Festivals Beyond Religion
🎭 Secular Celebrations Full of Color
Not all festivals are religious — many are simply about joy, creativity and local pride.
These non-religious fiestas showcase the playful, artistic and sometimes quirky side of Spanish and Latin American culture.
Here are a few popular examples:
-
La Tomatina (Buñol, Spain):
A massive tomato fight held every August — playful, chaotic and over in under an hour, but it draws huge international crowds.
Practise exclamative and interrogative words in our gapfill activity. -
Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (Mendoza, Argentina):
A harvest festival celebrating wine production in the Mendoza region, with parades, performances and local pride.
Discover the origins of wine production through our dictation exercise (only for Premium subscribers). -
Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain):
Gigantic, often satirical sculptures made of wood and papier-mâché are paraded through the streets and then burned in enormous bonfires.
Learn about this tradition in our reading exercise. -
La Guelaguetza (Oaxaca, Mexico):
A vibrant celebration of Indigenous traditions, music, costumes and dances, held every July in Oaxaca.
It brings together communities from across the region to share their culture.
Learn about this amazing festival through our writing exercise (only for Premium subscribers). -
Feria de Abril (Seville, Spain):
A week-long spring fair with flamenco dancing, horse parades, traditional dress and festive tents filled with food and music.
Test your knowledge of prepositions with our gapfill activity.
🌍 Why Secular Festivals Matter
Secular festivals often highlight the creativity and identity of a community. They bring people together across generations, offering a chance to celebrate culture, pride and shared joy, without necessarily being linked to religion.
Whether it’s throwing tomatoes in Buñol or dancing at La Guelagetza in Oaxaca, these events show the energy and spirit of Spanish-speaking cultures worldwide.
Interested in religious traditions? Learn how communities celebrate their patron saints in our related article: Patron Saint Festivals.
Author info
Silvia is a multilingual educator with expertise in English, French, and Spanish, and a passion for helping students excel in language learning. After gaining extensive international teaching experience in the UK and other countries, Silvia returned to her hometown of Vitoria in 2019. Since then, she has been sharing her knowledge and love for languages with learners of all levels. With over a decade of experience, Silvia’s creative and dynamic teaching methods make language acquisition both fun and accessible.