Madrid, Madrid, Madrid

Star Wars - The Exhibition

Until Sunday, 15th March, 2009

At 'Star Wars: The Exhibition', in the Arte Canal Exhibition Centre in Madrid's Plaza Castilla, visitors can view 245 original pieces taken from George Lucas's own private collection. Different exhibition zones walk you through the worlds of Tatooine, Naboo, Endor, Hoth, Coruscant, Kamino, Geonosis, Kashyyyk, Utapau and Mustafar, and there are light sabre classes where budding young Jedi knights can learn to harness the power of The Force.   Enquire

Constitution Day

Saturday, 6th December, 2008

Constitution Day celebrates the date of the 1978 referendum which moved Spain to full democracy.

Imaculada Concepción

Monday, 8th December, 2008

The patron saint of Spain, the Immaculate Conception, is celebrated in this national holiday.

Christmas day

Thursday, 25th December, 2008

National holiday across Spain - but don't forget that the celebrations continue until January 6th. In some countries, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve, or on Christmas Day, but in Spain, the gifts are kept back for the more logical date of the 6th of January, when gifts were given to the holy child. Boxing Day is not celebrated in Spain.

Dia de Los Inocentes

Sunday, 28th December, 2008

This day remembers the day that the young children were murdered in Bethlehem in an attempt to catch the Christ child. It may seem a little bizarre celebrating this event in such a way, but on this day, jokes are played on the "innocents" - the same things that happens on April 1st in so many countries. And it's also an excuse (!) for more ferias.

New Years Day

Thursday, 1st January, 2009

The first day of the year is a national holiday - "start as you mean to go on!"

Three Kings Procession

Monday, 5th January, 2009

Every village and every city in Spain celebrates the Three Kings (or the Three Wise Men, as they are sometimes known in the UK). In the evening, a procession goes through the village or city. Gifts, in the form of boiled sweets, are thrown to the crowds, and children young and old scrabble about for the gift. A special cake is also eaten, and if you find the figurine or coin contained in the cake - then, depending on the family tradition, either you pay for the cake, or you can expect good luck in the coming year. The cakes are taken by every family, almost without exception.

Events after Saturday, 17th January, 2009 will appear in due course