La Mata will celebrate its patron saint fiestas from Saturday, September 12 to Wednesday, October 7, with almost a month of religious ceremonies, live music, food and family activities.

The programme combines long-standing traditions with entertainment for all ages, culminating in the procession of the Virgen del Rosario and continuing through to the final celebrations on October 7.

Traditional Surriagaso launches almost a month of celebrations in La Mata

Celebrations begin on Saturday, September 12 at noon with the traditional Surriagaso, accompanied by music, DJs and water activities.

The following morning brings one of the first religious events of the programme. A pilgrimage will leave the parish church at 9:30 AM on Sunday, September 13 and make its way to Eduardo Gil Rebollo Park.

An outdoor Mass will then be held at 11:00 AM, bringing residents together as the patron saint celebrations get under way.

The programme continues the following weekend with activities combining local traditions with entertainment for younger residents.

Children’s run, foam party and outdoor cinema fill the September programme

Children take centre stage on Saturday, September 19 with a San Fermin-style children’s run beginning from Plaza Gaspar Perello at 11:30 AM.

The run will be followed by a foam party, while the day’s entertainment continues in the evening with an outdoor cinema session in Plaza Encarnacion Puchol from 8:45 PM.

The traditional dawn Rosary takes place at 7:30 AM on September 20, followed by Mass. Later that day, the popular bar route begins at noon.

Further highlights arrive the following weekend, including the floral offering on September 26.

Food takes centre stage on September 27 with the paella competition beginning at 10:00 AM. Inflatables, music and another foam party will accompany the competition, creating a full day of family entertainment.

Multicolour Parade and Virgen del Rosario procession headline October events

Some of the biggest events of the La Mata fiestas will arrive during the first weekend of October.

The Multicolour Parade takes place at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 3, bringing a colourful procession through the town before live music from Orquesta Atenas begins at 10:00 PM.

Religious celebrations take centre stage the following day.

On Sunday, October 4, the main Mass begins at 7:30 PM before the Virgen del Rosario is carried through La Mata in the traditional procession.

Fireworks will follow the procession, providing one of the major spectacles of the fiestas.

After almost a month of religious events, music, food, children’s activities and community celebrations, La Mata’s 2026 patron saint fiesta programme will conclude on Wednesday, October 7.

Imagine a British retiree who has lived in Spain for twenty years, has no children, and has always supported a particular charity back home. Naturally, she wants that charity to receive something when she is gone. It sounds simple enough. But it is rarely as straightforward as it seems, particularly once Brexit is added to the mix.

The starting point is usually good news. If you have no forced heirs under Spanish law, you are generally free to leave your estate, or part of it, to whichever cause you choose. Spanish and foreign charities alike can, in principle, be named as beneficiaries in a Spanish will.

Where things get more complicated is on the tax side. Unlike individuals, charities and foundations are not taxed under Spanish Inheritance and Gift Tax. That might sound reassuring, but it does not mean the inheritance arrives tax-free. Depending on how the organisation is structured, it could still face Corporate Income Tax or, if based outside Spain, Non-Resident Income Tax.

Spain does offer a beneficial tax regime for qualifying non-profit organisations, but it is not automatic. The organisation must meet a list of requirements and formally apply for it. And, crucially, this regime has traditionally been available mainly to entities based in the EU or the European Economic Area. Since the United Kingdom left the EU, it appears that UK-registered charities may no longer qualify for this route in the same way they once did, which could mean a higher tax bill than the testator ever intended.

There is a further wrinkle. Some UK charitable structures operate as trusts rather than as charities with their own separate legal personality. Spanish law does not recognise trusts, which can create additional uncertainty over how the inheritance is treated for tax purposes.

None of this means you should abandon the idea. It simply means the details matter. Before finalising a will that leaves assets to a charity, it is worth confirming exactly how that organisation is structured and reviewing what the tax outcome is likely to be under current rules. At White & Baos Lawyers, we help clients get this right from the outset, so that a generous gesture reaches its intended cause as fully as possible. Reach out to us, today, and we will walk you through it.

You may be interested in the following services and articles:

Inheritance and Wills in Spain in favour of charities, NGOs, non-profit foundations , social organizations , etc. Legal Advice : The executor.

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SPANISH WILLS FOR ALL WORLDWIDE ASSETS

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White & Baos.

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Marbella has been hit by a new plight: the invasion of the avocado in unexpected dishes.

Avocadoes are apparently healthy but based on the amount of sauce I need just to cover the taste to be able to eat it, maybe not so much for me. I can eat one if life depends on it but I certainly wouldn’t order one to suffer by choice.

Nevertheless, recently they’ve been turning up everywhere and in everything, including dishes where you would never think to say, “No avocado, please.”

I’ve ordered fried eggs on toast and the toast came pasted with avocado. I’ve ordered bruschetta and found it mixed in with the tomato. I’ve ordered eggs Benedict and there it was: avobloodycado hiding under the eggs.

Is this one of those Emperor’s New Clothes situations, with chefs trying to elevate a typical dish by shoving in avocado? If it’s on the side, you can choose not to eat it, but when it comes camouflaged or smushed with tomatoes, I’m at least thankful I’m not allergic.

Has restaurant food become presumptuous, or are my taste buds simply old-fashioned? If you want to create a variation, why not call it something different? Please don’t give it a standard name that has existed worldwide for years and then serve your own interpretation without explaining.

It’s not just English restaurants, either. Often, the fancier the Spanish restaurant, the less food on the plate, the higher the price and the bigger the surprise.

I love good food and eating out, but if you want to improvise with traditional dishes, please write it on the menu and let us know before we order. Thank you.