Our Lady of Africa
When is it celebrated
The festival of Our Lady of Africa is celebrated every 5 August. The cults and patron events usually begin earlier: the novena begins at the end of July, the floral offering takes place on 4 August and the main day includes the mass and the procession on the 5th. The specific programme and schedules must be consulted each year.
Is it a holiday or a working day?
It is a public holiday specific to the City of Ceuta, not a holiday applicable to the whole of Spain. In the official work calendar for 2026, 5 August appears for Ceuta as an autonomous community holiday; Therefore, it is a non-working day in the autonomous city that year. Inclusion must be verified in the official calendar of each exercise.
Origin and geographical link
The celebration is closely linked to Ceuta and its Portuguese period. Ceuta Tourism places the arrival of the image in the 15th century, sent to be venerated under the dedication of Saint Mary of Africa. The Virgin holds the titles of patron saint and perpetual mayor of the city, so that the festival has at the same time a religious, civic and cultural dimension of Ceuta.
Regular events
The usual cycle includes the novena in honour of the patron saint, a floral offering before the sanctuary, the pontifical mass or main function, the procession of glory through the streets and the kissing of hands. The City corporately participates in the offering on 4 August and in the processional parade on the 5th. These religious events normally coincide with the patron saint festivities and the fair, whose programme adds music, lighting, popular activities and other variable celebrations.
Usual duration of events
The solemn day takes place on 5 August, with events spread between the morning and the afternoon or evening. Considered as a whole, the devotional cycle extends about ten days from the beginning of the novena, on 26 July or 27 according to the scheduled calendar, until the subsequent acts on 6 August. The fair and other parallel activities may cover different dates, so they should not be confused with the strict duration of the religious holiday.
Traditions and history
The carving represents Mary with Christ lying on her knees and carrying an aleo, a branch of wild olive trees associated with Pedro de Meneses, the first Portuguese governor of Ceuta. Tradition remembers that Meneses offered to defend the square with that cane. The veneration of the image has generated lasting customs, including the offering of flowers, the processional departure, the formal participation of the authorities and the return to the city of Ceuta residents outside for the patron saint festivities.
Where is it celebrated
The religious centre is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Africa, next to the Plaza de África, where worship and offerings take place. The procession runs through the streets of the centre of Ceuta and the festive aspect is projected onto the fairgrounds and other spaces indicated by the annual programme. Outside of Ceuta, the regional houses maintain dissemination activities and participate in the celebration, but the proper labour and employer sphere is the autonomous city.
Who participates
The Brotherhood of Santa María de África organises the cults and preserves the traditions of the image with the support of the Autonomous City. The diocesan clergy, brothers and bearers, authorities and members of the Assembly, municipal services, musicians and faithful participate. Neighbors, families, visitors and representatives of regional houses of Ceuta established in the peninsula and other cities also attend.