How is the Feast Day of St. James celebrated in Santiago de Compostela?

Pilgrims celebrate the feast day of St. James, also known as the “Festas do Apóstolo,” beginning on the eve of the feast with outdoor concerts and fireworks. The day itself centers around the Mass of his feast. This is the occasion of the swinging of the Cathedral’s Botafumeiro, a giant thurible filled with burning incense, which swings precariously in great arcs from the Cathedral’s ceiling across the sanctuary. Throughout the day pilgrims venerate his relics, asking the Apostle to bless them and to pray for their needs.