Siesta & Fiesta
Here in Spain, we can throw a party faster than saying olé, but the true party pros know that fun starts with a good power nap. The siesta is that little step back to recharge and go all in with friends, music, great food, and drinks, of course.
Let’s be honest: we Spaniards are the first to defend the siesta, but we’re not going to take all the credit for inventing it. The word actually comes from the Latin sexta, referring to the “sixth hour” of the day, when the Romans used to take a break from work. As the Roman Empire spread, the locals in the Iberian Peninsula thought, “perfect, count me in”. With the Mediterranean heat, finding some shade and taking a nap was the smartest thing you could do. Later on, we took this wonderful invention across the Atlantic to Latin America, yet another thing that connects us all, from here to there.
But what we truly love in Spain is celebrating absolutely anything. We love getting together with friends, heading out into the streets, and making a real occasion of it. Whether for religious holidays or more pagan reasons, our calendar of fiestas has no competition anywhere in the world. As soon as spring peeks in, which happens early here, the fun begins.
We kick things off with Carnival, that time of year when you can dress up, pretend to be someone else, and poke fun at the powers that be, especially with the murgas of Cádiz and the Canary Islands. Then we head to Valencia for Las Fallas, where we love to burn gunpowder in celebration (not in wars, thank you very much). After Holy Week, which everyone celebrates in their own way, come the spring fairs, with Seville’s April Fair taking the gold medal: flamenco, dancing, and plenty of fino and rebujito, my friend.
As summer approaches, the party explodes everywhere. San Fermín, La Tomatina, San Juan, the Sella River descent... But the best part is seeing how each town celebrates in its own unique way. Some are famous worldwide, but nothing beats the charm of a small-town fiesta, with a local band that’ll play a pasodoble one minute and the hit of the summer the next one.
Of course, if things get a little out of hand, the night runs long, and you don’t get much sleep, there’s only one remedy: the good old siesta. And in this case, you’ve earned the deluxe version: bed and pajamas included.
