The San Fermín

The San Fermín festival are internationally known because of the tradition of letting go of the bulls running through the streets of the city, preceded or followed by thousands of people. Several events mark the festival of San Fermin.

The Txupinazo or El Primer Cohet (Prime Firecracker) marks the kick-off the holiday season. At noon, on the Plaza Consistorial, the City Council appears on the balcony of City Hall and officially opens the festival of San Fermin uttering the famous phrase: "Pamplonesa, Pamplonesa, Viva San Fermín, Gora San Fermin" that the crowd in takes place in the heart. The first firecracker is then started (hence the name of the ceremony) and everyone knot around his neck the red scarf that complements the white dress surrounded by a red belt.

At 16:30, the ceremony is called the Riau-Riau. Originally, the event was to slow the procession of municipal and church on his way from the town hall to the church of San Lorenzo to celebrate las Vispa Mass in honor of Saint Fermin, the day before her birthday. Nearly 5,000 people ended up on the Calle Mayor and by taking ever-El Valle de Astrain, a famous waltz Riau-Riau. The aggressive outbursts that took place over the years have done today is not the event that the Mass, celebrated at 20h.

Still, the holidays really begin July 7, the day of Saint and first day of bullfighting. At 10 o'clock, the procession from the church of San Lorenzo and accompanies the statue of the saint through the streets of the city before returning to the same church where thousands of people come to pray during festivals. On July 14, last holiday, the same procession, called the Octava (eighth), will be held to greet once more the saint.

Another key point of these festivals is the bull run. From July 7 to 14, every morning at 8:00, the bulls will be fought in the afternoon in the arena are released into the city. Runners find themselves on this journey of just over 800 meters through the streets of the center to the Plaza de Toros and run before the bulls, with all the risks that this implies. The bull run is always preceded by a prayer to San Fermin, recited at the beginning of the course in the Cuesta de Santo Domingo, in front of a statue of Saint surrounded scarves peñas of sixteen of the city: "A San Fermín pedimos ser por nuestro patrón, our Guie en el encierro, dándonos knew Bendición (bis) Viva! Gora! ".

The Rodeo is held every afternoon festivities, at 18:30. The Plaza de Toros Pamplona contains 19,500 seats making it the second largest in Spain after the Madrid. These bullfights called Feria del Toro are organized by the Casa de Misericordia (better known by the name of The Meca). This is a charity for the elderly. The peculiarity of bullfighting in Pamplona is their unbridled character and mood, often noisy almost bacchanal, that prevails while the others are generally bullfights in silence. So, is it normal to bring food and drink to party like it should.

The estruendo is a popular event held only once during the holidays, often on Thursday at 23:59. Dozens of participants with a percussion instrument parade through the city, the deafening sound of bass drums and other drums, covering some txistus (Basque musical instrument) at the head of the parade.

Finally, on the night of July 14 to 15 at midnight held the closing ceremony of the celebrations called the Pobre de mi (Poor me) because of the song qu'entament Pamplona equipped with a small candle, "Pobre of mi pobre of MI, there is han Acabado las Fiestas de San Fermin. " This celebration takes place on the square of the town hall where the mayor gave his closing speech that ends with the phrase, "Ya falta menos para los Sanfermines 2008. Viva San Fermín, Gora San Fermin. ". Then the participants get their red scarf and an orchestra begins the "Pobre de mi" taken to heart by the crowd.

This concludes the eight-day festival of San Fermin which is famous in Pamplona every year and attracts thousands of visitors on the north coast of Spain. A chance, perhaps, to enjoy the festivities to discover the wild coasts of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia to rent a holiday home with VacancesEspagne.fr or why not proceed on the Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela.