Here is your Spanish term of the day: Fiestas patronales or patronage festivals.
Once again the Corpus feast of the village of San Pedro Las Huertas, La Antigua Guatemala is upon us. To look their best, the temple of San Pedro Las Huertas received a new paint job and and decorations were raised around the façade of the church. Below you can take a look at the calendar of activities organised by the community.
Las fiestas patronales are usually dedicated to a saint or virgin, who is the patron of whichever city holds the fiesta. Usually, town members adorn the town streets with colorful decorations and other things. In some larger cities, there may be several fiestas, one fiesta for each neighborhood, usually about the patron saint for the local parish.
Depending to the budget of the town, the fiestas patronales may run from one day (the day of the saint being honored) to nine days, called el novenario. Most Latin American countries dedicate the first day to the saint or virgin being celebrated. In Puerto Rico, the musical and entertainment festivities begin right away.
Most Fiestas patronales feature verbenas, live entertainment by famous international or local singers, amusement parks, and street vendors, among other things, during the celebration.
Fiestas patronales are not national holidays, because they only reflect the celebration of one city or town and are religious celebrations. Source: Wikipedia
