HALLOWEEN PARTY IN BARCELONA 2010

Event date: Saturday 30 October 2010 (technically 31st of October, but most parties will be on 30th this year)
Event location: Many clubs and hotels in Barcelona organise Halloween parties



The Halloween tradition is celebrated in Spain and Barcelona in much the same way as in other European cities with Halloween fancy dress parties featuring all manner of ghouls, ghosts, witches and zombies having a fine old time. Check out the parties at Shoko , Monasterio and for an upmarket party try Hotel Casa Fuster. For other top clubs in town that will probably have Halloween themes tonight visit our Barcelona clubbing section. A fun new Mexican tradtion started in Barcelona a few years back called Ruta de Altares, where you can visit different "El Día de Muertos" (Day of the Dead) alters in 19 bars, shops and galleries around Barcelona in memory of the recently departed. Visit http://www.rutadealtares.org for more information.

The 1st November is a public holiday in Spain called "Todos los Santos" (All Saints). On this day you can enjoy the Catalan tradition called La Castanyada and also on all Saints' Day it is a tradition to attend church services in honor of Catholic saints and martyrs and to visit family graves and place flowers, wreaths and candles. The cemeteries in Barcelona have longer opening hours during Halloween weekend from 08.00 until 18.00 and you will see special flower stalls at the gates.

The Origins of Halloween
Although the modern Halloween is based on traditions from the USA, the origins of Halloween can actually be found in Celtic Britain. The Celts lived in the British Isles during ancient times and worshipped the gods of nature. There were two important festivals in the Celtic calendar, Beltane and Samhain. Samhain was pronounced something like "Sow-win," which might be origin for the modern word Halloween. Beltane celebrated the beginning of summer and Samhain the start of winter, and was the first day of the year on the Celtic calendar. The festival of Samhain started on October 31 and finished on November 1. The Celts were afraid of winter because the days were short and cold, and the nights were very long. and they associated winter with death and evil spirits.

The Celts believed that on the night of October 31 the spirits of the dead rose from the tombs and they made big fires to frighten the ghosts off. They also wore scary costumes and played games on October 31 to bring good luck in the year. Nuts and apples were eaten as these were considered lucky food. The colors of Halloween are also of Celtic origin. Black was the colour of winter and long nights. Orange was the colour of the harvest. The black cat is another symbol of Halloween. The Celts believed that the black cat had special powers.

Come in Barcelona right now in order to discover the city and then to do parties for the Halloween night!!!And rent an apartment with your friends!!

La Fiesta de la MERCE, en Barcelona

The party of Barcelona
From this September 23 starts the festival of festivals that fill Barcelona with more than 500 arts and leisure proposals full of fantasy and imagination. Let the party continues until Sunday 26. Say you will see 20 presented scenarios where you will find street arts shows, theater, circus, music and dance. And that there are also various traditional events, entertainment and sports that usually accompany it. We are talking about Merce: THE big party, the party of all locals, the highlight of Barcelona.

La Mercè '10 will be officially opened with the proclamation, which this year will carry the voice of the poet and architect Joan Margarit. Then the popular seguici will walk through the downtown streets proclaiming the good news: you start the party and the best thing is starting again. From here, anything is possible. At the MERCE of this year, there have created a new festival, the MAC (Mercè Street Arts), full of exciting cutting-edge creations aimed at a family that will take place mainly in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The same scenario will be the central space of the dance and when the sun sets will experience a transformation that will become the Parc de la Llum, with a range of color and light shows surprising. The city of Dakar will be involved in many corners of the festival, the city is invited, with film, dance, percussion, art and more contemporary proposals, from Africa and the Senegalese capital spearhead.

Among all the activities taking place in the city, You don't have to miss the traditional Correfoc, the feast of circus in the Castell de Montjuïc, the dyad castellera, the parade or Piromusical. This year stands out as a new a new arena, the old race track in Barcelona, which opens with a fun street arts and entertainment multidisciplinary Pandora. The Albéniz Palauet reopen their doors, like the museums, the BAM will reveal a new selection of the best independent music in the Plaça Catalunya will lift the Mostra d'Associacions of the city and the Festival Asia will continue to build the best cultural bridge with Asia.

