Spanish Religious Festivals | Buying A Villa In The Costa Blanca

Catholic countries like Spain celebrate many religious festivals each year which will become familiar to anybody buying a villa in the Costa Blanca. These festivals are not just a celebration of faith but also an opportunity for towns to get together as a community. Although these festivals will include some worship, they are also usually colourful, fun and filled with music, dancing, food and wine. When you buy a villa in the Costa Blanca you will quickly become acquainted with the processions and Fiestas which take place during each year.

Three Kings

This yuletide parade celebrates the biblical story of the three Kings (Wise men) Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar who, on the eve of the Epiphany bestowed gifts of Frankincense, gold and Myrrh on the baby Jesus. In Spain children eagerly await their arrival and will be showered with sweets and gifts during the parade of music, floats and spectacular costumes. On the coast the Kings will often arrive at the local port by boat. Your children will look forward to this event, as well as any Christmas traditions your family already have, when you buy a villa in the Costa Blanca.

Fiesta San Antonio

St Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of animals, and his feast day is celebrated on January 17th with townsfolk in Moraira, Teulada, Javea and other towns in the Costa Blanca taking their animals whether they are domestic pets or farm animals to be blessed by the priest by the local church. The procession of animals and owners through the streets of the towns to the churches is a remarkable sight to behold. In this area of Spain there are also several rescue centres, and the priests will make the effort to also visit these and bless the animals in the shelters, hopefully this helps them find new homes!!! A lot of people who buy a villa in the Costa Blanca also adopt a pet or bring their four-legged friends with them, take them to this magical ceremony, it is truly uplifting.

Holy Week (Semana Santa)

Solemn processions will be held throughout the week leading up to Easter Sunday and streets will be adorned with flowers and incense. Participants in the parades will be dressed in traditional robes and carry religious statues, these processions have a particular sombre beauty in towns like Denia and Javea and you can witness these wonderful occasions when you buy a villa in the Costa Blanca.

Corpus Christi

This celebration of the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ takes place 60 days after Easter either at the end of May or the beginning of June each year. Streets are decorated with carpets of flowers and traditional dress is worn. Dancing, including one which is similar to May Pole Dancing, form part of the celebrations which the whole town either participates in or enjoys observing. Buying a house in Spain allows you to thoroughly enjoy these community celebrations and integrate with your new neighbours.

Virgen del Rocio

Although this religious festival is from Andalusia there is a strong Andalusian community in the Costa Blanca and so this festival is celebrated in the Javea early in July every year. When you buy a villa in Javea or nearby this is an annual treat that you will not want to miss. The parade begins with a pilgrimage to the Ermite de la Virgin del Rocio which is a small chapel located just outside of Javea. The devotees carry a float with the statue of the Virgen del Rocio above their heads and they are accompanied by music, singing and dancing. When the statue arrives, mass is celebrated, and the party continues to Pinosol Park where along with community food and drinks there is flamenco performances and fireworks.

Moors and Christians

This historical and dramatic event takes place in every town in the Costa Blanca during the year and each town holds it at different times so there is nearly always one to be witnessed when you buy a villa in Spain. Battles from the history of when the Moors took over Spain and the country was ruled by Islam and then when it was reconquered by the Christians and Catholicism became the primary religion throughout the Peninsula. These re-enactments are extremely well choreographed, and you will often find Medieval fairs taking place as well as parades with spectacular costumes. When you buy a home in Spain, this is an event that you will become fond of taking visitors to see.

San Juan

Combines this Saints celebration day with the night of the summer solstice and people will gather around large bonfires on the beach, enjoy picnics together and then run into the sea at midnight to wash away winter and welcome the summer. Fireworks and dancing frequently occur in the early hours of the morning. This is a festival that celebrates a Catholic Saint, John the Baptist but, also derives from pagan origins and traditions like jumping over the bonfires is believed to bring good luck. Buying a home in Spain means becoming part of these wonderful events.

Conclusion

These are just some of the more popular religious festivals in the Spanish calendar. However, the number of festivals religious or otherwise that take place throughout the year are too many to mention but, keep an eye on local news papers to make sure that you don’t miss out on these wonderful experiences and participate in the traditions of your new community. This is an exciting way to integrate locally when you buy a property in the Costa Blanca.