Spain
Spain observes 10 national holidays plus 2 per autonomous community, for a typical total of 12-14 days. Cities add their patron saint (fiesta patronal) as paid local holidays. San Juan (June 24) and Santiago Apostol (July 25) are heavily observed culturally.
National holidays (10)
- Ano Nuevo - January 1
- Epifania del Senor - January 6
- Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) - movable
- Viernes Santo (Good Friday) - movable
- Fiesta del Trabajo - May 1
- Fiesta Nacional de Espana (La Hispanidad) - October 12
- Todos los Santos - November 1
- Constitucion Espanola - December 6
- Inmaculada Concepcion - December 8
- Navidad - December 25
How the Spanish holiday calendar works
Spain's 10 national holidays are set by the BOE annual calendar, with 2 additional days per autonomous community chosen by each comunidad. This produces a typical total of 12-14 days, varying by region. The most distinctive feature is the movable Easter week (Jueves Santo + Viernes Santo), which produces 4-day Semana Santa breaks. Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) is a national holiday in Spain but not in most other European countries.
National holidays apply nationwide. Spanish employers must grant the day off or pay overtime premium. The Fiesta Nacional de Espana (October 12, La Hispanidad) is the national civic day and is observed with a military parade in Madrid; several comunidades replace it with their own dia de la comunidad. Cities add their patron saint (fiesta patronal) as paid local holidays - Madrid observes San Isidro (May 15), Barcelona observes La Merce (September 24), Sevilla observes San Fernando (May 30), Valencia observes San Jose (March 19).
Religious and secular composition
Spain is roughly 70% Catholic, 25% religiously unaffiliated, 2% Muslim, 1% Protestant, 2% other (CIS 2022 estimates). The 10-day national calendar reflects Catholic tradition heavily (4 of 10 days are Catholic liturgical dates: Epifania, Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo, Todos los Santos, Inmaculada, Navidad). Civic days account for 3 (Fiesta del Trabajo, Fiesta Nacional, Constitucion). Ano Nuevo is universally observed. The 1978 Constitution establishes no state religion but Catholic liturgical observances remain statutory paid holidays.
Peak months and observance patterns
April (Semana Santa) is the heaviest single stretch: Jueves Santo + Viernes Santo produce 4-day weekends. November (Todos los Santos + Constitution week) is the second peak. December (Constitucion + Inmaculada + Navidad + San Esteban regional) is the year-end cluster. May (Fiesta del Trabajo + many city patron saints) is the third peak. June (San Juan) and July (Santiago Apostol) are the summer civic-religious cluster.
Region-by-region variation
Spain's 17 comunidades autonomas add 2 local days each, often replacing La Hispanidad (October 12) with their own dia de la comunidad. Madrid observes San Isidro (May 15) and Almudena (November 9). Catalonia observes Fiesta de la Hispanidad replacement (October 12) and Sant Jordi (April 23). Basque Country observes San Ignacio (April 30) and Aberri Eguna (Easter Sunday, controversial). Andalusia observes Dia de Andalucia (February 28) and Fiesta del Sacrificio. Galicia observes Dia de Galicia (July 25, also Santiago) and San Jose (March 19). Each city adds its patron saint. Total holidays per city: typically 12-14.
Recent shifts and contested history
The most contested national holiday is Fiesta Nacional de Espana (October 12, La Hispanidad): Catalonia, Basque Country, and other comunidades have periodically proposed replacing it with their own day. Several comunidades have effectively replaced October 12 by shifting it: Madrid still observes it but Catalonia observes a regional day. The 2023 Pedro Sanchez government proposed making Election Day a permanent paid holiday, but the proposal was withdrawn after regional opposition. San Juan (June 24) and Santiago Apostol (July 25) are culturally observed even where not statutory; many Spanish cities take San Juan as a de facto day off.
Where the holidays come from culturally
Spanish holidays reflect four historical layers. Layer 1 (pre-1978): Catholic liturgical calendar under Franco regime, with Easter, Epifania, Navidad, Todos los Santos as the main dates; Fiesta del Trabajo was suppressed during early Franco era (1939-1957). Layer 2 (1978-1986): post-constitution civic holidays, including Fiesta Nacional (October 12, kept from Franco-era Fiesta de la Hispanidad), Constitucion (December 6, added 1978). Layer 3 (1986-present): autonomous community days added per the 1978 Constitution. Layer 4 (2000s-present): city-level patron saints and de facto observance days. The pattern is Catholic-civic hybrid with strong regionalist layer.
Work and pay rules
National holidays are paid days off under Spanish labor law. Working on a national holiday requires overtime premium or substitute day off. The 10-14-day calendar is supplemented by employer practice: many Spanish companies close for the entire Semana Santa week and August. Total observed time off including national holidays + 4-6 weeks mandatory vacation + regional days + city saints + employer practice is approximately 30-40 days per year, similar to Italy and France.
Comparison with neighboring countries
Compared with France's 11 statutory + Alsace-Moselle extras, Spain has 10 + 2 per community, similar in count but with strong regionalist variation. Compared with Italy's 11 national + city saints, Spain has a similar count with community-level days replacing Italian city saints. Compared with Portugal's 13 national holidays, Spain has slightly fewer. Compared with Germany's 9-13 federal/state days, Spain has 12-14 federal/community days. The most distinctive Spanish feature is the Semana Santa + August vacation shutdown, similar to Italy.
Calendar cycles 2026-2028
Most Spanish national holidays are fixed-date. Easter week moves with Easter. For 2026, Easter is April 5, so Jueves Santo is April 2 and Viernes Santo is April 3. For 2027, Easter is March 28, so Jueves Santo is March 25 and Viernes Santo is March 26. For 2028, Easter is April 16, so Jueves Santo is April 13 and Viernes Santo is April 14. Fiesta Nacional (October 12) and Navidad (December 25) are fixed. Substitute holidays do not apply automatically; if a national holiday falls on Sunday, the next Monday is typically taken by collective agreement.
Major holiday briefs on this page
Each of the holidays discussed on this regional overview has a full standalone brief covering its origins, observance practices, and modern controversy: