FIESTAS

Moors and Christians - Various weeks throughout the year - the history of this region is inextricably linked to the Moors and Christians - the local hero is El Cid who fought back against the invading Moors - and this heritage is celebrated throughout this part of Spain in the Moors and Christians Festivals. 46 towns in the Alicante region celebrate the Reconquest, re-enacting key events from the years leading to the Moors' expulsion. The armies in period costumes with all their different ranks represented march through the towns and Historical battles take place. Membership of one of the armies requires year long preparation.

Holy Week - Semana Santa - Easter (March/April) is celebrated throughout Spain and the Alicante Region with Processions, Prayers and Masses. Throughout Easter Week the various brotherhoods (Costaleros) make their way around the towns carrying their floats (Paso) with statues on them. It takes anything from between 50 and 100 men to carry these individual platforms. This year for the first time in Torrevieja's history, the international community has been been given the honour of carrying a float during the Easter religious procession, depicting Jesus praying in the Garden of Olives. 100 volunteers are currently in training to carry this float.

May Fair, held at the Fairground, with horseback rides and Sevillian Dances.

Las Fallas - (June) This festival is planned months in advance and the tradition of making these huge papier mache and wood effigies dates back to the 16th century, when carpenters made puppets by their workshop doors. Now the caricatured figures, are made up to look like local or national figures up to 20 feet high. These figures are stuffed with fireworks and paraded through the streets, the highlight being the burning of these effigies; the one voted by festival goers as the best of the year - is saved for posterity.

Ofrenda de Flores (Offering of Flowers) - a spectacular event and one certainly most visited is the Ofrenda de Flores, the offering of flowers at the church from the afternoon until nightfall. A spectacular parade takes place where the falleras show their bright-coloured costumes as an offering to their patron saint.

Festival of the 'Virgen del Carmen' (Patron Saint of Sailors) (July) with a procession at sea and on land.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
The main holidays are listed below but each region in Spain has local ones too.

1st January - New year's Day
6th January - Epiphany (Three Kings Day)
March/April - Good Friday, Easter Monday
1st May - Labour Day
15th August - Assumption of the Virgin
12th October - National Day
1st November - All Saints Day
6th December - Constitution Day
25 December - Christmas Day
(9th October - local holiday of the comunitat valenciana)

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