Fiestas help you to find your perfect Spanish home

With Christmas almost upon us and January looming what could be a better time to consider a move to sunnier climes? The New Year is often considered to be an anti climax following the festive celebrations, so planning a trip to sunny Spain in search of your new home could be just the tonic you’re looking for.

Spain is famous for many things, sun, sea and sangria being a few, but where the Spaniards really shine is their passion for fiestas, and the extravagant ways in which they celebrate them throughout the year. Many areas have deep-rooted traditions and although fiestas tend to be based on religious celebrations, the Spaniards love to party so they also provide an excuse to eat, drink and be merry.

If you’re looking for a home in Spain but have no idea what location to choose, then there’s no better time to visit than during a fiesta. Experiencing them for yourself not only gives you a taste of the real Spain, but also provides you with an opportunity to meet members of the local community and find out about the area that you’re visiting.

Whatever time of year you’re planning on beginning your search there’s bound to be a fiesta nearby to experience – take a note of these key diary dates to help plan your house hunting trip.

January 5th 2007 - Marbella
If you’re planning your visit in January then make time to visit Marbella to help celebrate the parade of the Three Wise Men (Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos). This parade commemorates the time when they arrived in Bethlehem to visit the baby Jesus. In seaside resorts such as Marbella it’s traditional for the Wise Men to arrive by boat and candlelight, and candy is distributed to the children by the roadside.

April 1st – 8th 2007 - Alicante
When it comes to celebrating fiestas, Alicante is a city that pulls out all the stops. The Semana Santa fiesta begins on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and ends on Easter Sunday (Lunes de Pascua).

During this time a total of 27 brotherhoods take part in processions where floats or effigies (called pasos) are carried through the streets of the city. The processions represent the journey made by Christ to crucifixion and through to resurrection. Although this fiesta is solemn, it’s extremely colourful due to the amount of floral decoration and is definitely worth watching.

May 15th 2007 - Estepona
Estepona, like all other Andalucian towns, takes the opportunity to celebrate and party as much as possible. One of its main festivals is the Fiesta of San Isidro Labrador (patron saint of the peasants and labourers) celebrated on May 15th, where the town folk take to the streets with processions and a party in the countryside.

June 18th – 24th - Alicante
St John’s Bonfire (Hogueras de San Juan) is one of Alicante’s most famous and spectacular fiestas, so much so that it has been declared of international tourist interest. It’s based on the custom of welcoming the summer by burning useless objects and celebrations span over a week.

Papier mache statues that depict the humorous side of Spanish historical characters and politicians are created and carried through the streets on floats before being burned in a spectacular bonfire on St John’s night on June 24th.

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Fiestas Help You Find…
July 16th – Estepona & Mallorca
If you’re looking to visit Spain in July then take a trip to Estepona or Mallorca and join in with the celebrations of the Virgen del Carmen (Dia de la Virgen de Carmen). As the sun sets sail on the 16th the local community parade statues of her by the water, and set sail in gaily adorned boats, accompanied by the blowing of horns and burst of fireworks in the night sky.

August 15th- Cala D’or
It would be a shame to visit Mallorca and miss the fiesta at Cala D’or. The main event of the year is the Fiesta of la Mere du Déu del Mar (“Our Lady of the Sea”), and takes place around August 15th each year. The highlight of the event is the maritime procession around the harbour, a sight not to be missed.

December 2007
After a hectic summer of fiestas and festivals, things tend to quieten down in the winter months, however Christmas is a big family fiesta involving lots of food (especially sweets) that is stretched out until the Three Wise Men Day in January.

Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) is a quiet family night in that involves a big dinner together. Spaniards tend to celebrate New Years Eve (Noche Vieja) in a similar way to Brits, with a host of parties centred round the midnight countdown. Of course do not forget the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes just before the New Year to bring you good luck!

Lisa Griffiths, European sales and marketing manager for Taylor Woodrow de España, said: “We tend to find that once the New Year comes around many people start thinking about buying a home in Spain, as it’s a perfect getaway from the winter gloom that January and February can bring, and also provides them with the ideal place to entertain family and friends throughout the year.

“Often people have no idea of what area they want to buy a home in, so we tend to recommend they visit our developments across the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Mallorca, at a time when there is plenty going on in the area. Fiestas are such a traditional and important part of Spanish culture, and experiencing them is an excellent way of finding out about the area, the local people and their traditions.”

Taylor Woodrow de España, the only British owned house builder in Spain, has been building quality homes there for more than 45 years. With a reputation for trust, the company provides a specialised service and dedicated team within the UK and Spain who can help and advise homebuyers through the entire process of choosing, buying and settling into a new Spanish home, safe in the knowledge that everything about the purchase is legally above board.

Taylor Woodrow de España currently has a number of developments in the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Mallorca. For further information, visit taylorwoodrow.es.