Nine days of celebration in honor of San Fermin
Map of Spain found at http://atlas.freegk.com/world/europe/spain/spain.jpg
Abstract
The fiesta of San Fermin, held in Pamplona , Spain , is a celebration of religion and culture. Many look at this event as a time to socialize and relax, but others take it as a serious religious experience. This celebration includes bullfights, trade fairs, and running with bulls held every day for nine days in the month of July. This celebration has been held every year since 1951 and is a great economic draw for the city.
Running
of the bulls. Found at thegreenman.net.au/_mt/archives/cat_culture.html
The
parade in honor of San Fermin. Found at http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/pamplonaweb/PGalleryindex3.htm
Introduction
The fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona , Spain , is really three events comprising one nine-day celebration. It started out as honoring Saint Fermin on October 10 th, but it moved to July for better weather. The celebration includes bullfights, trade fairs, and the running with bulls. This fiesta gives the country of Spain a time to celebrate in honor of San Fermin, the tortured saint. Many view this event as being very religious, but most look at it as a time to relax and have a good time. Socially it is a time to get together, share stories, laugh, and possibly try ones luck and run with the bulls. The fiesta of San Fermin is important to local culture, economy, and religion, it is a right of intensification and thus reinforces local religion and in this case, the economy and culture as well.
Context of Spain
Spain is located on the southwest peninsula of Europe, or the Iberian Peninsula, in between France and Portugal . Pamplona , the region of focus, is located in the northeast part of the country. The climate is Temperate, hot summer and cold winters. 50% of the country is elevated by one of the five mountain ranges.
The country of Spain started as a community of farming and agriculture. The country is thought to be founded by Iberians followed closely by the Celtics. There was once Roman rule in Spain and today you can still see their influence in the Spanish language. Also Catholicism is very predominant in Spain .
In the first picture one has a bull from the famous running of the bulls. This picture shows how dangerous this run actually is. The reason for the running was originally to lead the bulls to the area for the fights. It has been said that the bulls aren't the leading killer at the running it is said to be the crowds of running people. The second picture is the parade in honor of San Fermin in which people dance, celebrate, and pay homage to San Fermin.
Origins of the fiesta of San Fermin
The festival started out in the middle ages when the people of Pamplona would have a celebration in the name of Saint Fermin. When they decided to move the celebration from October to July the running of the bulls became a main part of the festival. The running of the bulls, began in 1591 when the people of Pamplona needed to move their bulls from the countryside to the arena for bull fights. It was only in the early 1600's when people would actually run with the bulls. (All about Spain 2004: website)
Performance
There is much to see and do during the celebration of San Fermin. Every morning at 8 o'clock from July 7 th to July 14 th the running of the bulls takes place. On July 6 th one could see the RIAU – RIAU, which is a big gathering where people dance, sing, drink and hear the mayor speak, as is also a merry celebration in honor of the beginning of the fiesta. Throughout the festival you can view the Comparsa, which are four giant heads which people wear representing the “four parts” of the world, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas .
Other than the running of the bulls, the most popular event during the festival is the procession. On July 7 th from 10am to 2pm there is a parade to the church of San Lorenzo . The figure of San Fermin, as shown in the Artifact section below, is paraded around along with the Comparsa's and other various acts which head to the church. Afterwards there is a major ceremony in honor of San Fermin.
Artifact
Ceremonial urn containing some ashes from the honored Saint Fermin. Found at http://therunningofthebulls.net
Interpretation
Prognosis for the fiesta of San Fermin
The fiesta of San Fermin as gained much popularity over the years. “ In the 1960's [the town of Pamplona , Spain ] had barely three thousand inhabitants. As you can imagine, it was just a small town then and the fiestas were much more homebred. In the 1980's there was a surge of expansion and the media began to take more notice of the fiestas, which have still not lost their singularity,” as stated by ( http://www.sanfermin.com .) Popularity has been gained by the running of the bulls and the massive parties held during the fiesta.
Conclusion
This celebration is very meaningful to the local culture and religion and has shaped the way the city of Pamplona functions over the years. The fiesta of San Fermin is seen as a time to celebrate, pray, and make money. Although people look at this celebration in different ways all can agree that it has shaped the culture of this great city in Spain .
Internet References Cited
2002 TheRunningOfTheBulls.net http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/pamplonaweb/pwindex.htm , accessed September 15. This site promotes the Fiesta of San Fermin, and provides information about what to see and do while visiting the city.
2004 All About Spain http://www.red2000.com/spain/index-eng.html , accessed September 17. This site gives a complete overview of the country of Spain , explaining its different fiestas, cultures, accommodations, and attractions
2004 Pamplona Bull Run (San Fermin) http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/ , accessed September 20. This site provides detailed information about all of the fiestas that occur in the country of Spain .
2004 SanFermin.com http://www.sanfermin.com , accessed November 10 th . This site is dedicated to honoring Saint Fermin and promoting the fiesta that is in his name.
Peer-Reviewed References Cited
Aubier, Dominique, 1956 Fiesta in Pamplona/text by Dominique Aubier . Universe Books. New York
Leimroth, Carol 1984 Peak experience at the San Fermin . Caislan Press. San Jose, CA .
Barton, Simon 2004 A history of Spain . Palgrave Macmillan. New York
Douglass, Carrie B., Bulls, Bullfighting, and Spanish Identities . The University of Arizona Press. Tucson
Delpire, Robert and translated by Deirdre Butler Fiesta in Pamplona . Printed in Switzerland by Conzett & Huber, Zurich Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 56-11624
Feiner, Muriel 2003 Women and the bullring . University Press of Florida . Gainesville