CCSE questions on Festivals and traditions
Practice questions on Festivals and traditions for the CCSE. This topic belongs to task 4 (Spanish culture and history).
Which tradition is typical of San Juan night, on 23 June?
- AEncender hoguerasLighting bonfires
- BTomar doce uvasEating twelve grapes
- CRegalar librosGiving books as gifts
Show answer and explanation
✓ Encender hogueras
On the night of San Juan, from 23 to 24 June, it is typical to light bonfires and jump over them, especially on the coast. People celebrate the arrival of summer. Eating twelve grapes is a Nochevieja tradition, and giving books is typical of the Día del Libro (Book Day), on 23 April. Remember the dates: June equals bonfires, April equals books, December equals grapes.
What is celebrated in Spain on the night of 24 December?
- ALa Noche de San JuanSan Juan Night
- BEl CarnavalCarnaval
- CLa NochebuenaNochebuena
Show answer and explanation
✓ La Nochebuena
On 24 December people celebrate Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), the family Christmas dinner. It is one of the most important holidays of the year. Families get together and sing villancicos (Christmas carols). The 25th is Navidad (Christmas Day) and the 31st is Nochevieja (New Year's Eve). Carnaval is in February or March, and San Juan is in June. Learn the calendar: 24 equals Nochebuena, 25 equals Navidad, 31 equals Nochevieja.
What does Juan Mari Arzak do?
- AEs músicoHe is a musician
- BEs escritorHe is a writer
- CEs cocineroHe is a cook
Show answer and explanation
✓ Es cocinero
Juan Mari Arzak is a very famous Basque chef. His restaurant, in San Sebastián, won three Michelin stars in 1989. He was one of the leaders of new Basque cooking. In Spain there are many internationally famous chefs, such as Ferran Adrià or the Roca brothers. Remember: Arzak equals cooking from the País Vasco.
7 practice questions on this topic
- Which tradition is typical of San Juan night, on 23 June?
- What is celebrated in Spain on the night of 24 December?
- What does Juan Mari Arzak do?
- What are the typical songs sung at Christmas called?
- Which festival does Pamplona celebrate every July, with its main day on the 7th?
- What do people eat in Nochevieja, at twelve at night, to welcome the new year?
- What is celebrated in Spain on 6 December?
Other topics in task 4
Free official material
The Instituto Cervantes publishes a manual and an app with the official questions. We write new questions on the same facts, with explanations: use them together.
Frequently asked questions
How many CCSE questions are about Festivals and traditions?
Festivals and traditions is part of task 4 (Spanish culture and history), which has 3 of the 25 questions in the exam. Here are 7 original practice questions on this topic.
Are these the official CCSE questions?
No. They are original questions that test the same facts as the Instituto Cervantes' official 2026 manual, with our own explanations. The official manual can be downloaded free from the Instituto Cervantes website.
How do I practise this topic?
Read each question, pick an option and check the explanation. When you feel confident, take a timed 25-question mock test and see which task you miss most.