Obscure Holiday in the US is a Big Deal in Spain

by Josh Lew on

Try to keep your excitement under control: Columbus Day is coming. While post office employees and history buffs have been waiting, this holiday will pass unnoticed for most people. That is, unless they try to go to the post office or local library, most of which will be closed in memory of Christopher Columbus, first white guy to set foot in the Americas (sorry Leif Ericson, but you didn’t write it down).

But the U.S. is not the only nation that celebrates Columbus Day. So does Spain. Only they don’t call it Columbus Day. It carries the grand title: Dia de la Hispanidad. The day features parades and celebrations of Spanish culture. The Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Americas and Spain’s Iberian kin Portugal get in on the party this year with a celebration of Iberian and American culture called VivAmérica. There are festivals of art and film, concerts and lectures, and little or no mention of the bloody history of the colonization of South and Central America. Most of the festivities will take place in Madrid. The events run until October 12th. Parades also take place in some US cities with large Spanish-speaking populations.

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Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Celebration

by Willy Volk on

This Thursday, June 21, is the Summer Solstice (or June Solstice, or Northern Solstice, or whatever you want to call it). The fact is, Thursday is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Since most of us will be toiling at work on that long day, the organizers of the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration wisely decided to schedule their solstice celebration for Saturday, June 23. Sure, the day is a tad bit shorter — but Saturdays just feel more like party-days, don’t they?

Begun in 1974, today the Parade is the largest, single-day arts event in Santa Barbara County, drawing crowds of over 100,000 spectators from around the world. The theme of the Celebration for 2007 is “Stars.”

In addition to a parade — which features 1000+ starry-eyed participants, extravagant star-shaped floats, and whimsical star-inspired costumes — the event sports a festival with lots of star-themed crafts and food (star fruit, anyone?). Want an idea of what the event is like? Check the gallery of images from the past few years.

Sounds like fun: I’ll give it a gold star.

[Thanks, Michelle!]

St. Stupid’s Day Parade, 2007

by Willy Volk on

Don’t forget that April 1st is the 7th Annual BYOBW. However, if you don’t feel like racing a big wheel down one of the crookedest streets in the world (OUCH!), then maybe you just want to get stupid. In that case, it’s time to hit San Fransisco’s St. Stupid’s Day Parade.

Meeting at noon at 600 Montgomery Street, the parade — sponsored by The First Church of the Last Laugh — appears to be equal parts stupid and awesome and stupid. Winding through downtown San Fran, at the end of the parade, there will be a 2-minute talent show, a short sermon, live music, and the Pacific Sock Exchange, which is something like a pillow fight… but with dirty socks.

For those who don’t know, Saint Stupid is the patron saint of civilizations and parking meters. For those who STILL don’t know, St. Stupid’s is anything but serious. This tongue-in-cheek parade is meant to celebrate silliness, fun, merriment, and stupidity. Heck, what more do you want? The event is free!

[Photo: Steve Rhodes]