At “8.15am until 5pm – very little happens!” says an article in About.com about the 9-day Fiesta de San Fermin. That’s true if you’re one of those tourists who thinks that the fiesta is only about the running of the bulls and the all night libation parties.  But a Pamplones would say that’s simply not true. You see, locals observe and enjoy many traditions all day long, both religious and non-religious, during the fiesta in honor of their patron saint, San Fermin.  To experience the real spirit of the Sanfermines, we joined the locals in some fiesta traditions they passionately observed.

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People of all ages walk the street of Pamplona to head to different fiesta events. For locals,  it’s a great family fiesta. We witnessed locals from one month old to 100 years old enjoying variety of festivities.

 

The Procession

For the locals, the heart of the fiesta is a religious celebration. After all, the fiesta that dates back from the middle ages is in  honor of their patron saint.  For them, the highlight of the fiesta is the Procession of San Fermin, the tradition when the image of the saint is paraded through the streets of Pamplona accompanied by pomp and circumstance.

Locals lined up the street devotedly awaiting the procession of their patron saint, which takes place on the second day of the fiesta.

 

Women anxiously awaiting the Procession of San Fermin from a window.

 

A young Pamplones patiently waiting to see the image of his town’s patron’s saint as well as the procession’s entourage led by a a fun retinue of characters called “The Court of the Giants and the Bigheads.”

 

The Court of the Giants and the Big Heads are enormous papier-mâché figures that parade daily throughout the city during the fiesta, but on this day their troupe is a big part of the procession entourage.

 

The Big Heads are the most serious among the figures. Unlike the other members of the court, they don’t dance and kid around. They just walk in dignified fashion in front of the Giants.

 

Children with one of the “Kalikis,” the figures whose main task is to “frighten” and entertain the children by playfully hitting and chasing them with soft balls attached to a stick.

 

A “Kiliki” giving a boy a hug before playfully bopping the boy’s head with a soft ball that he was hiding behind his back.

 

Here comes the Giants!  The Giants are composed of four pairs of kings and queens representing the different parts of the world: Europe, Africa, Asia and America.  (I just figured out why Oceania is not represented. The characters were first created in the 1600’s and Oceania was just about to be discovered then).

 

 One the of the giant queens. The giants dance and twirl to music as they parade on the streets.

 

A little girl checking out one of the giant kings with her father.

 

The Cross and religious figures followed the Giants.

 

A big group of devoted men and women all dressed alike composed the largest part of the procession entourage.

 

The court of San Fermin followed by town officials.

 

The crowds cheered as they caught the precious sight of the image of their patron saint.

 

This revered image of San Fernin is a wood carving dating back from the 1500’s.  Its chest contains the reliquary of the saint.

 

Children’s Offering to San Fermin

This was one of my favorite events of the fiesta.  On the third day, the children of Pamplona gathered in front of San Lorenzo Church to offer flowers to San Fermin.

 

A boy sitting on his father’s shoulder while waiting for the ceremony to start.

 

A father proud and thrilled to bring his young son to his very first fiesta.

 

The children raised their flowers to be blessed by the priest before they offer them to  San Fermin.

 

The children patiently wait for their turn to get close to the image of San Fermin and lay their flower offerings next to him.

 

The children received a blessing from the parish priest as they give their flower offering to their patron saint.

 

Keith chatting with some locals who were watching the children festivity.

 

 Las Barracas (The Fair)ground)

 The fiesta fairground was located just outside the city center. It offers hundred of attractions for very young and not so young.

 

Hemingway Day

The locals pay homage to their adopted son, Ernest Hemingway, by dedicating the 4th day of the fiesta for him. The Fiesta became world famous after Hemingway wrote about it in his book “The Sun Also Rises.” A Hemingway look-alike contest was held during the fiesta. The man on the right coveted the honor.

 

If there’s fiesta, there’s food! 

Restaurants from different part of Spain set up tent restaurants in Pamplona during the fiesta.  It’s a culinary fair!

 

An enormous dish at one of the tent restaurant.

 

A cook proudly presented a giant pan of Spainish traditional dish – the paella.

 

The Peñas, or social clubs, set up dining tables on the street filled with inviting food. You can crash if you ask.

 

Fiesta Dancing and Music

A folk festival was held where the locals, old and young alike, danced in synchrony to folk music (their version of line dancing).  We arrived at the last few minutes and the locals soon dispersed.

 

Music bands parade on the streets all day long followed by young and old revelers.

 

There’s a 24-hour live telecast during the fiesta which features a lot of music and dancing,

 

There are different concerts each day that feature local talents.

 

The Fireworks

Each night at 11:00 pm, people gathered at the park to witness a spectacular firework display.

 

The fiesta fireworks.

 

The fiesta fireworks.

 

Kids stayed up after the firework display and enjoyed their own mini-fireworks while their older folks enjoy a late night picnic at the park.

A tourist who run with the bulls quipped in an article he wrote for a Travel Channel website that  “around midnight, they celebrate your manliness with a huge fireworks display in Pamplona.” Oh boy! The locals welcome visitors to their fiesta but I’m sure they would raise their eyebrows to those tourists who think that it’s all about them just because they ran with the bulls. After all is said and done, the fiesta belongs to Pamploneses and to the patron saint they highly revere.

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