Twelfth Night Procession Entire city January 5th The Three Wise Men are the ones who bring Spanish children their gifts on the night of January 5th, a tradition that corresponds elsewhere to St.... read more
Carnival Date varies from end of February to beginning of March, on the three days before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent (forty days before Holy Week) (February. 18th to 21th in... read more
Holy Week Not before March 22nd nor after April 25th (Holy Thursday and Good Friday in 2013: March 28 and 29) Holy Week is an eminently religious celebration. A deep-rooted tradition... read more
Ascensión Holiday Variable date corresponding to the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday (May 17 to 24 in 2012) The Ascension Festival, the city’s second-most important after the Apostle Santiago... read more
Saint John's Eve
Night of June 23rd
June 23rd, the summer solstice, is the magical eve of “San Juan” (St. John’s Day), an ancient fiesta that is present in all cultures, marking... read more
Apostle Santiago Festival 2nd fortnight in July
The festivities dedicated to the Apostle, the patron saint of Santiago, of Galicia and of all of Spain, last for about a fortnight. This festival combines religious... read more
Grand Fireworks Display in Honour of the Apostle
Praza do Obradoiro
July 24th
As part of the Apóstol Festival, an impressive audiovisual, fireworks and laser show, along with the burning of a large pyrotechnic castle... read more
Fireworks Display 31th july
Praza do Obradoiro
July 31st
The Apóstol Festival programme comes to an end with a great audiovisual and fireworks show, similar to the one in the evening of July 24th, but... read more
Feast of St. Roque Capilla de San Roque
Agost 16th The feast of St. Roque, one of the city’s most popular saints, is a public holiday in Compostela. High Mass is said in the Chapel of... read more
Feasts of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day Cementerio de Boisaca
November 1st and 2nd
On November 2nd, the Church remembers its dead ones and the cemeteries fill with flowers, which relatives place around the graves of their loved... read more
'Magostos' and chestnuts in the street Entire city
November
The ’Magosto’ is a traditional fiesta that is held in the evening, in which roasted chestnuts are eaten. The chestnuts are served with wine, homemade... read more
Christmas December 24th to January 6th
At the end of November Santiago begins to deck itself out for Christmas. The streets and shops shine with Christmas lights, decorations and Christmas... read more
New Year’s Eve Night of December 31st
In Spain, New Year’s Eve dinner is timed so that dessert coincides with midnight, which is when all of the TV channels broadcast the bells marking the... read more
