Holidays
Spain has 14 official holidays per year — 9 national and 5 regional (each Comunidad Autónoma chooses its own). In addition, there are local holidays in each city. It can happen that it's a holiday in Valencia, but not in Madrid — and vice versa.
National Holidays
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Año Nuevo (New Year) | Everything closed. At midnight, 12 grapes are eaten — one for each chime |
| January 6 | Día de Reyes (Epiphany) | The more important "Christmas Day" — children receive gifts. On the eve (Jan. 5), large parades (Cabalgata de Reyes) |
| Variable | Viernes Santo (Good Friday) | Highlight of Semana Santa |
| May 1 | Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) | Demonstrations in major cities |
| August 15 | Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption of Mary) | In the middle of summer holidays, many places closed |
| October 12 | Fiesta Nacional (National Day / Día de la Hispanidad) | Military parade in Madrid. Increasingly controversial due to colonial past |
| November 1 | Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) | Cemetery visits, Buñuelos de Viento (cream puffs) |
| December 6 | Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day) | Often "Puente" (bridge day) with Dec. 8 |
| December 8 | Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) | Start of Christmas lighting |
| December 25 | Navidad (Christmas) | Family celebration, everything closed |
Important Regional Holidays
- March 19: San José (Valencia) — Highlight of the Fallas
- April 23: Día de San Jorge / Sant Jordi (Aragón/Catalonia) — Book and Rose Day in Barcelona
- May 2: Comunidad de Madrid — Commemoration of the uprising against Napoleon in 1808
- June 24: San Juan — Midsummer night with beach fires, especially on the Mediterranean coast
- July 25: Santiago Apóstol (Galicia) — St. James' Day in Santiago de Compostela
- September 11: Diada (Catalonia) — National holiday, often with independence demonstrations
💡 Tipp
If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, Spaniards often take a "Puente" (bridge) — they take Monday or Friday off. Hotels and holiday apartments are then fully booked, prices rise. Plan around Puente weekends!