Some of the holiday in Úbeda and Baeza have been declared of Tourist Interest as the Holy Week and, because of that, it is important to you to know when they take place to not losing anyone.  Moreover, knowing which days are holiday, non working days, will allow you plan better your visits.

You have to take into account that the majority of holiday are religious holiday because of the Spanish tradition.

Holiday

· New Year, 1 January:

The night of 31 December (New Year’s Eve) families dinner together and they say goodbye to the year eating twelve grapes as a sign of good luck.  This night, as much young as older people usually go out until the small hours and go to a cotillón, an organized New Year’s Eve party. The 1 January, they use to breakfast churros with chocolate.

· The Wise Men (Epiphany), 6 January:

It is the most expected holiday by children because the Three Wise Men bring them gifts. Those who have behaved better during the entire year will receive more gifts. During the afternoon of day 5, in Úbeda and in Baeza, there is a procession where the Three Wise Men go with children dressed up as pageboys or any others and throw candies. This day, children have to go to sleep early because, if they do not do it, the Wise Men would not leave their gifts. The Three Wise Men also bring gifts to the adults.

During these days, a Roscón de Reyes is eaten, an oval sweet bread roll adorned by slices of candied fruit or almonds, stuffed with different flavours: milk cream, cream or chocolate. They put inside it some little figures. As is the tradition, the person who finds the bean should be the responsible for paying the cake and the one who finds the king should wear the crown that the cake has.

· Carnival, end of January and Ferbruary (variable date): 

It takes place just before the Christian Lent and it is a holiday where people use to get dressed up and go out to have fun. This is a really funny holiday because, in Úbeda and in Baeza, different events take place as parades, fancy dresses competitions, comparsas and chirigotas shows (traditional Spanish music groups for carnival) , etc.

-The day of Andalusia, 28 February:

The Referendum of 1980 is commemorated, when Andalusia became an Autonomous Community. Different acts are celebrated on the different cities of Andalusia. For example, on Úbeda and Baeza schools, some activities are programmed as singing the hymn of Andalusia, a breakfast with bread, oil and tomato, dance competitions, etc.

– Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday(variable date): 

(Holy Thursday and Friday are holiday, but they should be normal days). This holiday remembers the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the Bible. You should enjoy this holiday because it is really curious, most of all, if you have ever seen it before. Images that represent passages of the Gospel, which are placed upon a float, go on a parade through the streets. On the processional parade, people dress with tunics and masks and they usually have trumpets and drums bands.

-The day of Work, 1 May:

The worker is honoured. Its origins come from the world labour movement and on this day, usually there are, on the main Spanish cities, some demonstrations in which the workers’ rights are defended.

– Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Úbeda), 1 May:

There is a deeply-rooted celebration in Úbeda. It consists of moving the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patron Saint of Úbeda, from its Sanctuary of Gavellar, placed on La Carolina road, to the city.  A couple of days before its departure, the Virgin is taken to the small town of Santa Eulalia. There, the different brotherhoods or neighbors’ associations assemble bars and serve drinks and food. Also, many families and friends meet the 1 of May and have lunch on the surroundings of the small town. If you want to go to Santa Eulalia this day, there are a few bus services.

In the afternoon, a parade of tractors, girls dressed as pilgrims and many people accompany the Virgin of Guadalupe to Úbeda. From May to September it stays on theCollegiate Church of Saint Mary of the Royal Fortresses.

· Crosses of May, first weekend of May:

Festivity which pay tribute to the arrival of the spring. Even if Úbeda and Baeza do not have a big tradition as Granada or Córdoba, the last few years this festivity has gained strength owing to the large number of neighbors’ associations that prepare bars where they serve typical food and drink. Moreover, visiting some of them will worth it because each association has a different cross.

· Corpus Christi, in June:

On the processional parade of the Holy Host, which takes place in Úbeda and in Baeza, Monstrances from the XVII and XVII centuries are carried respectively, and they stand out due to their solemnity and ornamentation. The streets of both cities are covered by sunshades and they are decorated with altars, wattles and rushes, and coloured carpets. In this procession, children dressed with the communion suit and members of the different brotherhoods participate.

 

· Feria of Baeza, from 11 to 15 Agust:

The Feria (festival) of Baeza is a compulsory visit within the festivities calendar because, apart from the traditional festival stalls where they can taste the typical products of the area and the fairground rides, other activities as concerts, competitions, plays of theatre, bullfights, horses’ exhibitions, etc. are planned each year. The most outstanding thing of the Feria of Baeza is the two locations it has, one during the morning, on the Walk of the Constitution, and the night one, the Fairground in a park at the exit of Baeza going to the Jaén’s direction.

· Assumption of the Virgin, 15 August:

This day remembers the day when the body and the soul of the Virgin Maria went up to heaven after finishing their days on earth. In Baeza, this festivity coincides with the celebration of its patron saint, the Virgin of the Alcázar.

