs are set up and the bars serve food and drink in the street, and music plays from every corner. People of all ages sing and dance. Visitors are always welcome.
At night, the fair shifts to the public fairground or “recinto ferial” on the outskirts of the town.
There is a traditional amusement park with lots of rides for the children, and tents or “casetas” set up by the various clubs, associations and political parties of the town, some with entertainment and all with a bar.
Many, some would say too many, of the Casetas are by private invitation only. Outsiders are invariably welcomed, just ask if you can go in, if not try the next one.
There is always the large ‘Caseta Municipal’ put up by the town council and open to everybody. On some evenings there will be a top billing singer, for which tickets will be sold on the door at a reasonable price. These are usually very popular and often sell out.
The feria’s usually start midweek and finish on Sunday night. In the larger towns they start at midnight on the Sunday night with fireworks. (Monday after the feria is often a local holiday designed for recovering from the festivities).
MÁLAGA – Fiesta de Verano.
The city’s major summer festival commemorates the re conquest of the city from the Moors by the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs) on 19th August 1487. usually starts the second Friday of August with spectacular fireworks.
During the third week in August the centre is transformed into one big street party where entertainment is guaranteed. Join in the fun by tasting the local sweet wine and dance to the music in the street with everyone else.
All the locals dress up in their finest traditional costumes for the occasion and dance “sevillanas” and “malaguenas” in the street; eat fish, cheese and ham and drink a delicious, sweet, red wine.
The fair takes place during bullfighting season, so one can see a magnificent contest in the afternoon.
At night, the festival moves to the new Real fairground in the suburbs where you will find carnival rides, party tents and live music that continue until early morning. It’s an exciting, vibrant and coloruful event that shouldn’t be missed.
The Town Hall lays on free buses to and from the fairground from the Alameda Principal (Main Avenue).
8th of September
MÁLAGA – Día de la Victoria (Victory Day).
is celebrated on September 8th every year when the locals commemorate the day when the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs) took the city from the Moors in the late-1400s. At midday a famous local celebrity makes a speech followed by a procession from Nuestra Señora de la Victoria Church to the city centre with the presence of Town Hall officials. It is a colourful and exciting occasion and joining in the procession is a great way to get a different view of the city and its people
12th of October – A National Holiday
Dia del Hispanidad.
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This is a national holiday with official parades celebrating “being Spanish” commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492, marking the beginning of Spain’s cultural and historical ties with the New World. In Andalusia, the day is celebrated with flag-raising ceremonies, civic parades, and cultural events. Visitors can enjoy folk music, flamenco performances, artisan markets, and traditional Andalusian food, all reflecting local pride and heritage. While the day honors Spain’s history, it’s also an opportunity to experience the region’s vibrant traditions and community spirit.
November 1st -A National Holiday
ALL SAINTS DAY
is when relatives visit the graves of their loved ones in the cemetery. Fiestas called “Tosantos” (contraction of “todos los santos”, or “all saints”) are celebrated in the markets of Cadiz and the surrounding villages.
Halloween is celebrated in some places in Malaga but it is not a Spanish tradition ( in the years since I first wrote this Halloween has been generally adopted along the coast and is a huge event. National holiday in Spain.
The feast of San Martín, on 11th November,
is the occasion for the slaughtering of pigs, in preparation for the winter-time drying of hams and sausages, at a fiesta called la matanza – literally, the killing – in all the towns and villages of the mountain areas of Andalucia. The day begins with the killing of the pigs and is spent butchering the carcass and stuffing sausages and black pudding. A great deal of eating and drinking accompanies these events.
6th of December – A National Holiday
CONSTITUTION DAY
Spain marks the national referendum which took place on 6th December 1978 to approve the Spanish Constitution. The Spanish Constitution came into effect on 29th December 1978, and the day to celebrate the referendum by the Spanish people was established as a national holiday in 1983. This is a National holiday, but is only celebrated with official events.
8th of December – A National Holiday
LA INMACULADA CONCEPCIÓN
This is a national holiday celebrating the patron of Spain, The Immaculate Conception is, according to Roman Catholic dogma, the conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus without any stain of original sin, in her mother’s womb.
As far as the holiday is concerned because there are two National Holidays so close together many businesses close for 3 days – the 6th to the 8th and is called a puente (a bridge) which is a spanish extention of these and any other public holidays that fall close to the weekend so if a holiday falls on Thursday many take the Friday or if it falls on Tuesday, Monday is taken and with the week-end many have a four day break.
Christmas Eve
is the quietest evening of the year in Andalucia. Even most of the bars are closed. An evening reserved for a family dinner.
25th of December – Christmas day. National holiday.
¡Feliz Navidad! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Christmas presents – Regalos de Navidad?
Click here to find out what is different about Christmas and the New Year in Spain