Festivals in Spain
- la Navidad (Christmas): la Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) is the big family dinner. On el Día de Reyes (6 January), los Reyes Magos (the Three Kings) bring presents, and people eat el roscón de Reyes (a ring-shaped cake).
- la Nochevieja (New Year's Eve): people eat las doce uvas (twelve grapes), one on each chime of midnight, for good luck.
- la Semana Santa (Holy Week, before Easter): procesiones (processions) go through the streets, especially in Seville.
- las Fallas (Valencia, March): huge figures are displayed in the streets and burned (quemar) on the last night, with fireworks.
- la Tomatina (Buñol, August): a huge tomato fight. San Fermín (Pamplona, July): los encierros (the running of the bulls).
Festivals in Latin America and beyond
- el Día de los Muertos (Mexico, 1 and 2 November): families remember loved ones who have died, with altars (altares), flowers, candles and sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar).
- el Carnaval, for example in Cádiz or Tenerife: people dress up (disfrazarse) and there are parades (desfiles).
- el Ramadán and el Eid, Diwali, Janucá (Hanukkah), el Año Nuevo chino.
- Personal celebrations: el cumpleaños (birthday), el santo (the day of the saint you are named after), la boda (wedding), la quinceañera (a girl's 15th birthday party in Latin America).
Useful phrases
- celebrar (to celebrate), regalar (to give as a present), el regalo (present), recibir regalos (to get presents), decorar el árbol (to decorate the tree).
- reunirse con la familia (to get together with the family), comer una comida tradicional, ir a la iglesia / a la mezquita / a la sinagoga / al templo.
- ¡Feliz Navidad! (Happy Christmas!) ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! (Happy New Year!) ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy birthday!)
- Mi fiesta favorita es… porque… (my favourite festival is… because…).
Grammar to use
- The imperfect for what used to happen: cuando era pequeño/a, abría los regalos por la mañana (I used to open my presents in the morning).
- The preterite for one event: el año pasado celebramos la Navidad en casa de mis abuelos.
- Se + verb for what people do: se come turrón (people eat nougat), se lanzan tomates (tomatoes are thrown).
- Dates: el seis de enero, el uno (or primero) de noviembre, el veinticinco de diciembre.
Key terms
- la fiesta
- festival (also party)
- celebrar
- to celebrate
- la Navidad
- Christmas
- la Nochebuena
- Christmas Eve
- la Nochevieja
- New Year's Eve
- el Día de Reyes
- 6 January, when the Three Kings bring presents
- la Semana Santa
- Holy Week (before Easter)
- los fuegos artificiales
- fireworks
- el desfile
- parade
- regalar
- to give (a present)
- el regalo
- present
- disfrazarse
- to dress up (in costume)
- el cumpleaños
- birthday
- el día festivo
- public holiday