Spain is a country which does festivals in a big way. While the most famous Spanish fiestas may be tomato-throwing and the running of the bulls, there is a wealth of fascinating local festivities in each and every locality of the country, all year round. Spring really is the start of the celebration season, so to kick you off, here’s our countdown of the 10 best traditional holidays in Spain in May 2018:
- The Festivity of the Crosses of the Month of May from 28th April to 1st May, brings together the traditional Spanish pastimes of dancing, eating and drinking in the town of Alicante in the Valencian Community.
- Ciudad Real in Castile-La Mancha hosts the Festival of the May Crosses on 30th April, which involves a pilgrimage around town with singing, followed by fireworks and feasts.
- The Cordoba Patio Competition pits neighbours in Cordoba, Andalusia against each other for two weeks every May, from the 1st to the 13th, to compete for who has the best flower display in their interior courtyard in this beautiful celebration.
- The Jerez Horse Fair in the town of Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz, Andalusia runs from 5th May to the 12th. This truly one-of-a-kind festival pays homage to the role of horses in the local area through processions, shows and dances.
- The festival of San Isidro in the capital city of Madrid is a celebration of dancing and traditional costumes, with plenty of free open-air activities available between 11th and 15th May.
- Temps de Flors, the Catalonian festival of flowers in the city of Girona, is a week-long celebration in which every building in the town is covered in gorgeous flowers, from 12th to 20th May.
- The so-called Romería del Rocío pilgrimage in Huelva, Andalusia on 20th May involves hundreds of people making the journey to a local shrine during the daytime, followed by, naturally, singing and flamenco dancing at night.
- Corpus Christi in Granada, Andalusia celebrated from 26th May right up until 6th June, is a typical Spanish fair with stalls, outdoor parties, parades and, curiously enough, giant heads and mannequins that set the fashion trends for the coming year.
- The town of Berga in Barcelona, Catalonia, plays host every year to La Patum festival of dancing, singing and representations of traditional stories and battles using giant puppets. This year, it is held between 30th May and 3rd June.
- The Fiesta del Toro Enmaromado, or the Festival of the Roped Bull, in Benavente, Zamora is celebrated on 30th May in a typical Spanish style – by releasing a bull into the streets of the city (but don’t worry – it has a rope around its horns to stop it getting away).
Spain in May 2018 – what to wear
Although there is a typical expression that warns Spaniards not to take off their coats “until the 40th May”, that is, until 9th June, there is every reason to believe that May 2018 is going remain sunny and warm most of the time, with scattered showers for just a few days. Temperatures will hover around 18 – 22°C, reaching up to 26°C in parts of Andalusia but dropping to the low-teens at times in Burgos. So, while it’s not quite shorts and sandals weather just yet, you can make that a light jacket that you’re wearing until 40th May, not a winter parka!
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