DIA DEL REYES EARLY JANUARY
In Spain it's not Father Christmas that brings the presents, it's the Three Wise Men. Because of this Twelfth Night, is one of key events on the festival calendar. Especially if you are a child as this is when you are meant to get Christmas gifts.
The date is marked with a vivid camel back parade as the Three Wise men dispense sweets to the youngsters throughout the major settlements on the island.
The best location to observe the festivities is in Arrecife, where a large scale and well attended parade takes place on the evening of January 5th, usually starting at 6pm.
The parade is also repeated later in Puerto del Carmen along the main Strip, normally from 9pm.
CARNAVAL
Carnival takes place on different dates in different places but the best locations to catch the action are in Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen. In Arrecife, the event take place across a week or so building up to the main parade, which features fantastically decorated floats, brilliant costumes and lots of carnival music and dancing.
Smaller versions of the event also happen in Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.
CORPUS CHRISTI: MID-JUNE
After Carnival, Corpus Christi is perhaps one of Lanzarote´s most vibrant events.
As with the majority of fiestas and festivals on the island the best place to take in the celebrations is in the capital, Arrecife.
On the Saturday afternoon following Corpus Christi, islanders create extraordinarily complicated carpets of sea salt, in intricate and colourful designs, all along the roads and pavements around the Church of San Ginés.
On the Sunday a major parade proceeds from the Church across the carpets of salt. So these works of art can only be seen for a day.
CANARIAN DAY - DIA DE CANARIAS MAY
May 30th 1983 is the date when the Canary islands gained autonomy from Spain. Now it's an annual holiday across all of the seven islands that make up the Canaries.
The fiesta is a celebration of Canarian way of life and events take place across Lanzarote. Children put on traditional dress, enjoy local food and dance to traditional music. The Canarian flag is flown everywhere and the municipal council organises fishing, Canarian wrestling and game hunting competitions.
Some of the local supermarkets join in offering free food and wine tastings. And most hotels also take part, with themed food and folklore celebrations - so everybody has a chance to join in the festivities.
FIESTA DE SAN GINES AUGUST
This major fiesta is to honour Arrecife´s patron saint San Gines.
San Gines had been the Bishop of Clermont. During the 16th century he was the instigator for the building of a small hermitage, now the Church de San Gines, that ministered to the nearby population of the small inland port area called El Charco.
Locals tell the story of the a portrait of the Bishop appearing during the 1700´s, floating on the waters of El Charco the inhabitants from that time proclaimed him the Patron Saint of the city.
How much truth is in the story is debatable, but it's a great excuse for a party. During the daytime much of the goings-on are concentrated around the El Charco area itself, where traditional island sports such as Canarian sailing and wrestling are celebrated and a new Miss Lanzarote is elected every year.
The whole event then culminates in an exciting and well attended fireworks show on the main beach promenade next to the Arrecife Gran Hotel on the night of the 25th, usually starting at around 11.30pm.
FIESTA DE NEUSTRA SEÑORA DE LOS DOLORES
Great fiesta celebrating the islands patron saint and marking the point where the flow of lava of two volcanic eruptions miraculously diverted away from the village in 1736 and 1824 just outside the village of Mancha Blanca.
This fiesta attracts big crowds, most in traditional Canarian dress, with many walking to Mancha Blanca from all over the island as a kind of pilgrimage, often bringing with them supermarket trolleys full of food and drink.
In Mancha Blanca itself the action takes place in the area around the church, where the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores that was placed in front of the Lava flow is paraded. A huge array of mobile bars and food stalls spring up especially for the event.
