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Marbella shares many common fiestas and holidays with the other Costa del Sol towns. The first major holiday of the year is New Year’s Day. Like the rest of the world, Marbella celebrates New Years with lavish parties, beautiful fireworks, and lots of merrymaking. On the 6th of January, Marbella observes Tres Reyes (“Three Kings”). This day remembers the biblical journey of the three kings of the east when they traveled to pay homage to the newborn Jesus Christ. On this day, three men dress up as the kings and go around town, giving sweets to children.
In February, the fabulous Carnival comes to town. The carnival is a fiesta of the people; it commemorates the rebellion against abstinence and prohibitions in the olden times. It is usually celebrated around 40 days before the season of Lent starts. There are fairs, food, and good friends all around for 3 to 5 days. Like most other towns, there is a “carnival queen” sort of beauty pageant held on this day.
Then, from March to April, Marbella and the rest of Spain celebrate the Lenten season. This is a solemn time for all devout Catholics, marked by fasting, abstinence, and acts of penitence. The Lenten season culminates in the Semana Santa (“Holy Week”), which takes place on the 3rd week of April. This week remembers the final events leading up to the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
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On the 3rd of May, the locals venerate the Cruces de Mayo (“Crosses of May”). Crosses are erected in different locations in the town and adorned with flowers. The best decorated cross wins a prize, and women and children dance around these ornamented crosses.
June is quite the busy month, with a number of holidays and fiestas being observed around Andalucia and Spain. The first, and perhaps the most important, is the romeria pilgrimage, so called because, in ancient times, pilgrims traditionally walked to Rome, hence the word “romeria” coming from the word “romero,” the original term for the pilgrims. Often, these pilgrimages are to shrines outside of the towns. There is a huge gathering at each town and all the gathered people travel at once to the special shrine of the town’s choosing. The most spectacular romeria is that which is devoted to the Virgen del Rocio. This pilgrimage, called El Rocio for short, sees attendance by nearly a million people from all over Spain, all making the long journey to the tiny hamlet of El Rocio in the marshland of the Guadalquivir River delta south of Almonte. It is here where the Virgin of Rocio has been worshipped since 1280.
In the middle of June, Marbella celebrates its own summer feria (“fair”) which revolves around the feast day of the town’s patron saint, San Barnabé. This is the most important festival in Marbella. In addition, the Corpus Christi is celebrated, celebrating the actual presence of Jesus Christ’s flesh in the Eucharistic wafer. The consecrated host is borne around town in a grand and solemn procession.
The 23rd of June is the Noche de San Juan (“Night of St. John”). There is widespread partying in the daytime in the form of a huge outdoor barbecue, and at night there are bonfires and fireworks right on the beach. For good luck, people dip their feet in the ocean just after the clock strikes midnight. Some people, in their bliss, end up diving in the sea fully clothed!
On the 16th of July, the town folk celebrate the Dia de la Virgen del Carmen (“Feast day of the Virgin of Carmen”). The Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint of all fisher folk. First there is a solemn mass, and afterwards the statue of the virgin is brought in a procession down to the seashore. There, it is loaded on brightly decorated boats, and the procession continues over the sea. Meanwhile, fireworks are set off on the beach.
In the winter season, the Todos Los Santos (“All Saints’ Day”) takes place on November 1. This is a major holiday in all of Spain. And, finally, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25.
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