Surely, on more than one occasion upon discovering that shops and other establishments were closed because it was a holiday, you have wondered the reason for such a holiday.

Below, we have for you the list of national holidays and a brief explanation about the origin of each celebration, which in many cases is religious, as you will see. A few dates to put in the diary to avoid surprises in the future…

• 1 of January New Year’s Day.
• January 6: Three Kings Day. Christian tradition says that the Three Wise Men brought gifts to baby Jesus, specifically: gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is especially children who receive gifts on this day, although adults do too.
• Good Friday, before Easter Sunday (variable, depending on the dates of Holy Week, but usually in April). It is one of the most representative and profound commemorations of Christianity, in which the crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth is remembered.
• May 1: Labor Day. The fight for workers’ rights is commemorated.
• August 15: The Assumption of the Virgin is celebrated, which is the belief that both the soul and body of the Virgin Mary were taken to heaven along with her son, after concluding her life on earth.
• October 12: The National Holiday that commemorates the Discovery of America in 1492 is celebrated.
• November 1: All Saints’ Day. Many people visit cemeteries on this day and place flowers on the graves of their deceased loved ones.
• December 6: Constitution Day, which includes the rights and obligations of all citizens of Spain since 1978.
• December 8: Immaculate Conception Day. It commemorates the moment when the Virgin Mary conceived her baby.
• December 25: Christmas Day.

In addition to the above, there are other regional and local holidays established by each autonomous community. Thus, in the Region of Murcia we add Holy Thursday, before Easter Sunday (variable day depending on the dates of Holy Week). And on June 9, Murcia Region Day.

To mention some neighboring autonomous communities, on February 28 the Day of Andalusia is celebrated (for the constitution of its own government) and on October 9, the Day of the Valencian Community (entrance of King James I into the city of Valencia, in 1238).

In total, there are 14 public holidays per year in Spain, including national, regional and local festivities. If we look at other countries in Europe, we find that countries like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands only enjoy 8 national holidays per year. The country in top place is San Marino, with 20 holidays.

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