Celebrations in Spain: vocabulary and expressions about parties

After carnival items, we have come up with the idea of ​​creating a vocabulary guide General to talk about parties in Spain. 

This article will be divided into the following sections:

• useful verbs to talk about the holidays.
• essential vocabulary to understand the most popular.
• Useful expressions about celebrations.

Finally, as we usually do in all the articles in which we deal with a topic of grammar or vocabulary, we propose a activity to better assimilate the content.

We start with the verbs! 👉

Useful verbs to talk about parties

There are many verbs that we Spanish use at parties or celebrations. These are some of the most used:

meet someone to do something

When we have a plan with someone to go somewhere, we use the verb «meet someone». 

Also, we can addto do something» to specify the plan to be made.

• For example: «This Friday I will meet Ramón for dinner at an Italian restaurantianor".

It can also be used in more formal contexts, not just at parties.

• For example: «This morning I have met Begoña to talk about business».

Go partying

There seems to be no doubt that"go partying» is used only for parties.  

It is the most common verb when we go to a discotheque, pub, guateque or del type of party to be.

• For example: «Today our whole group of friends went out to party. We haven't been out in a long time, so we'll probably be at the disco all night."

A synonym for "partying" is "go to a party».

• For example: "Tonight, we're going to party!"

In a more colloquial way, we can also say «go partying».

The word "farranda" is another of the ways to say party.

go for a drink

«go for a drink»Is one of the phrases of going out with friends More popular.

It is used when we want get out of one softer way, just to enjoy a drink on a terrace, chat with friends, enjoy the atmosphere and that's it.

• For example: "Tonight I'm going out for a drink, but I won't be back too late, I'll wake up early tomorrow."

To give you an idea of ​​the Spanish schedules, when we say "go out to party", we are thinking of going home between 6 and 7 in the morning.

When we go out for a drink, the return time is usually at 3 in the morning at the latest.

go out for a drink

«go out for a drink» means exactly the same as the previous verb. Both the verbs "go" or «go out" they express that we are going out for a drink, and not at home. 

As in Spain the weather is generally good, we Spaniards love to go out to have a drink with friends. We don't usually do it at home.

Celebrate

"Celebrate" is to throw a party for some reason. 

We can celebrate a wedding, celebrate a salary increase, celebrate an important day in your country, celebrate Carnival... 

Do you understand?

• For example: "After the World Cup final, the people of the winning team took to the streets to celebrate the victory."

Celebrate

In our Spanish culture we love hosting events.

"Celebrate" is to perform Public acts, ceremonies, meetings, shows, fairs, etc.

• EExample: «In Valencia, the book fair is always held in Jardines del Real».

We also use this verb to commemorate a medical eventianhave a party.

• For example: "We're going to celebrate my friend's bachelor party at a party on a boat."

Have a celebration in honor of someone

When the celebration goes dedicated to someone In particular, we can use this sentence: make a celebration in honor of someone.

• For example: «Manuel is preparing a big party in his chalet. He is going to do it in honor of his mother, who is turning 65 ».

vocabulary essential to understand the holidays of Spain

The verbs that we have just seen are going to be very good for you whenever you are going to meet friends or to celebrate something, so write them down well.

There are many celebrations in Spain that we love to enjoy.

For this reason, we have prepared an essential list of party vocabulary in spanish.

These words will be your dictionary to party in Spain.

Thanks to them, you will understand people much better when they talk about the celebrations, since there are many that are only used in this context and you probably do not know them.

Do you want to meet them? There they go!

The village festivals

Do you know that in Spain each town has its local festivals?

Spanish towns have a lot of personality, even the smallest ones. 

It is in the summer months when the town festivals. The town hall of each town is in charge of organizing the festivities.

The festivals of the towns more typical They are bullfighting acts, music concerts, sporting events, troupe parades or eating contests.

For example, in many towns in the Valencian Communityiana paellas are made in the street for all the inhabitants.

Each town also has its unique festivals, such as the Tomatina from Bunol, in which people engage in a tomato war at the end of August.

The verbena

Both verbena It is a small outdoor concert with artists who sing Popular songs that all Spaniards like to sing and dance.

The festivals are usually at night and are mounted at the most important parties. 

In Valencia, for example, there are festivals during the faults or in night of San Juan.

If you want to know those songs that have always accompanied us at every party, go to several festivals and you will recognize them. 

As? It's easy, people start singing and dancing with euphoria.

The ride or the parade

We have already talked several times about horseback riding and paradesbut do you really know what is the difference Between both?

The word "ride" comes from the verb to ride. This is the action that riders do when they ride a horse and walk with him.

