Festivals
ARRAIA-MAEZTU
ARRAIA-MAEZTU
- ALETXA 26/12, to honour San Esteban (Saint Stephen)
- APELLANIZ 15/04, to honour Sto. Toribio (Saint Turibius)
- ARENAZA 28/08 to honour San Agustín (Saint Augustine)
- ATAURI 25/07, to honour Santiago Apóstol (James the Apostle)
- AZAZETA 25/07, to honour Santiago Apóstol (James the Apostle)
- CICUJANO 29/08, to honour San Juan Degollado
- KORRES 14/09, to honour Santa Cruz
- IBISATE 26/12, to honour San Esteban (Saint Stephen)
- LEORZA 16/09, to honour Santa Eufemia
- MAEZTU 16/06, to honour San Adrián (Saint Adrian)
- MUSITU 11/11, to honour San Martín (Saint Martin)
- ONRAITA 24/06, to honour San Juan (Saint John)
- ROITEGUI 29/06, to honour San Pedro (Saint Peter)
- SABANDO 19/06, to honour San Gervás
- VIRGALA MAYOR 6/02, to honour the Virgen del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary)
For climatic reasons, these festivities have been moved to the third weekend in August - VIRGALA MENOR 16/06, to honour San Adrián (Saint Adrian)
BERNEDO
BERNEDO
- ANGOSTINA 24/12, to honour San Bartolomé (Saint Bartholomew)
- ARLUZEA 24/06, to honour San Juan (Saint John)
- BERNEDO 8/09, to honour Santa María
- MARKINEZ To honour the Ascension. June
- NAVARRETE 24/06, to honour San Juan (Saint John)
- OKINA 10/07, to honour San Cristóbal (Saint Christopher)
- QUINTANA 8/07, to honour San Andrés (Saint Andrew)
- SAN ROMAN DE CAMPEZO 29/09, to honour San Miguel (Saint Michael)
- URARTE 15/08, to honour the Virgen de la Asunción (Virgin of the Assumption)
- URTURI 22/07, to honour the Virgen de la Magdalena
- VILLAFRIA 16/09, to honour Santa Eufemia
CAMPEZO
CAMPEZO
- ANTOÑANA End of September, to honour the Virgen del Campo (Our Lady of the Fields)
- BUJANDA 14/10, to honour San Fausto
- ORBISO 30/11, to honour San Andrés (Saint Andrew)
For climatic reasons, these festivities are moved to the first weekend in May - OTEO 17/08, to honour San Mamés
- SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO First Sunday in September, to honour Ntra. Sra. de Ibernalo (Our Lady of Ibernalo)
LAGRÁN
LAGRÁN
- LAGRÁN 24/08, to honour San Bartolomé (Saint Bartholomew)
- PIPAON 14/09, to honour the Cross
- VILLAVERDE 14/09, to honour the Cross
PEÑACERRADA/URIZAHARRA
PEÑACERRADA/URIZAHARRA
- BAROJA 24/08, to honour San Bartolomé (Saint Bartholomew)
- FAIDO 8/09, to honour Santa María
- LOZA 26/12, to honour San Esteban (Saint Stephen)
- MONTORIA 29/09, to honour San Miguel (Saint Michael)
- PAYUETA 15/08, to honour the Assumption and San Roque
- PEÑACERRADA 6/10, to honour Ntra. Sra. del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary).
For climatic reasons, these festivities are moved to the last Sunday in August
VALLE DE ARANA
VALLE DE ARANA
- ALDA 29/06, to honour San Pedro (Saint Peter)
- CONTRASTA 15/08, to honour the Virgen de la Asunción (Virgin of the Assumption)
- SAN VICENTE DE ARANA 31/08, to honour San Emeterio and San Celedonio
- ULLIBARRI-ARANA 24/06, to honour San Juan (Saint John)
This municipality also celebrates joint festivals, where events are celebrated in different towns, the second weekend of July features the well-known festivals of the VALLE DE ARANA
Fairs
SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
- FERIA DE SAN MARTIN
- This fair takes place on the second Sunday in November.
- It’s the most important agricultural-livestock fair in the region.
- Visitors are sure to have a great time at this fair with its livestock show, craft show where they can stroll through the stalls of typical products of the area (Pinto Beans from Álava, Honey, Cakes, etc.).
- At noon, the culinary competition takes place to round off the afternoon, with a rural sports show and even some ball games.
ANTOÑANA
ANTOÑANA
- FERIA DE LA MIEL (HONEY FAIR)
- This fair takes place in the month of May.
- Highlights are the culinary competition for desserts made with honey and the honey contest. Remember that the honey from this area has a recognised quality label.
Cultural and religious events
MAEZTU/MAESTU
MAEZTU/MAESTU
- FIESTA DE LA CRUZ DEL PAÑUELO
- This festival takes place on the first weekend in May.
- It’s a festival that is extremely well rooted and preserved with great enthusiasm.
- It consists of a pilgrimage to a cross located on the outskirts of the town. There, that year’s marriageable women will have embroidered a handkerchief with the symbols of the passion and the oldest person present will place it on the Cross.
SAN VICENTE DE ARANA
SAN VICENTE DE ARANA
- FIESTA DEL MAYO (MAY FESTIVAL)
- This festival takes place on the 3rd of May.
- It’s a ritual of pagan origin adopted by Christianity which uses powers to warn off inclement weather.
- It consists in lifting and placing the largest and straightest beech tree in the forest at one edge of the town. A series of symbols are placed on the trunk of the beech tree: Maundy Thursday corporal, a wax cross, a white handkerchief, two wooden swords in the shape of a cross and a weather vane. After blessing the tree and kissing the wax cross, the neighbours lift it up and dance around it.
This tree remains standing until the 14th of September, the day of the Feast of the Cross, when it is felled in the middle of a party.
PIPAÓN
PIPAÓN
- ETHNOGRAPHIC DAY
- This day is held on the last Saturday in August.
- It consists in the recovery and maintenance of our ancestors’ traditions.
- During the day, ancient crafts or tasks are remembered, such as washing clothes with ash, collecting cereal and threshing, making charcoal, etc.
LAGRÁN
LAGRÁN
- GOOD FRIDAY PROCESSION
- At dusk, the Passion of the Cross is reenacted, in which the whole town takes part, some of them representing the Maries, another Jesus, and the others Roman soldiers.
MARKINEZ
MARKINEZ
- CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
- This festival, also known as the Procession of the Crossbowmen, consists in some of the town’s members dressing as crossbowmen and subsequently forming a procession through the town.
ORBISO
ORBISO
- PROCESSION OF SILENCE
- This procession takes place on Good Friday, at dusk.
- It’s one of the most serious and profound expressions of popular religiosity in the area of Montaña Alavesa. The procession reenacts the Passion of Christ and makes its way through the whole town, starting and ending at the church.
On its way, people accompany it in silence and sing the Miserere.
SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
- ROMERIA TO IBERNALO
- Taking place on the first Sunday in September, this pilgrimage coincides with the town’s patron saint festivals.
- It begins with a mass on the esplanade of the hermitage. This is followed by a floral offering and a procession around the hermitage.
- On the second Sunday in September, people return to the hermitage to celebrate the day of the Brotherhood of Ibernalo, starting with a mass and ending with a group meal.
BERNEDO
BERNEDO
- ROMERIA TO OKON
- This pilgrimage is held on the first Saturday in September or the last Saturday in August.
- It is attended by the towns of Meano, Lapoblación, Angostina, Bernedo, Navarrete, Marquínez, Quintana, San Roman de Campezo, Urturi, Villafría, Villaverde, Lagrán and Pipaón.
- ROMERIA TO SAN TIRSO
- This event is held on Whit Monday.
- It is attended by all of the towns in the Municipality of Bernedo.
BUJANDA
BUJANDA
- ROMERIA TO SAN FAUSTO LABRADOR
- This pilgrimage takes place on the 14th of October.
- It begins with a mass where an image of the Saint is celebrated with a procession around the Church, the day then continues with various activities and dances.
VALLE DE ARANA
VALLE DE ARANA
- ROMERIA TO SANTA TEODOSIA
- This pilgrimage takes place twice a year, on Whitsunday and on the third Sunday in September.
- It has a long tradition and all of the towns in the area attend.
ALDA, LAGRÁN, ORBISO, PIPAÓN, SAN ROMÁN DE CAMPEZO AND SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
ALDA, LAGRÁN, ORBISO, PIPAÓN, SAN ROMÁN DE CAMPEZO AND SANTA CRUZ DE CAMPEZO
- AURORAS
- At the beginning of the day, the auroros awaken the towns singing special songs.
- Those best maintained are the ones for New Year (January 1st), The Three Kings (January 6th), San Isidro (May 15th), La Virgen de la Inmaculada (December 8th), Christmas (December 24th) and those for the local holidays in each town.
