Basics
Holidays and Fiestas in Spain
By m.p. - Apr 22, 2007 - 2:36 PM
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Spain sets a maximum of 14 public holidays (fiestas) every year: no more than two of those can be at a local level, with each town having its own holiday dates. National holidays falling on a Sunday are transferred to the Monday.
Each of the Autonomous Communities also has its own day, included within the maximum of 14.
1st January: El Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day), is the only day of the year when Spanish newspapers do not publish. It’s preceded by a traditional family dinner on nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) when, across Spain, the countdown to midnight is marked by eating grapes, one in time with each chime of the clock – it’s said to bring good luck, as is wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve. The grapes are eaten either in the family home, or in the town’s main square, where everyone dresses up in their finery to watch the fireworks which are set off to herald in the New Year. Others may choose to celebrate by attending New Year parties in hotels and bars: it’s known as the cotillón.
6th January: El Día de Los Reyes (The Day of the Three Kings – Epiphany) is when presents are exchanged in Spain, although many families have now also adopted Christmas Day.
It’s traditional for three local men to dress up as the Three Kings on 5th January, and ride around the town giving out sweets to the crowds of children who follow the procession.
Easter: Semana Santa. The two public holidays are Jueves Santo and Viernes Santo (Maundy Thursday and Good Friday). Religious processions begin on Palm Sunday and last throughout the week until Easter Sunday.
1st May: El Día del Trabajador (Labour Day)
15th August: Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
12th October: Día de la Hispanidad, Spain’s National Day. It commemorates the discovery of America by Christopher Colombus on 12th October 1492.
1st November: Todos los Santos (All Souls Day), is when relatives visit the graves of their loved ones in the cemetery.
6th December: Día de la Constitución Española (Constitution Day), marks the national referendum which took place on 6th December 1978 to approve the Spanish Constitution.
8th December: La Inmaculada Concepción (commemorating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgen Mary). It’s closeness to the Día de la Constitución leads many Spanish businesses to decide on a puente, or bridge, and close for the three days from the 6th to the 8th. A puente can also take place if any national holiday takes place on a Tuesday or a Thursday, forming a holiday bridge with the weekend.
25th December: Navidad (Christmas Day). The Christmas celebrations traditionally take place on the night of Christmas Eve, (nochebuena) with a family dinner. Cotillones are also held in hotels.
Note: Autonomous Communities have the right to allocate two other public holidays – San José on 19th March and Santiago Apóstol (St James the Apostle) on 25th July as local holidays in municipalities, and may move the date to other days in the year. The same applies to El Día de los Reyes and Jueves Santo. The fourteenth public holiday is the day chosen for the regional holiday by each Autonomous Community.
Other celebrations
Carnaval (carnival) takes place the week before Lent and is not a holiday in Spain, but is celebrated throughout the country with floats parading through the streets and people decked out in fancy-dress which many have spent months preparing. Prizes are given for the best costumes and the Carnival Queen is selected as the most beautiful girl at the start of the celebrations.
San Juan (St John), 24th June, is a local holiday in some areas, with many towns, especially on the coast, celebrating with bonfires on the 23rd, and camping out on the beach throughout the night or even longer. It’s the one time when camping is permitted on many beaches.
Washing your face in sea water at midnight – to wash away your sins - is said to bring good luck, as is jumping over the bonfires, or hogueras a minimum of three times.
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