Traditions and old customs on Tenerife

The Canary Island has a lot of traditions. Old customs still gets celebrated and forgotten rites brought back to life.

Celebrate the feasts whenever they are: Fiestas on Tenerife

The Tinerfeños love to celebrate like their ancestors the so called  "Guanchen" did before! So it is not surprising that they celebrate so many fiestas on Tenerife. It almost seems like it there is always a reason to celebrate on the sunny island!

Each fiesta gets planned thoroughly. The meet to have fun, to sing and to dance and last but not least to eat. During a fiesta they offer Canarian food and cold drinks on many different booths. Of course the meals are homemade.

If you visit one of the fiestas and you have the chance to eat the traditional food you should try it - the meals of the traditional canarian cuisine tastes really good.

Fiestas on Tenerife are brisk and colourful – a real enjoyment of life!
Especially in the smaller towns the locals like to wear the traditional garbs of the Island. It looks really nice and affords beautiful and special pictures for your holiday photo album.

Festivities and traditions

There is no typical Canarian fiesta without traditions and customs.

An outstanding example are the yearly feast of the summer solstice. Many countries celebrate the midsummer feast in the night from the 21st to the 22nd of June. But on Tenerife they celebrate it in the night of the 23rd of June to the 24th of June. It is the so called Noche de fuego. All over the Islands they make midsummer night bonfires on the beaches. A must-do if you are on the island during this time.

Traditions of the St. John's Eve

Not only the bonfires are a traditional custom during the Noche de fuego. In this night you will find other customs as well:

• In San Juan de Rambla a town in the north-west they start the feast of fire with a special sound. Here the people meet to listen to the conch-shell-horn-blowers who play the instrument in a nearby canyon. Nowadays this special sounds are just for special occasions but a long time ago, the Guanchen used the conch-shell-horns to communicate over long distances.
• Another tradition is the yearly so called goat-bath in Puerto de la Cruz. The event starts in the morning of the 24th of June and happens at the beach of the harbour town. At 8am the shepherds of the region meet together with their goats. Afterwards every single goat gets washed in the Atlantic. This bath in not only to clean the fur of the animals but this "goat-wash" is also a fertility rite.

If you have the chance to visit this events you should go. The Tinerfeños know how to celebrate. You don't need to worry about being "just a tourist" and not a local - everybody is welcomed and gets treaded nicely. You would be surprised how much fun you will have!

Holidays where the locals live 🌴🏠 Fincas & holiday houses