What events happen during San Fermin?

What is the San Fermin Festival?

What events happen during San Fermin? San Fermin Festival is one of the famous festivals of Europe. This is an annual festival observes in Pamplona, Navarre, in northern Spain of Southwestern Europe. The San Fermin Festival celebration usually starts on July 6 and continues till July 14. San Fermin is a unique event that conveys Pamplona’s glory, culture, and heritage in front of the world. This festival involves procession, bullfighting, running of the bulls etc. 

Brief History behind the San Fermin Festival

San Fermin Festival is a religious and cultural festival. This festival celebrates in honour and remembrance of San Fermin. According to history, in the 3rd century, Saint Honest us converted Fermin to Christianity. Fermin was ordained as a priest in Toulouse; and later he came to Pamplona and was ordained as the first bishop of Pamplona. Later, during the preaching of Christianity, Fermin was murdered in Amiens, France.

It believes that the death of San Fermin occurred on September 25, 303 AD. In the Catholic churches, San Fermin was honoured as a Martyr. From the religious perspective, the San Fermin festival commemorates the martyrdom of bishop San Fermin. 

San Fermin Festival Celebration

What events happen during San Fermin? The people of Pamplona celebrate the San Fermin festival with some special events. This religious festival involves San Fermin’s big procession, fireworks, bullfighting, running of the bulls, giants and big-heads parades, traditional sports etc.

The San Fermin festival inaugurates with a firework named Chupinazo. Chupinazo is launched on July 6 at midnight from the balcony of City Hall. Thousands of people gather in City Hall square and other places in Pamplona to watch this sight and celebrate.

The principal day

The principal day of the San Fermin festival is July 7. On that day, a large procession is taken out with a 15th-century statue of Sun Fermin. Thousands of people participate in that procession. With dancing and singing carry the parade through the old part of Pamplona. During the march, an ancient traditional dance named Jota performs in honour of St. Fermin. Procession with San Fermin status is very significant from the religious point of view.

Bullfighting

Bullfighting is an interesting and cruel event at the Sun Fermin festival. A bullfight organizes every afternoon of this week-wide festival. Several bulls kills in the bullfighting during this event or festival. Thousands of Civilians gather to see this unique bullfighting, which makes it difficult to get a ticket. 

The nasty side of bullfighting is after the bullfighting. Civilians do this because so, that after fighting, the bulls pose a threat to the matadors. The matadors stand in bulls’ horns to engage the bulls in bullfighting, and they strike the bulls heavily. Apart from this, bulls can also be dangerous for the public. Many bulls kills by the civilians after bullfighting for public safety, and people eat a specific food prepared from the killed bulls.

Giants and big-heads parades

Giants and big-heads parades done every morning during the San Fermin festival. The performers parade through the streets of the city wearing giant costumes. The big heads put on over the giants’ costumes that cover the face and torso of the parade performers. The height of the big costumes is up to thirteen feet tall. 

Some rural and traditional sports competitions organizes every morning during the Sun Fermin festival. These sports include stone picking, hay bale lifting, and woodcutting. The villagers enjoy this game a lot.

Specific foods are eaten at the San Fermin festival

Eating and drinking is an essential part of every celebration. There are some specific foods for every festival, without which the celebration remains incomplete. At the San Fermin festival, people also enjoy some specific foods with their family and friends. 

The special foods prepared and eaten at the Sun Fermin celebration include Ajoarriero, bull stew, Chistorra garlic sausage, asparagus, fresh white beans, etc. A traditional bull stew is made with bull’s tail, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, saffron, bell peppers, and red wine.

Conclusion

The San Fermin festival is very significant from the historical, religious and cultural point of view. It conveys the contribution of San Fermín to the propagation of Christianity in Spain. Today’s modern San Fermin festival has changed a lot compared to earlier celebrations. It has now turned into a prominent cultural festival.