In England, there’s a joke that's so old, it has whiskers on, and it goes like this:
Q: When is Mother’s Day?
A: 9 months after Father’s Day!
The dates may different in Spain, but the same joke could be applied - if you were that desperate to raise a laugh. Father’s Day, or El Dia del Padre, is celebrated on 19 March, while Mother’s Day - El Dia de la Madre - is 8 December. As in many instances in Spain, these fiestas have religious as well as social connections.
Father’s Day in Spain is also the feast of St. Joseph. Of course, as Jesus’ father, Joseph is the most important father in history. Mother’s Day in Spain is not a moveable feast as it is in England. It's celebrated on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which Catholics believe is the date that Mary, mother of Jesus, was conceived. Both days are public holidays in Spain, although some regions may choose to take the 'red day' on a local saint's feast day instead of St Joseph’s Day.
In the week or so leading up to El Dia del Padre, children in Spanish schools will be busy making cards and gifts for their fathers. Grown up children living and working away from home will do their best to return home for the day. In Spain, the family is paramount - particularly at fiesta time.
In Valencia, 19 March sees the culmination of Las Fallas - a 4 day fiesta of fireworks, music and effigies which culminates in an enormous bonfire on March 19. The festival has its roots in the days when the carpenters of Valencia used to burn old wood and the wooden utensils they'd used throughout the winter to St Joseph, who of course was a carpenter as well as Jesus’ father.
Today, the whole emphasis is on fun, and Las Fallas is well worth a visit if you’re in Valencia in the middle of March. Be warned - it's going to be very loud! Spain is always noisy, but the level of decibels at Las Fallas is just short of a sonic boom!
