One of the most important festivals in Spain has just started: Viva San Fermín!

Provincia de Pamplona via Wikipedia

Hi everyone! Today we are talking about sanfermines. The sanfermines are the festivals celebrated in Navarre in honor of San Fermín, the patron saint of this province. They are famous for its “encierros” in Pamplona (the capital). 

The “encierros” are races where bulls run down the streets of the historic town centre and end up in the bullring. Apart from being entertaining, this is extremely dangerous because many of those who decide to run and lead the bulls to their destination are injured every year. In the bullring,  “encierros” participants have the opportunity to stay to "torear" some young bulls. The “encierros” are held from the 7th to the 14th of July at 8:00 am. On the day 6, the festivities begin with the “chupinazo”, a rocket that is launched every year in the Town Hall of Pamplona at midday.

Encierros en Pamplona via Blog ServiaPuestas

Pamplonicos con el traje típico via estella.com.es

The typical attire in sanfermines is a white t-shirt and trousers; a red sash; and finally you cannot forget the red scarf. This is usually carried in the pocket until the launch of the “chupinazo” and from that moment, the scarf becomes an essential element until the end of the festival. It is also advisable to wear comfortable shoes and a jacket because despite being summer, nights are cold in Pamplona (of course, all has to be red and white, colours so characteristic of this festival).

Finally, it is important to mention the "juergas" where people drink and dance in every corner of the town. No doubt this is another reason why these festivals are so well known around the world.

Do you guys have ever been to the sanfermines? 

Tell us your experiences in the comments :)