Calendar of Events

Barcelona -- like Seville and Madrid -- is a big fiesta city; whether it's a rip-roaring street carnival or a culture fest, the year's calendar is sprinkled with events to keep in mind when planning your trip. Note that on official holidays shops, banks, and some restaurants and museums close for the day.

The dates for festivals and events given below may not be precise. Sometimes the exact days are not announced until 6 weeks before the actual festival. Also days allotted to celebrate Easter, Carnaval, and some other religious days change each year. Check with the Barcelona Tourist Office if you're planning to attend a specific event.

January

Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Parades are held around the country on the eve of the Festival of the Epiphany, which is traditionally when Christmas gift-giving is done (the concept of "Santa Claus" has crept into the culture in the past years, meaning that people now also exchange gifts on Christmas). In Barcelona, the three "kings" arrive by boat at the port in the evening to dispense candy to all the incredibly excited children. January 5.

February

Carnaval. Compared to other parts of Spain, particularly Seville in the south, Carnaval in Barcelona is a low-key event. The most dressing up you are likely to see is done by groups of children or stall owners in the local markets who organize a competition among themselves for "best costume" (buying fresh fish off a woman dressed in full Louis VI regalia is one of those "only in Barcelona" experiences you will treasure) as well as the city's main Carnaval parade. Just south of the city, however, in the seaside town of Sitges, locals, especially the local gay community, go all out and many Barcelonese take the short train ride to celebrate along with them. Just before Lent.

March/April

Semana Santa (Holy Week). Catalonia has some Easter traditions not found in the rest of the country. The Mona is a whimsical chocolate and pastry creation given in the same way others give Easter eggs. On Palm Sunday, palm leaves are blessed in Gaudí's Sagrada Família and the city's main cathedral has the curious L'ou com balla -- a hollowed-out egg shell that is placed on top of a fountain in the city's cathedral's cloister to bob around and "dance." Out of town, the ominously named Dansa de la Mort (Dance of Death) sees men dressed as skeletons performing a "death" dance in the village of Verges, near Girona, and various Passion Plays are also performed, the most famous in the village of Esparraguera, 40km (25 miles) outside of Barcelona. 1 week before Easter.

La Diada de St. Jordi. Saint George (St. Jordi in Catalan) is the patron saint of Catalonia, and his name day coincides with the deaths of Don Quixote writer Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare. On this day men give a single red rose to the significant women in their lives (mother, girlfriend, sister, and so on), and women give a book in return (although, in the interest of gender equality, many men now give women a book). This is one of the most colorful days in Catalonia, as thousands of rose-sellers take to the streets and bookshops set up open-air stalls along the major thoroughfares. April 23.

May

May Day. Also known as Labor Day, this day sees a huge march by the city's trade-union members. Dozens of herbs, natural remedies, and wholesome goodies are sold along the Carrer de l'Hospital in the Fira de Sant Ponç. May 11.

Corpus Christi. During this festival, the streets of Sitges are carpeted in flowers. Can fall in May or June.

June

Verbena de Sant Juan. Catalonia celebrates the Twelfth Night with fiery activities that can keep even grannies up until dawn. Families stock up on fireworks a week in advance before setting them off in streets and squares and even off balconies. Bonfires are lit along the beachfront, and the sky is ablaze with smoke and light. Lots of cava is consumed, and it is traditional to have the first dip in the sea of the year at dawn (officially the first day of summer). Madcap fun. June 23.

Sonar. This dance-music and multimedia festival has gained the reputation of being one of the best on the world circuit. Thousands from all over Europe descend on the city for the DJs, live concerts, and other related events. During the day, events are held at the Museum of Contemporary Art; at night, they move to the enormous trade-fair buildings. Purchase tickets to this wildly popular festival well in advance at www.sonar.es. Early to mid-June.

July

El Grec. International names in all genres of music and theater come to the city to perform in various open-air venues, including the mock-Greek theater, namesake of the city's main culturefest. Beginning of July.

August

Festa Major de Gràcia. This charming weeklong fiesta is held in the villagelike neighborhood of Gràcia. All year long, the residents of Gràcia work on elaborate decorations with themes such as marine life, the solar system, or even local politics to hang in the streets. By day, long trestle tables are set up for communal lunches and board games; at night, thousands invade the tiny streets for outdoor concerts, balls, and general revelry. Early to mid-August.

September

La Diada de Catalunya. This is the most politically and historically significant holiday in Catalonia. Although it celebrates the region's autonomy, the date actually marks the day the city was besieged by Spanish and French troops in 1714 during the War of Succession. Demonstrations calling for greater independence are everywhere, wreath-laying ceremonies take place at tombs of past políticos, and the senyera, the flag of Catalonia, is hung from balconies. Not your typical tourist fare, but interesting for anyone who wishes to understand Catalan nationalism. September 11.

La Mercè. This celebration honors Our Lady of Mercy (La Mercè), the city's patron saint. Legend has it she rid Barcelona of a plague of locusts, and the Barcelonese give thanks in rip-roaring style. Free concerts, from traditional to contemporary music, are held in the plazas (particularly Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça Sant Jaume), and folkloric figures such as the gigants (giants) and cap grosses (fat heads) take to the streets. People come out to perform the sardana (the traditional Catalan dance) and to watch the nail-biting castellers (human towers). Firework displays light up the night, and the hair-raising correfoc, a parade of firework-brandishing "devils" and dragons is the grand finale. One of the best times to be in Barcelona, especially for children. September 24.

October

Dia de la Hispanitat. Spain's national day (which commemorates Columbus's "discovery" of the New World) is met with mixed receptions in Catalonia, due to the region's overriding sense of independence. The only street events you are likely to see are demonstrations calling for exactly that, or low-key celebrations from groups of people from other regions of Spain. October 12.

November

All Saints' Day. This public holiday is reverently celebrated, as relatives and friends lay flowers on the graves (or nichos -- in Spain, people are buried one on top of another in tiny compartments) of the dead. The night before, some of the bars in the city hold Halloween parties, another imported custom that seems to be catching on. November 1.

December

Nadal (Christmas). In mid-December stallholders set up Fira d' Santa Lucia, a huge open-air market held in the streets around the main cathedral. Thousands come to buy handicrafts, Christmas decorations, trees, and the figurines for their pessebres (nativity dioramas) that are hugely popular here. The Betlem Church on La Rambla holds an exhibition of them throughout the month and a life-size one is constructed outside the city hall in the Plaça Sant Jaume. December 25.