Fester i Torrevieja (eng)

Torrevieja being a cosmopolitan and hospitable town, there are all kinds of festivals every month. One of the most popular events in Spain are the Carnavals in which participate thousands of people, forming a show of light, colour, satir and good humour, with as protagonists the masquerades not only from Torrevieja but also from other places in the province of Alicante. The Holy Week with its processions calls lots of people into the streets, converting these into huge routes of colour, penance and popular religiosity The guilds, with their imagery, represent the passion of Jesus, at the steps of the marches and drumbeat, making to parade the thrones they carry on their shoulders with order and fervour. The procession at Good Friday at night is one of the most venerated and admired ones on the spanish eastern coast. In May Torrevieja enjoys during one week the most pure Andalusian music and dance you can think of, because In the popular "Feria de Mayo" more than threehundred thousand persons gather round the booths, where numerous persons dressed in their traditional costumes dance the famous "Sevillanas". The merry atmosphere is completed by horse parades, hitchings and tasting of fine wine. The "Feria de Mayo" at Torrevieja is an explosion of Joy and happiness that is shared by all visitors. In June the "Holy Heart Festivities" are celebrated with children games, popular dances and musical performances. On the 16th of July there is the festivity of the Virgin del Carmen, who is patron saint of the fishermen and seamen, with the tradition of eating paella and all kind of nautical activities. A special mention deserve the traditional Fiestas Patronales (patron saints days) in honour of the Inmaculate Conception, celebrated from the 1st to the 17th December every year, during which the main event is the procession in the night of the 8th, assisting people from all over the province and other places of Spain.