The Civilised Chaos of Iberian Fiestas…

I recently received a message from a Slugger regular on holiday in Torrevieja on Spain’s western Costa Blanca asking about ‘Spanish’ fiestas. The first thing to say is that fiesta culture is Iberian rather than purely Spanish. It stretches across southern Europe in Romance-language countries. This is more of a personal take than an academic one. Fiestas in Iberia have deep roots. Pre-Roman tribes celebrated seasonal cycles tied to agriculture and nature. The Romans brought structure,...