Spanish Festivals in

November
• November may not be the peak tourist season in Spain, but it certainly doesn't mean that
there is a shortage of festivals and fiestas.
• From the start of the month, Spain celebrates many cultural and religious events, each with
its own traditions and customs.
• November is the month of All Saints' Day or Día de Todos Los Santos, a religious holiday
that commemorates all the saints and martyrs.
• It is a day of remembrance and celebration, where people visit cemeteries to pay their
respects to their loved ones. Many towns and cities hold special events, including parades,
processions, and traditional food markets.
• Another significant festival celebrated in November is the Fiesta de San Andrés, held in the
Basque Country and the Canary Islands.
• This festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. People light
bonfires, dance traditional folk dances, and drink Txakoli, a local wine.
• The month of November also marks the start of the olive harvest
season in Spain.
• Many towns and cities hold olive oil festivals, where visitors can taste
different varieties of olive oil, learn about the production process, and
participate in activities such as olive oil tasting and cooking
workshops.
• Here we have a look at the most significant festivals and fiestas that
take place during the month of November, providing an insight into
each one and the unique festival culture of Spain.
All Saints' Day
• This is a national holiday that takes place on November 1st in Spain. It
is a day to remember and honour the deceased, especially family and
friends.
• Many people visit cemeteries and churches to bring flowers and
candles to the graves of their loved ones.
• Some people also make traditional sweets such as huesos de santo
(saint's bones) and buñuelos de viento (wind fritters).
All Saints’ Day is an important national holiday in Spain and allows
people to reflect on life and remember family and friends who have
passed on.
Many people attend masses at the local cemeteries and churches where
they give offerings to the diseased such as flowers.
Once the somber mood is over, the atmosphere turns rather upbeat as
people celebrate the good memories of those who have passed.
https://youtu.be/H_iYgvJwKV8
• The annual Benidorm festival is held in honour of the town's patron
saints la Virgen del Sufragio and San Jaime Apostol.
• Street parties, sporting content, open-air theatre and parades are all
part of this popular annual festival. The final day's spectacle includes a
huge parade of decorated floats followed by a firework display from
the main Benidorm beach area of Playa de Poniente.
• Make sure you take a bag with you as tons of sweets are thrown from
huge floats for the children to scramble over.
• The Benidorm fancy dress event is a hugely fun day held on the
following Thursday after the Annual Benidorm festival.
• Although the annual Benidorm festival is officially over on
Wednesday the fancy dress parade is well worth hanging around for.
• The Benidorm fancy dress party unites many local and foreign
residents as well as holidaymakers.
https://youtu.be/Jwwdg2Z-yIo
• What better way to get to know everything about this famous
Andalucian wine than by attending one of the many events held during
the Jerez wine festival.
• During International Sherry Week there are plenty of opportunities for
wine-tasting sessions and you can even be part of one of the local
vineyards for the day and learn how Sherry is made.
• International Sherry Week
• This is a gastronomic festival that takes place in early November in
various locations across Spain, especially in Jerez de la Frontera, in
the province of Cadiz.
• It celebrates sherry, one of Spain's most famous wines, which is
produced in the region of Andalusia.
• The festival features activities such as sherry tastings, sherry pairings,
sherry tours and sherry exhibitions. The festival also includes music,
dancing and gastronomy.
• The San Andres festival is held in the town of Puerto de la Cruz in
Tenerife at the end of November and celebrates the annual grape
harvest and the tasting of new wines.
• A great way to taste the local wines and join in the noisy fun as locals
take to the streets with pots and pans banging their way around the
town.
• Fun parties and entertainment are all part of this vibrant Tenerife
festival.
• San Andres Festival
• This is a folkloric festival that takes place on November 29th and 30th
in various towns and villages across Spain, especially in Tenerife, in
the Canary Islands.
• It celebrates Saint Andrew, the patron saint of fishermen and
winegrowers.
• The festival features activities such as chestnut roasting, wine tasting,
bonfires and fireworks. One of the most peculiar attractions is the
arrastre de las tablas (dragging of the boards), where people slide
down steep streets on wooden boards.
Film Festival
• Film Festivals
• November is a month of film festivals in Spain.
• Some of the major film festivals organized in November include the
Seville European Film Festival (November 3rd to 11th), which
showcases European cinema and awards prizes such as the Golden
Giraldillo for the best film.
• November is a time to celebrate the art of filmmaking as many film
festivals take place throughout Spain.
• » Girona Film Festival
» Indie Film Festival Barcelona
» Gijon Film Festival
» Alcine Film Festival Alcala de Henares Madrid
• Cartagena Jazz Festival
• (November weekends), features jazz music and films; the Zinebi
International Documentary Film Festival (November 10th to 17th),
focuses on documentary films from different countries.
• The Gijon Film Festival (November 19th to 27th), features films for
