Colors of Madrid - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

For local residents social and financial positions play a vital role. Residents of Madrid are very willful. They are distinguished by pride and attention to appearance. Image and reputation – these are the main aspects of the life of local people. However, people here are very negative to any display of self-confidence. It’s not common to flaunt wealth and social superiority among the locals. The townspeople usually greet each other with a firm handshake, and close friends or relatives may accompany the greeting with a hug. It should be noted that using only names to call each other is the prerogative of close friends only. Colleagues and friends call each other by the family name or by title.

Locals have much respect for travelers who try to speak Spanish. Even if it is not very good, such tourist will certainly attract attention and get the necessary help. Emotional expression of there is normal for the citizens of Madrid. Together with friends even men can exchange kisses on a cheek and greet one another with a hug. The Spanish people are friendly to visitors. They love their city and are proud of the fact that it attracts so many travelers.

Christmas holidays are the time for a special celebration for citizens. All celebrations here are always held with a grand scale and attract many tourists. All main activities are organized on Plaza Mayor, where takes place the Christmas fair. During several days the streets of the city are decorated with beautiful illuminations, and the squares of the city become the location of interesting presentations and children's holidays. The celebration ends with the traditional procession of the Magi. A company of people in beautiful vintage costumes runs through the streets of the city and tells people the good news. The people, in their turn, thank ‘the Magi’ with generous gifts. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Madrid is a special city due to its status of the capital, rich history, a large number of unique cultural monuments and sights. Despite all the historic and dramatic background, Madrid remains modern, constantly developing and living an active life. This city is the perfect destination for celebrations and parties. Spaniards are known in the world for their passion, dances, and fiery festivals. If you desire to see one - book the tickets to Madrid on January 17 and enjoy the Las Luminarias Festival. The venue of this festival is the village of San Bartolomé de Pinares, 1, 5 hours drive from Madrid. The traditions of this festival combine the pre-Christian magical beliefs of local peasants and the Catholic mysteries which are prevalent in these lands. The fiery feast begins at 21:00 at the signal of the church bell. The main event precedes the solemn procession along the central streets of San Bartolomé de Pinares, led by an icon of St. Anthony, especially revered here.

Spaniards are in love with various carnivals and one of the biggest passes in February - the Carnival in Madrid. The celebration starts from the calligrapher's call (the role of calligrapher is played by the well-known people in Spain). The main event, of course, is the carnival, where hundreds of people dress various fun costumes of pirates and princesses, kings, and jesters. In the following days, different and fun musical performances, parades, competitions, fireworks, meetings with roving musicians will entertain you and thousands of people around. The variety of entertainments offered, both traditional and new, are simply astonishing. The carnival ends with the so called "Sardines' Funeral". This is the buffoonish tradition, like burning incense during the Shrovetide. "Buried" sardines, overlaid with candles, people sail down the river Manzanares.

During summer, the capital of beautiful Spain serves as the venue for two amazing music festivals. The first one, open-air Noches del Botánico festival, starts in June. Thousands of melomaniacs and just fans fell in love with its live sound, entertainment, and incredible scale: it lasts a month and involves popular musicians from Spain and world celebrities. The program of this event in the open air consists of music from different directions from jazz and soul to rock and ethnics. Concerts of the festival are held outdoors, on the summer stage of the Royal Botanical Gardens Alfonso XIII. The ticket price for the festival is 30-50 Euros. Children under 14 years can only come accompanied by their parents. From the first premiere in 2015, the Universal Music Festival grabbed all the attention and became a real sensation of the cultural calendar of Spain. In the list of his headliners there always appear names that hardly need to be represented. Tickets for a grandiose show in the Spanish capital can be purchased at a price of 15 Euros.