Spain is a place to visit for the round-the-year fiestas in almost every region of the country. Each place has its own fiestas, which are generally very colorful, lovely with plenty of singing, dancing, merriment, eating and drinking, and parades and competitions. Visitors and tourists are never disappointed when they see one of the many fiestas of Spain. They are so attractive and so much fun.

Many of these fiestas are pagan in their roots and are pre catholic. Most do not have any special known origin and they have grown to such stature because of the public participation and the attendance of tourists for these fiestas. Bullfighting and parades are present for every fiesta in any part of Spain. Bullfighting is the national sport which is a must see for every tourist. Though it is gory, music, color and pageantry makes it very attractive. There are bullfights almost everywhere in Spain though the biggest and the best-attended ones are in Madrid where there is a huge bullring with a capacity of holding 25,000 visitors.

The biggest festival is the Semana Santa which is an Easter festival. There are colorful Holy Week processions with huge floats depicting the lives of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and Christmas. Hooded people carry the images of Jesus and Mary on their shoulders escorted by hundreds of penitents. The Spanish carnival is a well attended fiesta of Spain. A colorful occasion, the carnival is celebrated all over Spain. Each city and each area have their own special attractions of the Carnival. There can be contests and processions. Singing and dancing, jugglery feats and the like are held to attract the crowd and hold their attention.

La Feria de Sevilla is a very famous Andalausian fiesta. Processions of horses and horse riders, carriages and wagons carrying richly dressed men and women make their way to the bullfighting ring. This week long fair begins two weeks after Easter. The inauguration is on Tuesday midnight when thousands of lamps are lit. There is singing and dancing, eating and drinking. Gaily decorated roads and streets lead to gaily decorated tents pitched on the banks of the river where the revelers continue their merry making till the early hours of the morning after which they rest for a few hours till the next day’s fair begins.

Fallas de Valencia has papier mache tableaux which are made well in advance. They cost the earth and go up in flames on March 19 every year, which is the feast day of Saint Joseph. People wearing period clothes and costumes recreate mock battles. Many coastal towns of Spain have this festival where there are fireworks, fun and frolic. Millions of people gather at Whitesuntide in May or June in southern Spain. It is a religious pilgrimage where people from different parts of Andalausia come to participate.

Bunyol, a town in Valencia hosts the Tomatina festival where tomatoes are hurled at each other. Tomato battles are held with tomatoes as the artillery. It is a messy affair which lasts for about an hour and the council water cannons them to clean up the mess.
Spain has many other fiestas throughout the year.