Fiestas de la Magdalena in Castellon will continue where Fallas left off. Held from 19 to 27 March, and only an hour away by train, this festival will provide a great opportunity for partygoers to extend their celebration for another week.
Fiestas de la Magdalena in Castellon will continue where Fallas left off. Held from 19 to 27 March, and only an hour away by train, this festival will provide a great opportunity for partygoers to extend their celebration for another week.
Taking place from the 19 to the 27 March, Fiestas de la Magdalena 2022 will fill Castelló de la Plana with the explosive sound of firecrackers, the colour of countless parades and the sparkling lights of gaiatas. Held every year on the third Saturday of Lent, this year’s Festival conveniently starts just after Fallas in Valencia.
The festival commemorates the city’s move from its original location to its present-day setting. Castelló de la Plana formerly perched atop La Magdalena hill where you can still see the remains of Castell Vell. The residents made the decision to move their homes to the coast in search of more fertile plains. Fiestas de la Magdalena makes reference to this historic event throughout the festivities.
The festival begins with an official opening that pays homage to Tombatossals (a giant) and King James I, followed by an incredible parade known as Cabalgata del Pregó. The following days of celebrations are filled with all sorts of events and traditions, including mascletá contests whose firecracker explosions will reverberate through your body, processions of illuminated gaiatas (floats), parades, food competitions and much, much more.
The gaiatas that you can see today symbolise the canes and lanterns that were historically held by the locals as they walked to their new home. Romería de les Canyes is a pilgrimage held on the second day of the festival that traces the route the locals would have walked. Along the way, pilgrims share rollos de pan, symbolising the food that would have been eaten for sustenance.
On the penultimate day of the festivities, flowers are given as an offering to Virgen del Lledó in a solemn and beautiful event. The festival concludes with Campeonato Mundial de Boli, a traditional sport with a long local history, and Magdalena Vítol, an emotional final parade. Fiestas de la Magdalena is an event that will immerse you in age-old traditions that are very much alive – come and live it for yourself.
Fiestas de la Magdalena is one of the most important festivals held in the Province of Castellon. The original move from the Hill of Mary Magdalene to the fertile coastal plain happened in 1251, but the festival commemorating this event started some seven centuries later, in 1945. Held every year on the third Saturday of Lent, the Festival was declared an Event of International Tourist Interest in 2010.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Due to the heavy rains in Castellon and the less-than-optimistic forecast, some parts of the program have been shifted to different dates. If you plan to go, it is best to check the official Fiestas de la Magdalena website for the daily activities on the day you plan to go.
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