Colors of Bilbao - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

In Bilbao travelers are attracted not only by truly unique sights, but also by unforgettable national holidays, the most famous of which is certainly Semana Grande de Bilbao. The festival, which name can be also translated as "Big Week of Bilbao", is organized every year. The festival starts on the last Saturday before August 22 and lasts nine days. This celebration has appeared rather not long ago. For the first time Semana Grande de Bilbao was officially celebrated only in 1978. Previously numerous fair trades and August festivities had no official status, even though they were always celebrated with a grand scale. Each year the city's main festival is held in accordance with a special script, which is written by authors from of various districts of the city. A large fair trade is considered an essential part of each celebration. This is the place where you can buy numerous interesting crafts and souvenirs, as well as taste various dishes and delicious sweets. All main celebrations are traditionally held on the square in front of Theatre Arriaga. During nine days the square hosts numerous music and dance performances, special performances for children, strength competitions and many other interesting cultural events.

In accordance with an old tradition, one of the prominent inhabitants of the city should make a speech on the first day of the holiday. 10 years after the official proclamation of the holiday the so-called "town crier" received a special uniform. The suit hasn’t changed at all over the years and nowadays it consists of a bright yellow jacket, a tailcoat, a black cocked hat, a wide white belt and white trousers. The celebration is notable by one more important tradition - a launch of a missile. This solemn mission is trusted to the winner of the local beauty contest, which is referred by the locals as "chupinera". This girl must also be present at the ceremony wearing a festive costume – a scarlet jacket, a scarlet beret and a fluffy black skirt. The launch of a missile takes place on the main square of the city and signifies the beginning of the holiday.

This truly unforgettable celebration has its own symbol - Marijaia doll. Figurines depicting this merry woman can be purchased in any souvenir outlet that you will easily find in all major streets of the city. Big Week of Bilbao is a favorite holiday of the local people. However, more and more tourists arrive in the city every year in order to participate in the celebration. You will simply find no better way to get acquainted with multifaceted and colorful Spanish culture. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If there's one thing known about Bilbao, it's that people love to have fun here. Residents of Gate of the Basque Country (a nickname of the city) try to feel joyful in everyday living, and in this they are similar to the Spaniards. And from the Basque people they got a certain pridefulness. All together - the violent temperament of the Spaniards and the pride of the Basques - gives a vivid combination turning them into interesting and original persons. That's why they consider themselves a little unlike the Spaniards, and the issue of national identity is one of the taboo topics for conversation. It's not like the locals want to detach from Spain, but some of them could really think about it.

However, discussing such subjects as football can last endlessly. Actually they are all enthusiastic about sports, including football. There are many sports complexes and stadiums in the city, which only confirms this fact. You can often meet cyclists, because it is believed that health is one of the most important values. Languages in Bilbao (as well as throughout the whole region) are both Spanish and Basque. The latter is very interesting because it does not resemble any other Indo-European language. It is a very original language with a very few modern borrowings. These are the people of Bilbao and their language.

Basque Fest opens the season of fun in Bilbao, starting in late March and lasting until early April. The whole Bilbao turns into one big stage, the main venues are Plaza Nueva, Azkuna Zentroa, and Guggenheim Museoa. Visitors are not only given the opportunity to enjoy quality music watching theatrical performances, they can also find some interesting thing at the fair, participate in workshops, and taste local cuisine, including wines. This is one of the best festivals for those who want to get to know the Basque Country and Bilbao in particular.

In mid-July, you can get to the most popular festival in the city, the name of which is BBK Live. The event is dedicated to electronic, pop, and rock music. It is an open-air festival, which is sure to please those who prefer camping and relaxing outdoors to stuffy clubs. The festival headliners are always performers who've made a name for themselves on the world stage. Every year, its organizers try to surprise the visitors, so that none of them will have a chance to get bored. The venue for the musical event is Kobetamendi Park.

Another interesting event in the world of art lasts four months. It's all about Art and Space Festival, which begins in mid-December and ends in mid-April. The venue is the city's most famous museum - Guggenheim Museoa. At this time, there are interesting exhibitions for those passionate about art. Another interesting event for people who are interested in art is Goya and the Court of Enlightenment. The four-day festival starts in mid-February and ends at the end of May. The primary venue for it is Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa.

Loraldia Festival, which takes place at the end of April, is another opportunity to get a bit closer to the culture of the Basque Country through learning some of its facets. The fact is that Loraldia is a kind of culture, to say the least, that originated in Bilbao. All kinds of exhibitions, theater performances, music shows, contests, and literary readings are held as part of the event. The traditional venue for the festival is Euskalduna Jauregia. Throughout the year, Bizkaiko Danzarien Biltzarra offers an interesting cultural program (romerías) for the purpose of popularizing the multifaceted Basque culture.

Visiting Bilbao at the end of March, you can witness Regata Ingenieros-Deusto. The colorful event awaits everyone who wants to see who will be the next winner of the competition - the fact is that two teams compete in the regatta - the first one represent Engineer School, and the second one is from University of Deusto. Nobody forbids voting for the "favorites" - on the contrary, teams need support very much. Bilbao hosts another unique event called Underrun Metro Bilbao. This is truly an interesting experience for athletes running from Moyua to Ansio metro station, which stop operating at this time. In total, participants need to run through 8 stations including the starting and final ones.