Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By Johanna Gardener •
Updated: 12 Nov 2024 • 10:38 • 2 minutes read
Spain can celebrate unto 14 public holidays per year which for some may seem excessive yet figures reveal that its not the highest in Europe.
If you are from America or the UK, you may have come to ask yourself: “Why does Spain have so many public holidays?” If it’s not individual days, it’s bank holidays that roll out into the weekend or sometimes up to 3 days bunched together known as “puentes”. It’s not uncommon either to see businesses, schools and other workplaces close for local ferias (fairs) or patron saint days. Like everything, this has its ups and downs. The upside: how could anyone complain about having time off work? The downside: bank holidays equals shops and businesses closed and sometimes, babysitting arrangements.
Public holidays in Spain can also be regional or local
Referred to as “festivos” in Spanish, these days can vary from place to place. Depending on where you live, there will be extra regional or local feast days slotted into the calendar, quite possibly to celebrate a saint or a certain “vírgen” (representations of the Virgin Mary). This is aside from the public bank holidays including the obvious culprits – Christmas, Epiphany and Easter or Holy Week (Semana Santa), as well as various miscellaneous days every now and then to spice things up. In total, there are eight national public holidays, a further four regional festive days and two which can be chosen by the local authority. That means a whopping 14 days of public holidays and that’s before you start to take your statutory breaks. This compares with a total of eight in England with few to none regional or local days added to boost the numbers. In the US, there are 11 public holidays including Thanksgiving and Independence Day.
What makes things confusing is that for non-religious members of Spain’s community, many of these days originate from the country’s Catholic heritage, notably August 15 celebrating the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Good Friday (celebrated in March or April), and November 1 for All Saints Day. Add to this, the carefully selected regional holidays which can also be religious in sentiment. The remaining four days belong to Spain’s national heritage, celebrating historic events such as the birth of the Spanish Constitution (December 6).
Spain comes 12th in Europe for number of public holidays
However, interestingly, Spain is not leading the way with its days off. World Population Review figures show that Nepal is the country with the most days off in the world enjoying a generous 39 per year. In fact, despite what some countries might think, Spain is actually at twelfth place with its public holidays – hardly topping the charts for down time. In Europe, the title for most public holidays actually goes to Lichtenstein with 20 days off, followed by Slovakia with 15.
While public holidays in Spain may bring some inconveniences, they also offer a delightful opportunity to celebrate and enjoy life. With the country s vibrant culture centred around fun, laughter, food, and family, it s a perfect reason to embrace these occasions and look forward to the joy they bring. Be sure to check out regional and local days off for your area!
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Written by
Johanna Gardener
Originally from Manchester, UK and with a degree in English with Modern Foreign Languages, she has been a permanent resident in Spain for the past 12 years. Many of these years, she has spent working as a secondary school teacher, as well as in journalism, editing and marketing. She currently lives in the historic centre of Malaga, where she enjoys writing, walking and animals.
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