Spain’s National Day (October 12th) falls on a Sunday this year. Therefore, not everyone in the country will get a day off, as only a handful of regions will move the ‘fiesta’ to Monday October 13th.
This date was first established as a national holiday in 1892 to commemorate the fourth centenary of the ‘discovery’ of the Americas.
Christopher Columbus, or Cristóbal Colón as he’s called in Spanish, reached the so-called New World on October 12th 1492. He in fact landed in what today is known as the Bahamas.
READ ALSO: How Spain celebrates its National Day (and why many aren’t happy about it)
According to Law 18/1987 it’s “the historical anniversary in which Spain, about to conclude a process of building the State based on our cultural and political plurality, and the integration of the Kingdoms of Spain into a single Monarchy, begins a period of linguistic and cultural projection beyond the European borders”.
This day has also become to be known as Hispanic Heritage Day and Spain usually celebrates it with military parades in certain cities across the country.
Not every region celebrates it though, even though it’s typically a public holiday. For example, you won’t find any military parades in Catalonia or the Basque Country.
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Although it’s considered a public holiday, this year October 12th falls on a Sunday, which is a non-working day for most people in Spain.
This means that each region in Spain has the choice of whether to move the public holiday to Monday October 13th instead and give school children and workers a long weekend or not.
This year, only five regions have decided to do so meaning October 13th will only be a public holiday in Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Castilla y León and Extremadura.
In these five regions, schools will be closed, as well as most offices and shops such as supermarkets. Restaurants and bars will typically remain open.
For the rest of the regions, Monday October 13th will be a normal working day with schools open as usual.
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In total, this year, each region must have 14 public holidays. Eight of these are celebrated nationally across the whole country. Of the remaining four, each region can choose which ones they want to celebrate.
Any national holidays that fall on Sundays, like October 12th this year can also either be moved to the following day or not and replaced with a different holiday at a different time of the year.
According to the Workers’ Statute, within this limit of holidays, regions “may designate those holidays that are traditionally their own, replacing those of a national scope that are determined by regulations and those that are moved to Monday”.
Unfortunately for weekday workers and school kids, the next two public holidays in Spain also fall on the weekend.
November 1st – All Saints’ Day will be on a Saturday, as well as Constitution Day on December 6th.
