| San Miguel de Allende Events |
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San Miguel de Allende is
host to numerous festivals throughout the year, making it a popular
vacation destination for foreigners and Mexicans alike. In the summer
there is the world-class Chamber Music Festival, in winter the annual
Jazz Festival, and countless celebrations for the dead, saints, and
others. And don’t forget about what is arguably the biggest party
weekend of the year, the renowned Running of the Bulls. Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead This event is one of the most well known in Mexico and takes place at the beginning of November. This is not a morbid festival, as the name might imply, but rather it’s a celebration of the lives of the deceased. The festival celebrates death as the beginning of a new life. During this event the streets leading to the main cemetery of San Miguel are crowed, starting at mid-day, and stay that way long into the night. Three Kings' Day This event takes place at the beginning of January, and is also known as the Day of the Epiphany. The celebration commemorates the Three Wise Men who followed the Star of Bethlehem to the manger and the baby Jesus. During this celebration it's customary to invite friends and neighbors into your dwelling to share a special sweet loaf, known as the Wreath of the Kings. St. Anthony's Day This Saint's Day takes place on January 17, and is celebrated by people taking their animals to be blessed at churches in and around San Miguel. The celebration of this festival is believed to keep the evil spirits away, and to bring fertility and regeneration of the land. Carnaval Taking place in late February, this is an event that is truly embraced by the town of San Miguel. Parades, floats, costumes, music, dancing, and all-night parties are commonplace. The festival opens with the Quema del Mal Humor (The Burning of Bad Humor), and entails light-hearted chasing, persecution and burning of the character known as Mal Humor (or Bad Mood). Afterwards, the character is buried and everyone sings and dances in the streets all night long to Caribbean and Spanish music. Running of the Bulls This September celebration, also known as Sanmiguelada, is a huge event, comparable to Mardi Gras in New Orleans or spring break in Florida. Attracting 20,000 participants from all over Mexico, this is a weekend-long party of drinking and danger. At noon on Saturday, hundreds of people dressed in traditional white shirts and red bandannas enter San Miguel's barricaded areas to run with the bulls. Mexican television broadcasts the event live and every year hundreds of injuries occur. Most choose to watch the event unfold from the safety of local bars and restaurants. View the full calendar of events |