Study a Spanish course with us and discover the Spanish culture: The San Sebastian Tamborrada

Last Thursday, 19th January, the sound of drums signalled the start of the most important festival in the San Sebastian calendar: The Tamborrada. The Tamborrada is officially celebrated from midnight on the 19th til midnight on the 20th, but the party normally carries on until dawn. And for about 36 hours, the sound of drums can be heard all over the city.

According to tradition, the Tamborrada’s origins lie in the various military actions to which the city was subjected in the 19th century. The city’s people would mock the soldiers’ parades by dressing up and beating their pans as if they were drums, and the tradition has endured until modern times. As time passed, the day also became the feast day of the patron saint of the city, so the festival acquired a double meaning.

Nowadays, festival-goers dress up as chefs (who represent the people of San Sebastian) and soldiers, and for 24 hours they parade through the streets until midnight on the 20th, when the fiesta finishes with traditional music and a final representation in the Plaza de la Constitución. Afterwards, the young people go out on the town and celerate the fiesta in the city’s bars, which play as much traditional music as comtemporary.

On Friday, after class, some of our Spanish students went to San Sebastián to see this important fiesta for themselves. We enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the real local culture, and we had an unforgettable night full of music, fun, and (of course) the sound of drums!