The inhabitants of the Canary Islands are in general deeply devoted to religion and traditions – and the Lanzaroteños are no exception. However, they love to party too!
Many of the fiestas celebrated on the island are associated with patron saints of Lanzarote and particularly towns or villages.
Some are related to a special event, like the beginning of the summer, or a supposed ‘miracle’ from the past. For instance, in Mancha Blanca people honour the day when the lava finally stopped flowing after massive volcanic explosions, which destroyed much of the land. The people of this tiny village believed they owed their salvation from destruction to the Virgin of the Volcanoes and so every year they pay tribute to her with a big celebration.
Fiestas are usually celebrated with large and colourful processions, where an image or model of a saint is carried paraded through the streets and taken to a revered place. Sometimes people dress up and these celebrations can even last for several days... like during Carnival time.
As well as lots of entertainment and fun for young and old, these crowd-pulling fiestas always offer a full programme of traditional activities, folklore performances, sporting events (such as lucha canaria wrestling), music, dancing, stick fighting competitions and much more.
Spain-Lanzarote has put together a guide to some of the most important and colourful events in Lanzarote, detailing when and where they are happening. To pick the festivals you want to enjoy, follow this link for a monthly detailed list.
If you are enjoying a wonderful holiday at fiesta time, don’t miss out on the opportunity to see how locals celebrate!