Therefore, a cavalcade is originally a horsemen parade, floats and horses that are carried out on the days of great celebrations.

A parade, on the other hand, does not have to have horses. 

It may just be from people walking, playing musical instruments and dressed in traditional clothing representative of the festival that is celebrated.

charanga

the brass bands They are a fundamental part of popular festivals. 

They are music groups that play wind and percussion instruments, animating the festivities that take place in the streets.

Brass bands can be hired at almost any festive event: a wedding, a bachelor party, local festivals, parades...

The bottle

The bottle was born at the beginning of the year 2000 in the university parties. 

I study themianThose who could not afford to drink inside the premises, bought the drink in the supermarket and made it themselves. their own vats.

Where did they take them? Well, on the same street.

It is necessary to emphasize that make a bottle in Spain Today It is illegal and is fined by police. So now that you know what it is, do not do it!

The pilgrimage

the pilgrimages They are related to the Catholic religion.

It is what we call in Spanish a pilgrimage to a hermitage where there is an important figure like a saint or the virgin. 

People who make these spiritual journeys seek protection or other favors in exchange for fidelity to that saint or virgin.

The pilgrimages can also be a religious festival that is celebrated with dances and food near a hermitage.

The fireworks display

One of the most beautiful acts to open or close a celebration is the Fireworks castle.

Fireworks are rockets that are launched into the sky and when they explode they break into Colored lights.

All the castles are supervised by an expert person in the pyrotechnics. 

By the way, did you know that the one who is considered the best pyrotechnician in the world is Valencia?iano? 

Is called Ricardo Caballer and puts on fireworks shows all over the world. 😊

the hermitage

In the section on pilgrimages we have mentioned the hermitages. 

The hermitages they are very small chapels or churches dedicated to a saint. They are usually on the outskirts of the city, in an unpopulated area.

The procession

The procession it is a religious parade of people.

Images of religious figures such as jesus christ and virgin mary. 

These people go from one place to another, guided by the clergy, as a sign of their religious faith.

In Spain, the most famous processions take place in April during the Semana Santa, festival in which the death and resurrection of Christ is commemorated.

The confinements

Before we have mentioned the bullfighting festivals of the towns in summer. They receive the name of "confinements».

They are called that because the Bulls they are delimited in a few streets of the town. The bravest run ahead of them and some even beat them. 

The confinements they can be very dangerous. If you are curious to see them, you can find out about a town that makes them to go see them.

But we recommend that you stay behind the fences and do not enter the premises. Let's leave that to the experts alone.

The flea market

Do you prefer a quieter and safer activity?

Then maybe you go shopping the markets whatever you are looking for. 😁

It is common for markets to open on many holidays outdoor. In these stalls you can find clothes, food and many craft products. 

Best of all are rates, which are quite Lower than in conventional stores.

They are especially beautiful medieval markets where you will find products inspired by that time or delicious food that was eaten at that time.

In Spain there is a long tradition of street markets. There are towns where they ride almost every Sunday.

If you are in Valencia, you will find many public markets.

For example, there is the Ruzafa market It opens every morning from Monday to Thursday.

You can also go to Trail. 

This is a large outdoor market for produce. secondhand which is held every Sunday morning in the Avenue of the Orange Trees.

It is very interesting, especially for antique collectors. 👌

The proclamation

The proclamation is a official announcement of a recent important news. 

It is dictated by a public official in an iconic place in the town, such as the main square.

As you can imagine, this practice was common in the medieval age, when there was no means of communication such as the press or television.

The only way for people to find out about the news It was to go to the center of town and listen to the proclamation.

Even so, today in many localities it continues to be remembered the figure of the proclamation to start the festivities.

It is wonderful that, despite having passed so many centuries, the act of proclamation It's still going on, don't you think?

The fair

In summer, many Spanish cities and towns ride the fair. 

The fair is a place where there are amusement parks. Something like disneyland, but in miniature. 

The most symbolic attraction of a fair is the noria. That wheel that rotates slowly up and down offering beautiful views of the city. (I.e.

But it is not the only one, at the fair we find other attractions on the table: 

• The roller coasters.
• The free fall.
• Crash cars.
• The Witch Train.
• The target shooting game.

And what is eaten at fairs? 

Today many people eat hot fries, but the traditional food has always been the super sweet candyfloss.

The "chupinazo

Another way to start a party is withianyou the launch of a small rocket. This is called "chupinazo».

This practice is especially common in areas of the north of the peninsula Spanish, as in The Basque Country or on an Navarra.

One of the most famous chupinazos is the one that takes place in Pamplona to inaugurate the festivities of San Fermin.

the mobile disco

The word itself mobile phone It already tells us what it means, doesn't it?

