Villa Rentals Javea, Costa Blanca, Spain

Jávea / Xàbia offers a wide range of celebrations rooted in the maritime and obviously Mediterranean traditions of its people: the chief protagonists in whatever festivals take place throughout the year. Religious and pagan festivals thread through the festive calendar with one common denominator: the participation of the people. Xàbia misses no opportunity to display the open and extrovert character of its inhabitants.

If the carnival and the “Enfarinà” anticipate the celebrations, the summer is announced by the “Fogueres de Sant Joan”, a festivity rooted in the Mediterranean like no other, which in Jávea / Xàbia still retains its magic and ancestral meaning. Fire takes on great importance in the middle of June, as in other towns along the Costa Blanca. Papier-mâché monuments, sometimes alluding to current affairs, decorate the streets of Xàbia, reminiscent of the ancient tradition of burning old junk on the 23rd of June in the magical belief of purifying body and soul before the summer solstice. The “Focs de Sant Joan”, which light the streets of the town, are small bonfires over which young people leap, one by one, wearing garlands and flowers which are burned when the last fire has been jumped. Finally on the 24th of June, the feast of Sant Joan, all the monuments are burnt putting an end to the festivities.

The largest religious festivals are celebrated in honour of the Nazarene at the end of April. The Calvari Hermitage becomes one of the main scenes of the celebration. From there, the statue of Jesus of Nazareth is taken in procession to the San Bartolomé Church, one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful places of worship, situated in the old town. This takes place on the Third Sunday of Lent in a display of popular faith. On the 3rd of May, the statue is taken back to the Calvari Hermitage. Within the framework of its larger festivities appear the famous “ els bous”, a remarkable celebration based on young people running with young bulls. In addition, fireworks light up the sky. Coinciding with these celebrations is the “Creus de maig” competition, in which neighbours of Jávea / Xàbia compete in the making of bright and colourful crosses.

Religion, pagan traditions, the Mediterranean and History. The town of Xàbia has also taken on a typical celebration in the Alicante area: Moors and Christians, which is celebrated in the port between the supporters of the Cross and the Crescent Moon.

The festive cycle ends its main celebrations in the first week of September, with the festivity in honour of the Mare de Déu de Loreto, which takes place in the Parish Church of Aduanas del Mar, a most remarkable church situated near to the Fishing Port. Then “els bous” appear once more in the locality, although this time the celebration takes on a new meaning as it takes place in the fishing port itself. This is the popular “bous a la mar”.

The Mare de Déu del Carme, on the 16th of July; the Mare de Déu dels Angels at the beginning of August and Santa Llúcia on the 13th of December are other celebrations of a clearly religious nature which make up the traditional festive calendar of Jávea / Xàbia.

Javea & Moraira Holiday Villas