Fun and festivities in Cuba - celebrations, festivals and cultural events

It doesn’t matter what time of the year you choose to visit Cuba, you will certainly come in time for some holiday or celebration. Indeed, there are many festive events on the island of freedom. We can conventionally divide them into cultural, religious, and revolutionary. As a rule, tourists are not much interested in the latter type of celebrations. Hotels do not promote revolutionary holidays because such days as the National Revolution Day or the Independence Day are not meaningful for foreign guests.

For Cubans, these are certainly important days, and so they organize parades and other festive events to celebrate these national holidays. In the past, Fidel Castro was holding a long speech on the national holidays. He could passionately talk several hours without a pause. Tourists shouldn’t expect any funny or light-hearted amusements on such days. Some patriotic holidays can coincide with other important dates. In this case, you might see some exciting festivities and feel the atmosphere of a holiday.

Cubans enjoy dancing and singing, so they organize many different events, during which they can show off their talents. There are events dedicated to different themes, including ballet, rumba, Latin American cinema, modern music, Caribbean culture, etc. Some events are annual, and some are biannual. The Havana festivals of Jazz (February) and Guitar (May) music take place in the country every two years. These events always attract both new talents and famous musicians. Caribbean music reigns in Varadero, the most famous resort in Cuba, every November. In December, Santiago de Cuba welcomes the International Choir Festival. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Cuban cigars are internationally famous. In Cuba, on the motherland of these premium cigars, tourists can learn a lot of interesting information about various tobacco brands, familiarize themselves with the technology of cigar making, see how the culture of cigar smoking has evolved over the century, and even sample fine cigars. Guests can enjoy all these and even more at the festival of Cuban cigars that takes place in the country in February. The fishing festival brings together all fans of this activity at the end of May. This festival took place in Cuba for the first time in 1950. Ernest Hemingway participated in that fishing competition, and so it was decided to call the festival after him. Everyone can participate in this contest but the license costs 450 dollars. Only big fish (marlin, tuna) counts. The competition’s rules oblige fishermen to set free the fish once it is measured.

The oldest carnival in Cuba takes place in Santiago de Cuba at the end of July (21st to 29th). In the past, this carnival was referred to as mamarrachos. The age of this grandiose event is several centuries. The first written mentions date back to 1757, but local people believe that the festival is much older. At least, there were mentions of festivals in Cuba yet at the end of the 17th century (1679). The city of Santiago de Cuba was established in 1514. Carnival is the time of colorful outfits and masks, passionate dancing, theatrical performances, shows of standup comics – in short, you will never feel bored.

The carnival week coincides with a patriotic holiday – the National Rebellion Day (July 25-27). This fact makes participants and guests of the carnival even happier and more energetic. Popular Latin American dances such as salsa, rumba, and congo seem to never stop. Fast drum rhythms are unstoppable. It feels like the entire city is dancing. The colors change so fast that people cannot accommodate their eyes to this speed. The smell of national delicacies lingers in the air. The carnival in Santiago de Cuba is the most picturesque and famous in Cuba. There is even a museum dedicated to the carnival in the city.

The carnival in Havana lasts one month in the midst of summer. The celebration starts on July 15 and ends on August 15. All festive events usually take place on weekends. The carnival fever spreads in the capital, but all major gatherings always locate in Malecon roadway. This is a so-called center of attraction in Cuba’s capital. Different parades and processions, concerts, and dancing marathons take place here. Everyone is dancing and singing. The Malecon waterfront is several centuries younger than the historic center of Havana – it was built only 120 years ago. Maybe, this is the reason why this place is always so crowded. However, there is a more realistic explanation – Malecon is a picturesque seven-kilometer-long roadway with scenic views of the sea and numerous cafes and museums, fresh breeze, and street musicians. It is always exciting to visit this part of Havana.

On March 1, the island celebrates a holiday dedicated to a popular tropical fruit. As this is the grapefruit harvesting season, there is a festival dedicated to it. Various entertaining events take place every day for one week. Visitors can have fun and eat many fresh and ripe grapefruits. This fruit is not only eaten raw – local chefs use the grapefruit in salads, juices, sauces, pastries, and even as a garnish to meat. The leisure and steady atmosphere, which is typical for many islands of the Caribbean, is not common in Cuba. Local people are energetic and communicative, they like to have fun. Cubans are friendly and hospitable. They love music and can start dancing and singing at any place regardless of their age and gender. If you dance as passionately and sincerely as local people do, you will become cordially welcome and can make new friends.