Two weeks after “Semana Santa” and Seville it’s once again on party, this time to celebrate the Seville Party, also known as April Party. The party start, officially on next Monday, at midnight and it goes till 13^th April.

The party begins when the mayor of the city turn on the lights of the gate, El Pórtico. This gate is one of the big attractions of this celebration, it symbolize the entrance on “Real de la Feria”, where the party takes place. This door measure approximately 50 meters and has more than 20 thousand bulbs; it is possible to see the light that this door emanates before having entered in Sevilla! This is an object of art, made by the artists of the city that have been working in it since December.

The space of “Real de la Feria” has something like 1.2 million squares and it is divided in three parts: parking place, the amusement park (where the rides, circus and shows take place) and one big area for the casetas, (tends). This last park is the stage of the festivity, because is where the party takes place. There are more than one thousand casetas in the park, put in line. Each tend has is own bar, with kitchen and its proper way of entertainment. The most usual play inside these tends is the sevillanas, the typical type of music in Seville.

Almost all tends are private, from friends, families, politician parties, which mean that they are just open to guests or to the own owners, but there are some public casetas, as the municipal caseta, which is managed by the town hall. Inside this tends public or not, is the party, the food, music and fun, since the 1.30 pm till noon.

During the party days the local people wear their traditional clothes - the men use short pants and short jacket and the sevillana women wear the typical flamenco dress or the gipsy dress. Through the day there is a lot of animation: horses parades, bullfights and this party is also known to be the biggest concentration of coaches. If you are a fan of Spanish culture, next week come to Seville listening music, eat tapas and learn how to dance sevillanas!

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During 5 days the valenciana Community had been party, it was Fallas 2008. It is a party full of colour, light and fire and during five days the castles and the monuments are the protagonists. The most important day is the 19th of March, when everything starts and ends.

This is an old tradition from carpenters; they went to the street and burnt, in front of their office, the clothes that were not useful anymore and also the widget things that helped them working, during the winter. This party was celebrated in the day before of their patron party – San José. Along the years the tradition has changed, and in 1885 there was a big movement formed to defend the old traditions. These movements cause some competition between neighbours but the artistic part, which is the most relevant part in the conquest, comes from here – the aesthetic. In 1932, after some complicated times this party was nominated as Semana Fallera – the biggest party in Valencia.

Nowadays this festivity is celebrate with card figures called the Ninots, pieces of art that are done during the year, for real artists. The public has a really important mission because they decide which one is the winner and which ninot is not going to burn. The ninot winner will go to the museum, where there are ninots since 1934, the other ones, which had not been so lucky will burn and become ashes, in the Cremà. The burning of the monuments it is the end of these celebrities, but it also marks the beginning of Fallas 2009. According to the official numbers during this year one million of people went to Valencia to enjoy this party. Mark this date on you agenda and try not to forget this party in the next year!

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On March 31^st Salamanca will be on party celebrating Lunes de Aguas. This is a typical party from Salamanca which is only celebrate in this town, however, nowadays the party has expanded to other cities that surrounded Salamanca.

This is a peculiar party that comes from the XVI century when king Filipe II, which was very religious, ordered that prostitutes from the town must leave the city during the Lent. The main objective of this measure was to protect the students, and the men of the city to stay away from the sin, because the Easter week was a time of reflection.

The prostitutes had to leave the city in the Ash Wednesday; they were taken to the other side of the Tormes River, by the custody of Padres Lucas. During that time they had to survive by begging money, till the end of Easter. One week later, after the Easter, the prostitutes could return to their daily life; the priest and the students crossed the river, and brought the prostitutes, once again to Salamanca.

In the riversides there was a crowd waiting for them, with hornazo (a big empanada, a kind of bread with cheese, ham and sausage), drinks and music. Besides the tradition has changed this party is still being celebrated by the citizens of Salamanca, like in the old times; people from this town does not work during the afternoon and they gather near the river, parks and country side. Hornazo, drinks and have fun with their family and friends are the new rules, bring your picnic towel and enjoy this tradition near the nature!

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Spain and Italy nominated the Mediterranean Diet as candidate to the Cultural Imaterial Patrimony of the Humanity of UNESCO. The candidature was commanded by the two agriculture ministers, from Spain – Elena Espinosa- and Italy – Paolo Dicastro- in the VII Congress of International Mediterranean Food, on the Alimentary Fair of 2008, which is taking place in Barcelona.

The motives of this candidature are connected mostly to healthy properties and the quality of this kind of alimentation. Mediterranean Diet is characterized by a lot of healthy products, such as: fruits, vegetables, olive oil (as the first choice), fish, few red meats, and it’s a synonym of healthy life but it is also an important part of the culture. Elena Espinosa pointed that this healthy diet was abandoned mostly because the sociologic changes that occurred in our society.

The project has been prepared since 2007, and the idea of this proposal to UNESCO was an idea of Spain, and then supported by Italy. But it is also open to the other Mediterranean countries like Italy, Greece and Morocco. The final report will be delivered in August.  It is always a good time to start eating healthily, why don’t you start healthy food diet now here in Spain?

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