Malaga: Fiestas and Folklore

Malaga is an extraordinarily lively town, and the visitor will certainly find here anything he expects to find in Andalusia. Among the most attractive events during a year are the following:

On January, 6th the procession of the three Magi, an event specially appreciated by children.

Easter-Week is celebrated in Malaga, as in most of the large Andalusian towns, with impressive religious processions. Remarkable are specially the processions of Señor de los Gitanos on Monday and of Nuestro Padre Jesus el Rico on Wednesday.

The celebrations of Corpus Christi, in May, are most beautiful in the little village of Casabermeja close to Malaga. All the village is decorated with flowers, and the festivities take four days.

During the third week of August there is the traditional Feria de Verano, with Flamenco-music, people in regional dresses and an exposition of the most beautiful horses.

On December, 28th, the day of "Los Santos Inocentes" takes place a quite curious event: Numberless people come together in a traditional local, Venta del Tunel to dance Flamenco all the night through, to total exhaustion.

Marbella

As much as Marbella uses to organize performances and parties to entertain its visitors, as much have been conserved traditional festivities.
Carnival, in February, is a spectacular and colorful event in international manner.
On June, 11th there is Feria, the indispensable local party you will find in almost every Andalusian town, with Flamenco dance and regional dresses.
All but different is the religious festival of the town's patron, Virgen del Carmen, on July, 16th, with its picturesque procession of fisher-boats decorated with flowers.

Christmas

Christmas presents - Regalos típicos Spanish tradition has it that the Three Kings, los Reyes Magos, are the ones who on the morning of January 6th, el Día de Reyes, bear presents for all the children, repeating the ritual they performed after baby Jesus was born. Influenced by American films and TV shows, some families have decided to switch to Papá Noel on Christmas Day, arguing that this allows the kids more time to play with their toys.

Most Spanish people also hope for a Christmas windfall, courtesy of the world-renowned lottery draw, El Gordo, literally The Fat One. This is a long drawn-out event that unfolds on the morning of December 22nd. Ticket numbers in a giant drum are matched to balls with millionaire prizes in a smaller drum. The ticketing system allows people to buy fractions and subfractions of different numbers, décimos and participaciones, with increasing chances of a share in the winnings. As the top prizes come out, TV and radio coverage centres on the search for the many winners and for the particular lottery shop where the winning ticket was bought.

Food & drink - Comidas y bebidas Christmas sweets are the main seasonal staple. El turrón, nougat, is essential. This almond-based tablet traditionally comes in two versions, duro, hard, with whole almonds in a paste of sugar, honey and egg white, or blando, soft, where the ingredients are ground together. Las figuras de mazapán, marzipan figurines, are also popular, together with los polvorones, soft crumbly cakes made with lard, flour and cinammon.

The main meal takes place on Christmas Eve, la Nochebuena, and consists of a major dish of meat or seafood, such as cordero, lamb, bacalao, cod, or marisco, shellfish, which varies according to the region or the family's preferences. The 'lucky grapes', las uvas de la suerte, are essential on New Year's Eve, la Nochevieja - literally 'Old Night'. A tradition introduced in the early 20th century, it's said to bring good luck if at each stroke of the bells at midnight you take one grape and make one wish, un deseo, for the New Year, el Año Nuevo.

Quirky customs - Curiosidades Celebrations stretch from December 22nd, when the big lottery draw takes place, to January 6th, when the presents are unwrapped. Then, between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, there's still time to fit in another celebration. The equivalent of April's Fools Day takes place in Spain on December 28th, el día de los Santos Inocentes, Holy Innocents' day.

Nativity scenes with figurines are laid out on a table at home, with no limit to their degree of elaboration. Life-size figures are also on display in public squares and there'll also be silent living representations in public halls, which are open throughout the day and that people visit to witness the birth of baby Jesus.

But in Cataluña there's a surprising addition to the crib: el caganer, which means, for want of a more offensive translation, the defecating shepherd. What's more, this scatological streak extends to a peculiarly-shaped local cake, la tifa, with sugar flies to top it all off

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