Spanish festivals and the words that go with them

If there's one thing Spain and India have in common, it's that we both know how to celebrate. Fire, flowers, music, processions, dancing in the street until late, sweets that only appear once a year: Spanish festivals have all of it. Some of them will feel strangely familiar to you, and a couple will make you wonder how anyone came up with the idea in the first place. Yes, I'm talking about the giant tomato fight.

Festivals are also a brilliant way to learn vocabulary. Every festival comes with its own words, and because the pictures are so vivid, those words stick. In this post I'll take you through Spain's best-known festivals, give you the A2 words you need to talk about them, and point out their Indian twins along the way. There's a set of flashcards and a quiz at the end.

The basic words for any Spanish festival

Before we visit the festivals one by one, let's get the core vocabulary in place. You'll use these words again and again.

The big one is la fiestathe party or festivalThe word for any celebration, from a birthday to a town festival.. In Spain it covers everything from a birthday party to a week-long town celebration. When a town has its festival, people simply say Estamos en fiestasWe're in festival timeThe plural fiestas means a town's festival days..

A public holiday is un día festivoa public holidayA day when most people don't work., or just un festivoa holidayThe short, everyday way to say it.. The opposite, a normal working day, is un día laborablea working dayA day when offices and shops are open..

Here are the words you'll see at almost every celebration:

• el desfilethe paradeA procession of people, floats or bands through the streets.: the parade
• la procesiónthe processionUsually a religious procession.: the procession
• los fuegos artificialesfireworksThe fireworks you see in the sky.: fireworks
• la hoguerathe bonfireA big fire lit outdoors.: the bonfire
• el disfrazthe costumeWhat you wear to dress up.: the costume
• disfrazarseto dress upTo put on a costume.: to dress up
• la carrozathe floatA decorated vehicle in a parade.: the float
• la bandathe bandA music band, often a brass band at festivals.: the band
• el traje típicotraditional dressThe traditional clothes of a region.: traditional dress
• celebrarto celebrateA regular -ar verb.: to celebrate

Las Fallasthe Fallas festivalValencia's spring festival of fire.: Valencia's festival of fire

If you like Dussehra, you'll love Las Fallasthe Fallas festivalValencia's spring festival of fire.. Every March, the city of Valencia fills with huge sculptures, some as tall as buildings, made of wood, cardboard and other materials. They're colourful, funny and often poke fun at politicians and celebrities. Each one is called a fallaa fallaOne of the giant sculptures built for the festival., and the figures on them are called ninotsfiguresA Valencian word for the figures on each falla..

The festival builds up through March. Every day at 2 pm there's a mascletàa mascletàA Valencian word for a loud daytime display of firecrackers., a daytime display of firecrackers so loud you feel it in your chest. Then, on the night of 19 March, nearly all the sculptures are set on fire. This night is called la cremàthe burningA Valencian word for the night the fallas are burned.. Only one figure is saved each year, chosen by public vote.

Just like Ravana's effigy at Dussehra, months of work go up in flames in a few minutes, and the crowd cheers. Las Fallasthe Fallas festivalValencia's spring festival of fire. is on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A quick note: ninotfigureValencian, not Spanish., mascletàfirecracker displayValencian, not Spanish. and cremàburningValencian, not Spanish. are Valencian words. Valencia has its own language alongside Spanish, and these words are used by everyone during the festival.

La Tomatinathe TomatinaThe tomato fight festival in Buñol.: the world's biggest food fight

On the last Wednesday of August, the small town of Buñol, near Valencia, hosts La Tomatinathe TomatinaThe tomato fight festival in Buñol.. For about an hour, thousands of people throw ripe tomatoes at each other until the streets run red.

Yes, it sounds a lot like Holi, just with tomatoes instead of colours! The spirit is very similar: everyone gets messy, nobody stays clean, and strangers become friends for the day.

Useful words: el tomatethe tomatoAlmost the same as English., tirarto throwA regular -ar verb. and mancharseto get dirty or stainedA reflexive verb.. As in: ¡Me he manchado todo!I've got stains all over me!He manchado is the present perfect.

