In a few hours—if you’re lucky enough to wake up in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula as part of your language study trip to Spain —you’ll surely notice a truly exhilarating buzz in the streets. This excitement across the Pyrenees is due to the Feast of St. James, celebrated, as it is every year, on July 25, and about which LEC will tell you a little more…
The founder of Santiago de Compostela
The reason the Apostle James the Greater holds such significance in Spain is that he is not only the patron saint of Galicia, but of the entire country. Legend even has it that the discovery of the apostle’s remains led to the founding of the capital of Galicia. Santiago de Compostela thus became a holy city, on par with Rome or the more distant Jerusalem, as well as a world-renowned center of pilgrimage.
Street performances and concerts during your language study trip to Spain?
A language study trip to Spain on July 25 might be the perfect opportunity to experience a ten-day festival featuring countless exhibitions, plays, street performances, and concerts. In Santiago de Compostela, the famous Plaza del Obradoiro lights up with fireworks in honor of the apostle.
The Botafumeiro Ceremony
The cathedral is no exception, as it serves as the setting for the Botafumeiro ceremony: a massive censer swings back and forth at high speed through the transept, filling the space with the scent of incense and delighting both seasoned visitors and first-timers alike!