The 9 most famous traditions of Granada

The 9 most famous traditions of Granada

Do you want to know what are the most famous traditions in Granada? You're in the right place! In ForGranadaLovers we will tell you everything you need to know about the best traditions of Granada. Let's get to it!

Do you want to know the main festivals and traditions of Granada?

The magical atmosphere of Granada is strongly reflected during the celebrations that throughout the year maintain the roots and traditions deeply rooted in popular culture. There are many festivals in Granada both religious and pagan or cultural; here we will talk about the most important ones.


January - Day of the Taking

January 2nd commemorates the taking of Granada by the Catholic Kings in 1492. Granada was the last Muslim stronghold on the peninsula. On this day official ceremonies take place in the Royal Chapel and in the Town Hall, such as the traditional "tremolación del pendón" (the waving of the flag).

February - San Cecilio

February 1st is the day of the Patron Saint of Granada: San Cecilio.

Although he is the patron saint of the city, this day is not a public holiday, so the festivity is celebrated on the first Sunday of February. On Sundays, thousands of people go up to Sacromonte in pilgrimage to the place where the catacombs of the Patron Saint are located.

Visiting the catacombs and the abbey of Sacromonte is a deeply felt tradition. After the celebration of the official mass, a great popular festival is held throughout the day in which "la Reja" (regional dances) is sung and danced and beans and "salaíllas" are distributed free of charge. This popular pilgrimage has been held in Granada since the beginning of the 17th century.


In ancient times, during the pilgrimage, young women of marriageable age had to touch the white stone if they wanted to get married; touching the black stone meant the opposite.

April - Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Holy Week in Granada is an incredible religious event and is distinguished by the beauty of the processions. It has been declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest.

Brotherhoods from various neighbourhoods silently in tunics and hoods perform in processions through the Zaidin, Realejo, Albayzin neighbourhoods, in the historic centre, with the sole aim of bringing the message of Christ crucified, dead and risen to the spectator.

The streets of the Albayzin, for example, are the ideal setting for the Virgin of the Aurora or the Conception that become almost human as they pass through the neighborhood.

To see the Cristo del Silencio or the Cristo de los Gitanos along the Carrera del Darro under the moonlight and with the Alhambra illuminated behind them is without doubt a very evocative scene.

Also, the Santissimo Cristo de los Favores (in the neighbourhood of the brotherhood of the Realejo) or Santa Maria de la Alhambra are not to be missed processions.

May - Day of the Cross

On the 3rd of May one of the most popular festivities in Andalusia takes place in Granada: the Day of the Cross. On this day the streets, squares and even the shop windows of the city are decorated and filled with marvellous altars in honour of the Holy Cross.

This festival, which annually attracts thousands of visitors from all over Spain, has pagan and Christian origins. It seems that the first celebrations in Granada of the Day of the Cross, as it is known today, date back to the 17th century.


Later, the tradition continued in more typical neighbourhoods, such as the Albayzín and the Realejo, and children began to build small altars decorated with manila shawls, pottery and copper objects.

Today many of these traditions have been preserved, including the placing of a "peral" somewhere on the altar (as the golden apples are called in Granada). It is common to see children and old people dressed in typical flamenco costumes all over the city.

June - Corpus Domini

Corpus Domini is perhaps the biggest festival in Granada. For one week, the festivities fill the city with the Feria de Granada. During the Feria there are flamenco shows, puppet shows in the Plaza Bib-Rambla, processions and much more. Corpus Domini in Granada is usually celebrated in June, although the exact day of the festival depends on the Holy Week. You can find the exact date by counting 60 days from Easter Monday.

Two important processions pass through the streets of Granada during the week of Corpus Domini: the Tarasca procession and the Corpus Domini procession.

The Carocas

A week before, the Carocas are placed around the Plaza Bib Rambla, near the Cathedral, so that the people of Granada can read and comment on them. They are also published in the local press. They are drawings or rather caricatures, highlighting in humorous terms the main local and national events that took place during the year. They are accompanied by allusive verses (quintillas) that are placed below the drawing on large panels. This tradition dates back to the seventeenth century and from the nineteenth century was located in the Plaza Bib-Rambla.


September - Virgen de las Angustias

The month of September in Granada is the month of the Virgen de las Angustias, patron saint of the city. The feast of the Virgen de las Angustias is very popular and arouses great devotion among the people of Granada, during the thirty days of the month all the brotherhoods of Granada go to the basilica to venerate her. It is a festival that normally attracts a large number of visitors from all the cities of the province and in which the popular fervour together with the festive atmosphere paint a unique image of the city. On the day of the procession the centre of Granada is filled with stalls offering a wide variety of autumn fruits and the traditional cake of the Virgin.

Saint Michael's Day

Around the 29th of September several events take place in the Albaicín neighbourhood in honour of the patron saint San Miguel. On these days the traditional pilgrimage to the Cerro dell'Aceituno to the hermitage of San Miguel Alto takes place with horses and decorated carriages. The view of the city from the hermitage is breathtaking.

December - Christmas and New Year

At Christmas, Granada is filled with lights and colours and the city is transformed. During the holidays a multitude of activities, shows and typical festivities are organized: crib competitions, Christmas concerts, Christmas markets with sweets from the convents of Granada, flamenco shows, parties and decorations in different parts of the city.

Christmas and New Year's celebrations are a good time to get to know the party side of the city and take advantage of the opportunities lurking around every corner. It is the best time to enjoy the Sierra Nevada and combine the leisure activities offered by the city with skiing in the ski resort near Granada.


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