San Fermin: Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain

The very noble, very loyal, and very heroic city (according to its motto) of Pamplona hosts the festival of San Fermin between July 7th and 14th each year.

Named after the pious Saint Fermin, the festival of San Fermín venerates, in true Spanish grandeur, the life of the patron saint of Navarre, a man who was martyred at just 30 years of age for preaching the gospel to the unreceiving public at Amiens, France c.303.

As with all things truly Spanish, Sanfermines is intertwined with a wholistic and historic heritage and this particular celebration binds together a mixture of local legends and anecdotes.

• 12^th Century: The Patron Saint of Navarra, Fermin (who was ordained under Bishop Saturnius of Tolouse who was dragged to his death by a bull [coincidentally and confusingly] for adamantly opposing the incumbent pagan idolatry) is commerated with a public holiday on October 10^th.
• 14^th Century: July 7^th (or thereabouts) celebrated both a festival of bullfighting and a public holiday for trade.
• 16^th Century (1591): San Fermin´s day is moved to coincide with the former holiday due to persistent bad weather. Thus, the modern day Spanish Fiestas de San Fermín is born.

Apart from the infamous running of the bulls (with which Sanfermines is universerally synonymous), San Fermin also enjoys the daily entertainment of the traditional Gigantes y Cabezudos parade as well as local Basque country games including their own version of pelota.

Thriving on the high spirits of the Pamplonan people, the festival begins and ends ceremoniously at the crepuscular hour. On July 6th, a firework display is set off at the town square and finally, on July 14th, at the culmination of the festival, the Pamplonan people unite again but this time in song, with a rendition of Pobre de mí, a traditional song reluctantly bidding farewell to the week´s festivities.

Of course, there are not words potent enough to convey the vibrance galore of San Fermín, and similarly, I cannot think of a reason convincing enough not to visit Pamplona and see it for yourself.