"Disk" and "mobile", that is, disco that moves.

The discomobiles are cheaper than the festivals, since they don't need singers, just a good stereo and someone to play the songs or, at most, a DJ to play.

Normally, the discomobiles, like the festivals, are mounted on small stages in plena Street. 

When the party is over, it is dismantled and the street is free again.

municipal music band

La municipal music band is the music band that represents a municipality. 

Each municipality can have one and is normally made up of symphonic instruments, which are the following:

• Strings: violin, viola, cello, double bass...
• Wood: clarinet, oboe, flute…
• Brass: trumpet, trombone, tuba, horn…
• Percussion: bass drum, triangle, timpani…

The patron / The patron saint of the town

A patron or patron is a protector saint of a specific community. 

The concept of patron saint means "advocate before god».

There are bosses of practically everything: workers, carpenters, animals, engineers, etc.

Rural Spain has a long Catholic tradition. For that reason, each town also has its patron or patron.

El patron of the town is protector saint from a town. 

Each town has its own patron saint or patron saint with whom they identify and feel defended.

The miseries

The miseries They are groups of people with common interests who do activities together. 

They can be activities of various kinds, such as cultural, sports or gastronomy.

Want to know a few examples of clubs?

For example, you can create a club to play cards with friends.

Another club can be to go see the football matches of your favorite team.

The festival committee

The festival committee of a town is a A group of people who, on a completely voluntary basis, is in charge of organize and launch the town festival schedules.

the clavaries

If the festival committee is the main organizer, the clavaries are protagonists of the celebrations. 

They are the face of the parties and the representatives. They carry out the most important acts.

Being a clavarian is a custom that usually passes from father to son.

Useful expressions about celebrations

We continue to expandiando the vocabulary about parties in Spanish with some useful expressions.

Surely you have heard these many times expressions in spanish.

Now you're finally going to find out what they mean. 😉

Don't miss a single one

This is one of the party phrases and friends that are heard the most among the Spanish.

Do you have the typical friend who lives to party? He goes to all of them, even when he's sick!

For this type of person we use the expression "don't miss a single one".

Are you one of those who do not miss a single one? Do you party every weekend?

be to the brim

Sometimes there are festivals so popular that they are full of people. 

In these cases we use the expression "to be full".

• For example: «At the graduation party it was the whole university. The assembly hall was packed."

not fit a soul

"Not fit a soul" has a similar meaning to the previous expression.

Although there are still more people here. There are so many people at the party that literally no one else fits. 

When this happens, it usually has a negative connotation because it is overwhelming.iante.

• For example: «In this nightclub there are too many people, we can hardly move. There's not a single soul left!

Celebrate something with great fanfare

«Celebrate something with great fanfare» is another of the funny phrases to celebrate.

means to do a big party, without any limitation.

Bass drum and cymbal are percussion instruments often played at the best parties. That's where the expression comes from.

It can also be said “celebrate something in style”.

Throw the house out the window

Expression "Throw the house out the window" is to signal that someone is spending a lot of money or more than you can afford.

An adjective for this can be "spendthrift".

Although it is also used on special occasions that deserve such a large expense, such as a wedding or a honeymoon trip. 

• For example: «There's a party tonight, let's all go to the party vip of the best disco. We threw the house out the window!".

Be the one to cut the cod

In these party and fun phrases, the person who cuts cod is who wears the leadership of the group.

It can also be an important person because it provides financial resources or is part of the organization.

• For example: "Here the one who cuts the cod is Jorge because he knows all the guests."

have four cats

We think this is one of the funny spanish expressions party related.

"There are four cats" is the opposite of the previous expressions,

It means that there is very few people in the place. It is jokingly said that there are only four cats. ????‍⬛????

Be the life of the party

"Be the life of the party" is one of phrases for discos more listened

It is said when someone receives the interest of the people because they have a overwhelming personality. 

Those who are the life of the party are usually the center of attention.

• For example: "Gabriela is the soul of the party because she transmits her joy and positivity to everyone."

That is, they are people who cool a lot. You do not know What does molar mean in Spain??

It is a verb of informal use. It is used to express that a person is interesting y charismatic.

To water the party

Unfortunately, sometimes there are people whose goal seems to be to boycott the party. they complain about everything and they always see the bad side of everything. 

Those people hold the party. 

• For example: «I don't like to party with Marcos. He always complains about the music and the people. The party spoiled me!"

En cada celebration in Spain, there is always a Killjoy. What are you going to do? 😑

activity to practice

How are you? I'm sure all this party vocabulary in spanish it has been very new to you.

Therefore, we are going to make you review it with the following exercise.

You must choose the correct option for each statement. Luck!