Celebrations in Seville

July

In July you find the most important events in honor of the Virgin of Carmen.

The popular “Velá de santiago y la Seña Santa Ana” on the 25th and 26th of July is the most important Fiesta of Triana which goes back to the XIIIth century.

The “Vela” begins with a public announcement in the old Hotel Triana, the inner patio well decorated for the occasion. Stalls are set up on Betis Street, similar to the ones built for the Feria. The entrance is free. One can taste grilled sardines, and fried fish. There are various kinds of activities and performances in the Altozano. Sevillian dances, lots of singing, even a fishing competition.

By its proximity to the river, there is a competition called “la Cucaña” where contestants hace to climb a greased pole attached to a boat that is tied up close to the river bank; they have to grab a little flag tied to the top of the pole, and often the result is to fall into the river.

Sunday is the last day of this “Vela”, and a castle of fireworks at midnight signals the end of the fiesta.

August

The month of august is prolific in festivities.

• Rain of Stars
  On the 9th and 10th, the day of San Lorenzo, it is habitual to see at night in parks and open spaces with little lighting the famous rain of stars, or shooting stars.
  The 14th is the last day of the Novena, when the “seises” dance. It is the eve of the procession of the Virgin of the kings. It usually takes place in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral. Beneath the Virgin there is a silver urn with inscriptions in old castillian and hebrew that contains the incorrupt body of Saint Fernando. Legend says that before the conquest of the city the Monarch had a dream and ordered the creation of a carved wooden sculpture, describing the size and features of the image. The first sculpture was rejected and the second attempt was accepted and would afterwards be known as the Virgin of the Kings and baptized as such. This virgin is the first image crowned canonically in Andalucía in 1904, proclaimed by Pio XII as the patroness of Seville and its Archdiocese in 1946.
  

• The day of the Virgin of the Kings

  It is usual for numerous people to return this day or the morning of the 15th to see the procession of thePatroness of Seville, as she takes a very short route around the Cathedral quite early in the morning.

  This image is a seated wooden sculpture with articulated limbs by an anonymous artist. The child Jesus is resting on her knees. The Virgin is dressed by the sisters of the cross who change her clothes and her cloak every five years. She comes out of the church accompanied by religious and civil representatives of the city along with the various images, like Santa Justa and Rufina, co-patronesses of Seville, etc. Once she is returned to the Cathedral the Pontifical Mass begins.

  
  

September

• San Miguel
  The Fair of San Miguel is on the last weekend of the month, an old cattle fair where stalls like the ones in the April Fair are set up. Cattle runs and meetings between cattle ranchers take place. Various horse breeders, mare herds, etc. are exhibited. There are taming contests, harassment trials, demolition competitions.