San FermínSaint FermínThe festival in Pamplona in July.: Pamplona in white and red

From 6 to 14 July, the city of Pamplona celebrates San FermínSaint FermínPamplona's patron saint, honoured with a famous July festival.. Everyone dresses in white, with a red scarf called a pañueloscarf or handkerchiefAt San Fermín, the red scarf tied around the neck. around their neck. The festival opens at noon on 6 July with el chupinazothe opening rocketThe rocket fired to start the festival., a rocket fired from the town hall balcony, and the crowd shouts ¡Viva San Fermín!Long live San Fermín!The famous festival cheer.

San FermínSaint FermínPamplona's July festival. is world famous for el encierrothe bull runThe early-morning run through the streets ahead of the bulls., where runners race through the streets in front of the bulls each morning. It's a controversial tradition, and many people in Spain and abroad oppose it. But the festival is also music, dancing, parades and the gigantes y cabezudosgiants and big-headsHuge papier-mâché figures that dance through the streets., giant figures and big-headed characters that dance through the streets and chase children.

At midnight on 14 July, people gather with candles and sing Pobre de míPoor meThe sad song that closes the festival., "poor me", because the festival is over for another year.

Semana SantaHoly WeekThe week before Easter.: Holy Week processions

Semana SantaHoly WeekThe week leading up to Easter Sunday. is the week before Easter, so its dates change every year. It's celebrated across Spain, but the processions in Andalusia, especially in Seville and Málaga, are the most famous.

Brotherhoods carry huge platforms with religious sculptures through the streets. Each platform is called a pasofloatA platform carrying religious sculptures in a procession., and some are so heavy they need dozens of people underneath to carry them. Walking in front are the nazarenospenitentsMembers of the brotherhoods, wearing robes and tall pointed hoods., in long robes and tall pointed hoods. Sometimes, someone on a balcony sings a saetaa saetaA short, intense religious song sung to a passing procession. as the procession passes, and the whole street goes quiet.

It's a deeply emotional, religious time for many Spaniards, so if you're there, watch quietly and respectfully. If you've seen the processions during Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja, you'll recognise the feeling: the crowds, the music, the devotion and the slow movement of a sacred figure through the streets.

La Feria de Abrilthe April FairSeville's spring fair of dancing and celebration.: Seville's week of dancing

About two weeks after Semana SantaHoly WeekThe week before Easter., Seville changes mood completely for la Feria de Abrilthe April FairSeville's spring fair.. A huge fairground fills with hundreds of striped tents called casetasmarqueesTents where families, friends and groups eat, drink and dance.. Women wear the colourful, ruffled traje de flamencaflamenco dressThe traditional ruffled dress worn at the Feria., and people dance sevillanassevillanasA lively folk dance from Seville, danced in pairs. late into the night.

If you've ever been to a Navratri garba night, you'll get it immediately: beautiful traditional outfits, everyone dancing the same steps in pairs or groups, and nobody wanting to go home.

El CarnavalCarnivalThe festival before Lent.: costumes and funny songs

El CarnavalCarnivalThe festival of costumes before Lent. happens in February or early March, just before Lent. The two most famous in Spain are in Cádiz and in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Everyone wears a disfrazcostumeWhat you wear to dress up., and the parades are huge.

Cádiz is famous for its chirigotascomic singing groupsGroups who sing funny, satirical songs at Carnival., groups who sing funny songs making fun of the news and politics of the year. In many towns, Carnival ends with a strange little ceremony called el entierro de la sardinathe burial of the sardineA mock funeral that closes Carnival., a pretend funeral for a sardine.

The question everyone asks before Carnival: ¿De qué te vas a disfrazar?What are you going to dress up as?Disfrazarse de means to dress up as something.

