fiesta

party

fiesta(fyehs-tah)

feminine noun

1. (celebration)

a. party

Nuestra fiesta de compromiso será este fin de semana.

Our engagement party is going to take place this weekend.

b. fiesta

Fuimos a una fiesta bien loca anoche.

We went to a pretty crazy fiesta last night.

2. (day off)

a. holiday

El primero de mayo es una fiesta que se celebra en varios países.

May first is a holiday that is observed in many countries.

fiestas

plural noun

3. (vacation)

a. holidays

Quiero invitarte a mi casa para las fiestas navideñas.

I want to invite you to my house for the Christmas holidays.

b. break

(United States)

¿Dónde vas a pasar las fiestas de Pascua?

Where are you going to spend Easter break?

4. (commemorative fête)

a. festival

Las fiestas en honor a San Juan se celebran en junio en Puerto Rico.

The festival honoring St. John is celebrated in June in Puerto Rico.

b. festivity

Habrá varias fiestas este fin de semana para conmemorar el fin de la guerra.

There will be various festivities this weekend to commemorate the end of the war.

fiesta

feminine noun

1. (local) festivities (de pueblo, barrio)

• el pueblo está en fiestas the town is holding its annual fair o festival
• aguar la fiesta a alguien to spoil somebody's fun
• fiesta mayor = local celebrations for the festival of a town's patron saint
• la fiesta nacional bullfighting (los toros) (peninsular Spanish)
• fiesta(s) patronal(es) = celebrations for the feast day of a town's patron saint

2. public holiday (día)

• ser fiesta to be a public holiday
• hacer fiesta to be on holiday
• fiestas holidays(vacaciones) (British), vacation (United States)
• fiesta de guardar (religion) holiday of obligation
• fiesta movible (religion) a movable feast

3. party (reunión)

• dar una fiesta en honor de alguien to give a party in somebody's honor
• fiesta de disfraces fancy dress party

FIESTA The Spanish word fiesta has long since entered the vocabulary of English, largely due to the centrality of such celebrations in the Spanish-speaking world. There are a number of national holidays when offices are likely to be closed or short-staffed — notably during “Semana Santa” (Easter) and in August. There are also annual regional and local celebrations, and these can also mean that little important business can be done. For example, Valencia has its “Fallas” (a week-long celebration based on fireworks and bonfires) in March, while Pamplona has its nine day “Sanfermines” (with the famous running of the bulls through the streets) in July.

fiesta

1 (reunión) party

dar u organizar una fiesta to give o throw a party; un ambiente de fiesta a party atmosphere; el país entero está de fiesta ante la buena noticia the whole country is celebrating the good news

no estar para fiestas to be in no mood for jokes

no sabe de qué va la fiesta he hasn't a clue

para coronar la fiesta to round it all off; as a finishing touch

tener la fiesta en paz

no os peleéis, ¡tengamos la fiesta en paz! behave yourselves, don't fight!

fiesta de caridad charity event

fiesta de cumpleaños birthday party

fiesta de disfraces fancy-dress party

fiesta familiar family celebration

aguar

2 (día festivo) holiday

mañana es fiesta it's a holiday tomorrow; hacer fiesta to take a day off

fiesta de la banderita flag day

Fiesta de la Hispanidad Columbus day

Fiesta del Trabajo Labour day; Labor day; (EEUU)

fiesta fija immovable feast

fiesta nacional public holiday; bank holiday

fiesta movible fiesta móvil movable feast

fiesta patria (Latinoamérica) independence day

3 (Religión) feast day

hoy se celebra la fiesta de santo Tomás

guardar o santificar las fiestas to observe feast days

fiesta de guardar fiesta de precepto day of obligation

4 (festejo) fiesta; festival

el pueblo está en fiestas o de fiesta the town's having its local fiesta; la fiesta nacional (Taur) bullfighting

fiesta de armas (Hist) tournament

fiesta mayor annual festival

5 fiestas (vacaciones) holiday; vacation; (EEUU)

las fiestas de Navidad the Christmas holiday(s); ¡Felices Fiestas! (en navidad) Happy Christmas; te llamaré después de estas fiestas I'll call you after the holidays

6 fiestas (carantoñas)

su perro siempre le hace fiestas cuando la ve the dog is all over her whenever he sees her

There are a fixed number of public holidays in the Spanish calendar but some dates vary locally. National public holidays include Navidad (25 December), Reyes (6 January), the Día de los Trabajadores (1 May), the Día de la Hispanidad/del Pilar (12 October) and the Día de la Constitución (6 December). Additionally, each autonomous region and town has at its discretion a small number of public holidays that usually coincide with local traditions like a patron saint's day or other celebrations such as Carnaval. Thus there is a holiday in Madrid for San Isidro, the city's patron saint, and one in Catalonia for Sant Jordi, who is the patron saint of the region.