Fiesta de San Salvador

Fiesta de San Salvador is a national holiday celebrated annually on August 6th in El Salvador. This holiday celebrates Salvadoran identity and marks the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, the patron saint of the capital, San Salvador. The festival’s highlights include ‘la bajada,’ meaning ‘the descent,’ where a large parade carries a wooden statue of Christ dressed in purple through San Salvador’s streets. The parade ends in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the statue descends into a chalice or globe. Moments later, it emerges dressed in white to symbolize the Transfiguration. The holiday is a platform for indigenous art, theater, and music. It meshes tradition with religion and celebrates the people of El Salvador.