La Noche de San JuanSaint John's NightThe night of 23 June, celebrated with bonfires.: bonfires on the shortest night

On the night of 23 June, close to the shortest night of the year, many towns in Spain light bonfires for la Noche de San JuanSaint John's NightThe night of 23 June.. On beaches in places like Alicante, Barcelona and Galicia, people gather around the fires, jump over small flames for good luck, and stay up until late. In Alicante the festival is called las Hoguerasthe BonfiresAlicante's big festival for San Juan., and they burn sculptures, a bit like in Valencia.

Lohri, anyone? A bonfire, friends and family around it, music, and a wish for good things ahead. Two countries, one very old human idea.

San IsidroSaint IsidoreMadrid's patron saint, celebrated on 15 May.: Madrid's own festival

On 15 May, Madrid celebrates its patron saint, San IsidroSaint IsidoreMadrid's patron saint.. People dress as chulapostraditional Madrid menThe classic Madrid look: waistcoat and flat cap. and chulapastraditional Madrid womenWomen in the classic Madrid look: shawl and headscarf., dance the chotischotisA slow, traditional Madrid dance done in pairs. and eat rosquillasring-shaped pastriesLittle ring-shaped sweets made for San Isidro., little ring-shaped sweets.

Todos los SantosAll Saints' Day1 November, a public holiday in Spain.: 1 November

While Halloween is getting more popular in Spain, the traditional day is 1 November: el Día de Todos los SantosAll Saints' Day1 November, a public holiday.. Many families visit cemeteries to bring flowers to relatives who have passed away.

There are special sweets, of course: huesos de santosaint's bonesSmall marzipan sweets shaped like bones, eaten around 1 November., little marzipan rolls shaped like bones, and buñuelos de vientowind frittersLight, puffy fried sweets, often filled with cream., light fried puffs. In many theatres, the classic play Don Juan TenorioDon Juan TenorioA famous 19th-century Spanish play, traditionally performed around 1 November. is traditionally performed around these dates.

Las fiestas del pueblothe town festivalEach town's own festival days.: every town has its own

Beyond the famous ones, every town and village in Spain has las fiestas del pueblothe town festivalEach town's own festival days, usually for its patron saint., usually in honour of its santo patrónpatron saintThe saint who protects a town. or patronapatron saintA female patron saint, usually the Virgin Mary.. Many happen in summer, when people who've moved to the cities come back to their home village.

There's always an open-air dance called a verbenastreet dance partyAn open-air night dance with live music., fireworks, a band, and lots of food. Groups of friends often form a peñaclub or groupA group of friends who celebrate the festival together., wear matching T-shirts and have their own little base for the week. Think of it like the local mela or the colony's Durga Puja pandal, where the whole neighbourhood comes together for a few days a year.

Festival vocabulary flashcards

Say each word out loud, then flip.

Useful Spanish phrases for festivals

These are perfect for A2 conversations, whether you're at a festival or just talking about one.

• ¿Qué se celebra hoy?What's being celebrated today?A great question when you see a parade.
• ¿A qué hora empieza el desfile?What time does the parade start?Empezar is a stem-changing verb: empieza.
• ¿Vamos a ver los fuegos artificiales?Shall we go and see the fireworks?Vamos a plus infinitive for suggestions.
• ¡Qué ambiente!What an atmosphere!Said when a place is lively and fun.
• ¡Felices fiestas!Happy holidays!Works for town festivals and for Christmas.
• En la India celebramos Diwali en otoñoIn India we celebrate Diwali in autumnA great way to compare festivals.

That last one is my favourite. Spaniards are usually very curious about Indian festivals, so telling them about Diwali, Holi or Navratri in Spanish is a wonderful way to practise.

Test yourself: Spanish festivals quiz

Five questions. How many can you get right?

Keep going

Festivals are the perfect A2 topic: you get to describe what happens, compare it with your own traditions and talk about what you like doing. If you want to keep exploring, read about how Spain celebrates Christmas and New Year in Diwali meets Navidad, or learn about everyday customs in the sobremesa, the siesta and other Spanish habits. And if you'd like to practise talking about your favourite festivals in Spanish, out loud and with feedback, join one of my A2 batches. They're live on Google Meet with up to 5 students. ¡Olé!Bravo!A cheer of joy and approval, famous from flamenco.