Troughout the length and breadth of Spain, starting with the feasts of the Holy Child in Valverde de Júcar in Cuenca from 5th to 9th January and finishing with the festival of the Moorish King (el Rey Moro) held in Agost (Alicante) on December 28th, the most well-known Moros y Cristianos festival takes place in Spain. The most popular of this celebrations is the one held in Alcoi from 22th  to 24th April, around the Feast Day of Saint George (Catalan: Sant Jordi ; Spanish: San Jorge).
 
More than a hundred of celebrations of Moors and Christians take place al around the year. The provinces of Alicante, Cuenca, Granada, Cáceres, Valencia, Saragossa, Toledo, Albacete, island of La Palma, Murcia, Huesca, Almería, Mallorca, Cádiz, Jaén, Teruel, Castellón and Orense witness these events which take the form of battles, processions, displays, speeches, plays and ancient dances. The majority are found in Alicante where the festivities become livelier and more numerous as the days pass.

The festival of Moros y Cristianos in Spanish or Moros i Cristians in Valencia, means Moors and Christians.  According to popular tradition, the festivals commemorate the battles, combats and fights between Moors (or Muslims) and Christians during the period known as Reconquista (from the 8th century through the 15th century). So you can participate in this historical play almost every month in some town or village of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. There is hardly a castle without a role in the struggle for supremacy over Muslims between  711-1492. In its widest it covered modern Spain, except for Asturias, most of Portugal and the southern part of France.

The festivals represent the capture of the city by the Moors and the subsequent Christian reconquest. It is a very old tradition that dates back to the 16th century.
The events are held in honour of the city's patron saint who played a decisive role in the battle. Thanks to the saint's sudden and unexpected intervention, victory went to the Christians. This is why there are many variations on these festivities, as each place has its own history and unique elements that set it apart from the rest.

The start of the festivities is truly spectacular and well worth seeing: the arrival of both armies in the city. Beginning in the early hours of the morning, the streets, balconies and windows fill with people intent on not missing a single thing. To the accompaniment of music and with all the pomp and majesty you could hope for, the various groups that make up the Moorish and Christian factions march in procession, desperately trying to outshine each other sumptuous costumes.

Another part of the festivities are the religious ceremonies held in honour of the city's patron saint. Yet there are still many more exciting moments, such as the spectacular final battle. It follows the so-called "embajadas" (meeting of envoys) in the castle, in which each side reads a text in an attempt to persuade the other side to surrender. Once negotiations have failed, a mock battle ensues in which thousands of kilos of gunpowder are used, ending in victory for the Christians.

The final battle also marks the end of the festival and of the days of fun, colour and extravagance. In some towns the stage performance goes on for days, featuring the most important phases of local history.