"Discovering Each Other" Comenius Project. Four Festivals and Celebrations in Cantabria

1. IES Peñacastillo
Santander, Spain

2. Santander
Festival
“The Battle of
Flowers” in Laredo
“La Folía” in San
Vicente de la Barquera
Cantabria’s Day in
Cabezón de la Sal
Among all the
festivals and
celebrations
which take place
in our region, we
have chosen
these four.

3. This celebration, which started in 1967, takes place on the 2nd
Sunday of August in the town of Cabezón de la Sal and it is a day
to celebrate the traditions, customs and identity of the region.
The President of the region
makes a speech and afterwards
people pay homage to the flags
of the different Spanish
autonomous regions which are
hoisted by men and women
wearing Cantabria’s traditonal
costumes.

4. Thousands of people participate in the different activities: There are
traditional dances, music and sport, handicrafts, a market with typical
products and a parade of wagons and cattle.

5. Laredo is a tourist town and fishing port on the east coast of Cantabria
which celebrates a festival called “The Battle of Flowers” on the last
Friday of August.
This festival consists of a
parade of floats showing
allegorical displays
decorated with flowers and
petals.
The parade starts at 5pm in
the town centre and there
are prizes for the best floats
selected by a jury.
On this day there are also
street markets, music bands
and it ends with a fireworks
display at the beach.

6. Although it is a one-day celebration, the preparation for it lasts
months. Each float is designed and built by a group of people that
also often plant, grow and collect the flowers which will be used for
the decoration.
The evening before the parade, dozens of people work hard to
decorate the floats since the flowers have to be fresh.

7. The Sunday following Easter Tuesday is a special day for the village
of San Vicente de la Barquera, on the West Coast of Cantabria
because they celebrate “La Folía”. It is a religious festival to
commemorate the arrival of a statue of the Virgin called “La
Barquera”, patroness of the village. According to a legend, this
image of the virgin arrived at the port on a small boat with no oars
or sailors on board.

8. This celebration is basically a procession through the streets of the
village while young girls wearing white and blue clothes sing and
play the tambourine.
The procession continues
in the sea. The image of
the virgin is taken on
board a fishing boat
decorated with leaves,
flowers and colourful
flags. Other boats follow it
along the bay.

9. Around St. Jame’s Day on 25th July, there is a week of
celebrations in our city with different types of activities
which citizens and tourist enjoy every year.
There are…
Bullfights, concerts,
traditional music and
dances

10. A funfair and stalls in different
squares where people meet to
have a drink and a snack.
And a great fireworks display at
the Sardinero beach.