Joy, fun, culture, creativity, art, civics ... From 11 am to 5 am, with a set of proposals for all audiences. So that everyone can enjoy their own party, the party ... of all Barcelona.
If you are looking for an apartment in BARCELONA for the WeekEnd, come on in!!!!

Fiesta Mayor de Sants 2010 in Barcelona

Just as the Festa Mayor de Gracia finishes another big neighbourhood Festa Mayor starts in Sants district of Barcelona. Although not quite as famous the Festa Major de Sants it is absolutely worth visiting. Many of the main activities take place in "Parque de la España Industrial" and 13 streets in Sants will be decorated by the residents with many entertaining themes. The Catalan actress Amparo Moreno open the festival on Saturday 21 August 21 at 20.00 in the evening at the "Parque de la España Industrial." There will be many chances to see festivals traditions like correfocs - fireruns, castellers - human tower building, Gegants and capgrossos - giants and other Catalan festival traditions. A highlight of the Sants Festa Major is the Sants Festival cycling race, called the Cursa Ciclista 'Memorial Antoni Andrés Sancho' which takes place for the 29th time in 2010 on streets of Sants from 10:30 on Sunday 29 August 2010. This year also see the premiere of a new running event called "El 2000 de Sants Cursa atlètica de la Festa Major 2010" which is a 2k run (2 circuits of 1000 metres) taking place on Sunday 29th August 2010 from 09:00.

Don't hesitate to come and spend some holidays in Barcelona! Why don't you chose an apartment close to Sants or to the city centre to enjoy the last days of August?

Fiesta de Gracia a Barcelona

Barcelona is currently celebrating its famous and important Fiestas de Gracia. Gracia has always been considered one of Barcelona’s beautiful districts and it’s hard not to tell why. There are many little bars, coffee shops, romantic plazas and tiny streets to enchant us. The Fiesta de Gracia takes place on 14th – 22nd of August so it’s in full swing at the time of writing! It’s a great festival where all the neighbours transform the area into a paradise of colourful decorations. This year, most of the events will be taking place during the daytime.

There are many concerts to enjoy with many different music styles along with shows, traditional Catalan attractions and workshops. Famous musicians, like Maria del mar Bonet, Marina Rossell, Joan Isaac, and Luis Eduardo Aute, as well as classical music groups like Manel, Cuidado con el Perro or Cochambre Hotel will be playing their music for the residents of Gracia. Also, there will be culinary activities, like the “Tasta Gràcia” at the Plaza Manuel Torrente. In the magician’s area “Área de la Magia” at the Plaza del Norte professional magicians, as well as beginners in this magical art, will astonish you with all their exciting magic tricks.

Many years ago the Fiestas de Gracia had much more of a religious significance but over the years this has changed and it has become more of a social affair. The residents and citizens of Gracia put in a lot of work to get their street decorated in time for the festivities and as every year, the most beautiful street in Gracia wins a prize.

The Fiesta de Gracia is for everyone: both young and old alike. Unforgettable days full of entertainment for you and your friends will be guaranteed. Why don’t you rent the best apartments in Barcelona and spend a relaxing and fun filled holiday in the beautiful capital of Catalonia Spain?

Carnival 2008

Carnival in Barcelona epitomises some of the more gluttonous aspects of traditional celebration. The time before the Lenten fast is spent indulging in the very best of soon-to-be-forbidden pleasures, and for Barcelonans this means a gargantuan feast dedicated to anything particularly fatty.

Carnival weekend sees revellers converge on the market places and streets to watch as the local carnival guilds and commercial establishments compete for the best costume or representation. On Saturday afternoon the celebrations come to a climax with the Gran Rua de Carnaval, a colossal parade of adorned carriages and carnival groups and a snowfall of streaming confetti.

All good things must come to an end and the celebrants mark the occasion appropriately with a funeral. The king of carnival has, after all, died and taken the carnival with him. A funeral cortege of his widows and entourage, all suitably dressed in black, mourn his passing.

Carnaval in Raval, also called “Ravalstoltada” this year.

On Saturday 2th February at 16.30, the “ Rambla del Raval” will be the meeting point for all the diferent parades organised by neighbourhood associations.

Meeting point: Rambla del Raval and Carrer de Sant Oleguer
District : Ciutat Vella

You still have time to book an apartment near this area to enjoy the Carnaval at the Raval.