· Virgin of the Alcázar (Patron saint of Baeza), 15 Agust:

The Virgin of the Alcázar, this one that is worshipped by the people of Baeza since 1147, goes out in a procession through the main streets of Baeza from the Parish of Saint Andrew. It is carried out on the shoulders of the Royal Body of the Gentlemen “Horquilleros”. The image of the Virgin has a Gothic style and she carries the Child Jesus.

You cannot lose the previous days to its festivity because some Novenas and, the night between the 14 and 15 August, different chorus, associations, soloists and rondallas (bands of street musicians) give a serenade to the Virgin.

· Romería de la Yedra (Baeza), first Sunday of Septembre:

The pilgrimage (Romería) of the Yedra, in honour of the Holy Crist of the Yedra and Our Lady of the Rosel, has a big popular influence in Baeza. The origin of this worship goes back to Arab times. This festivity consists in, at the very fists hour of the afternoon, a long procession formed by carts, horses, pilgrims and walkers go with the Virgin to its shrine placed in La Yedra. After the parade there is an open-air dance and contests, but also festivities related to the horse world.

· Virgin of Guadalupe patron saint of Úbeda, 8 September:

This day, the Virgin of Guadalupe goes out on a processional parade from the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary of the Royal Fortressesand it passes through the main streets of the city. The following weekend, the Virgin is moved early in the morning to its Sanctuary, stopping in the small town of Santa Eulalia. Before leaving to Úbeda, the Virgin receives a touching farewell speech. To go to the Sanctuary, there are a few bus services.

We recommend that you see the Virgin going down from the little town of Santa Eulalia until its Sancturay since it covers a ground path surrounded by a leafy landscape of trees.

· Feria de Úbeda, from 28 to 4 October:

As it happens in the Feria of Baeza, this one of Úbeda is the date you cannot miss. It is comparable with the one in Jaén due to the number of stalls and attractions; the Feria of Úbeda is one festivity which attracts many people from the whole province. The big number of stalls can be pointed out, belonging to different associations and brotherhoods that offer typical products of the locality and different music atmospheres: from the most classical to the most modern styles.

During these days concerts, sports contests, theatres, exhibitions and more activities are programmed. The Recinto Ferial, where the Feria is located, is placed on the surroundings of Úbeda, concretely in the main road which goes to Baeza. Due to the distance, there is a bus and a tourist train or “little train” that go from the city centre and end at the Recinto Ferial.

· Saint Michael patron saint of Úbeda, 29 September:

During the morning of the day 29th, the patron saint of Úbeda, Saint Michael, goes out on a processional parade through the main streets of the city. Previously, a mass is celebrated in his honour in the church which shares his name.

· Columbus Day, 12 Octuber:

Columbus Day or National Holiday of Spain which commemorates the Discovery of America by Cristóbal Colón and the Catholic Kings after the signing of the Saint Faith Pact. In this day, a military parade is celebrated in Madrid to which the King and the Royal Family attends with the most important representative of all the State powers.

· All Saints’ Day, 1 November:

In the All Saints’ Day all the deceased people are remembered and, due to that, the cemeteries are visited and their families carry them flowers. Also, in both Úbeda and Baeza, typical sweets are eaten as gachas, buñuelos, huesos de santo, etc. 

· Saint Andrew (Patron Saint of Baeza), 30 November:

The festivity of Saint Andrew celebrates the conquest of Baeza which took place the saint’s day. The inhabitants of Baeza worship the saint making bonfires at the entrance of the church with the same saint’s name.

· Spanish Constitution Day, 6 December:

The Referendum of 1978 is commemorated with a celebration, the day when the Spanish people approved by a large majority the current Magna Carta or Constitution. There are homage acts in different places.

· Immaculate Conception, 8 December:

National festivity where the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is commemorated.

· Christmas, 25 December:

This is a festivity full of joy and fun because the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. The night of 24 December (New Year’s Eve) families meet together and take typical Christmas products as turkey, lamb, polvorones, turrones, mantecados, etc.

Other events of interest (labour days)

· Saint Antón bonfires (Patron Saint of the Livestock), in January:

In different places of Úbeda and Baeza, olive tree branches are burned. Around the bonfires, it is tradition to eat typical products of the area as the ochios con morcilla (blood sausage) or flour fritter eaten with chocolate (churros con chocolate).

· Saint Isidro, patron saint of the farmers, 15 May:

This is a curious festivity because the Saint goes out through the streets with a tractors’ parade. At night, in both cities an open-air dance is celebrated in the almazaras (olive oil factories).

· Saint Christopher (Baeza), 10 July:

The religious acts consist in the Saint parade. During the afternoon a lorry contest is celebrated.

· Saint John of Ávila (Baeza), 7 October:

Saint John of Ávila is the patron saint of the secular clergy in Spain. Due to that, in his saint’s day a mass in his honour is celebrated in the Cathedral of Baeza, where many members of the Church attempt to.