young audiences and awards prizes such as the Principado de Asturias
Award for the best film.
International Theatre Festival Vitoria Gasteiz
• The International Theatre Festival has been running for over 40 years
held over a couple of weeks, usually commencing around the 5th of
November.
• A cultural highlight of the Vitoria Gasteiz in the Basque Country, this
well-organised film festival showcases films made in Spain and
abroad whilst covering genres.
• Fiesta de la Trashumancia
• This is a folkloric festival that takes place on November 7th in Madrid,
the capital city of Spain.It commemorates the ancient tradition of
transhumance, which involves moving livestock from one grazing
ground to another according to the seasons.
• The festival features a parade of sheep and shepherds through some of
the main streets of Madrid, such as Gran Vía and Cibeles.
• The festival also includes music, dancing and gastronomy.
https://youtu.be/bY0Y4IKwNoQ
• Usually held on the second week of November, the festival de
Orujo celebrates the locally made strong liquor produced in the town
of Potes, near Santander in Northern Spain.
• This unusual festival was first held in 1984 and has become
increasingly popular ever since. People from all over the region
gather to honour this famous strong liquor along with local food and
fare from the region.
• The Orujo festival includes musical events and traditional folklore,
parades and street parties.
• Fiesta del Orujo
• This is a gastronomic festival that takes place from November 12th to
14th in Potes, in the province of Cantabria.
• It celebrates orujo, a strong liquor made from grape pomace that is
typical of this mountainous region.
• The festival features activities such as orujo distilling, orujo tasting,
orujo contests and orujo exhibitions. The festival also includes music,
dancing and fireworks.
• Feast of the Almudena
• This is a religious festival that takes place on November 9th in
Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
• It celebrates Our Lady of Almudena (La Virgen de la Almudena), the
patron saint of Madrid.
• The festival features a mass at the Almudena Cathedral, a procession
with the statue of the Virgin through the streets of Madrid, and a floral
offering at the Plaza de la Villa. The festival also includes music,
dancing and gastronomy.
• Festival of San Martín
• This is a gastronomic festival that takes place on November 11th in
various towns and villages across Asturias, a region in northern Spain.
• It celebrates Saint Martin, the patron saint of winegrowers and
pigs. The festival features activities such as pig slaughtering, sausage
making, chestnut roasting and cider tasting.
• The festival also includes music, dancing and folklore.
The Roman Catholic All Saints’ Day celebrated on November 1 is a major
national holiday in Spain today. It serves as the best time for you to reflect on
your life and remember your family and friends who have passed on. Those
Spaniards who celebrate this day often attend masses at the local cemeteries
where they give offerings to the dead such as flowers. Once the somber mood is
over, the atmosphere turns rather upbeat as people celebrate the good
memories of the dead with traditional foods. This national festival is a time for
remembering the dead and is apt for the time of year. It is autumn and when
nature dies little by little and prepares for winter.
• There are many traditions connected with this time of year
including gastronomic ones which brings us to the festival of
the La Castañeda. In times gone by “la castañada” was
celebrated after the family evening meal, the dinner would
include roasting chestnuts and other goodies in an open
hearth which where part of the ancient funeral meals.
Nowadays the first Castaneros (roasted chestnut sellers) can
be found on many street corners as the weather shows the
first signs of the cold with winter ahead.
November Jazz Festival
• Secondly, Spain also becomes a major hotspot for Jazz
during the month of November. The major cities of
Barcelona and Madrid host major festivals that last all
through the month of November every other year. The
Barcelona Jazz Festival organizes concerts all throughout
the month. Alongside Jazz, this festival also attracts world
music, soul, rock, and fusion artists who come to grace
different fiestas Spain has during this month.
• For jazz lovers, Spain is a perfect choice to visit in November as there
is are a number of Jazz fests throughout the month.
• » Madrid Jazz Festival
» Granada Jazz Festival
• Wine is part of the daily life for many people in Spain today
and as such, many festivals in Spain dedicate festivals to
celebrate local wine production. Wine production is usually
celebrated during the second week of the month of
November. Visitors therefore have the opportunity to sample
many of the countries best known wines alongside a range
of local foods while enjoying performances and other
festivities during November. Apart from food and wine, the
locals can also be heard making a a lot of noise using
contraptions made from old pots, pans, and cans.
National Holidays in Spain

Jan 1st - New Years Day - Ano Nuevo

Jan 6th - 12th night, The Three Kings - Dia de los Reyes
Mar 19th - Fathers Day - San Jose
Variable - Good Friday - Viernes Santo
May 1st - Labour Day - Dia del Trabajador
Aug 15th - Assumption - Dia del Asuncion
Oct 12th - Spanish National Day - Dia de la Hispanidad
Nov 1st - All Saints Day - Todos los Santos
Dec 6th - Constitution Day - Dia de la Constitucion<
Dec 8th - Immaculate Conception - Imaculada Concepcion
Dec 25th - Christmas Day - Navidad