Spain’s public holidays in 2016: Official list
Spain will have a total of eight national holidays, four regional holidays and two municipal days in 2016. So get organized and start planning some weekends away.
When a newly elected Mariano Rajoy pledged to do away with mid-week public holidays and move them to the nearest Monday (in line with the British system) there was a collective moan from workers across Spain.
The proposal formed part of the ambitious labour reforms pledged by the conservative Popular party and were aimed at saving the economy the costs associated with puentes - the Spanish custom of taking the day off to bridge the weekend with the holiday.
However, the reform failed to materialize and Spaniards have just learnt that they will enjoy eight national holidays, four regional and two local ones.
If you think that sounds like rather a lot, it is actually on a par with the number of public holidays marked by Germany and Greece, and only one more than the French, according to a comparison drawn up by Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Britain draws the short straw with just eight public holidays a year which - aside from Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday - are all celebrated on a Monday.
Here is the official list of all the public holidays across Spain, as published in Spain's BOE official state bulletin.
The eight national public holidays in 2016 are:
January 1st: New Year's Day (Friday)
January 6th: Dia de los Reyes Magos, Three Kings Day, Epiphany. (Wednesday)
March 25th: Good Friday
August 15th: Assumption of Mary, (Monday)
October 12th: Spanish National Day, (Wednesday)
November 1st: All Saints’ Day (Monday)
December 6th: Constitution Day (Tuesday)
December 8th: Immaculate Conception, (Thursday).
Apart from these national dates, all regions have additional holidays. See below for the full list.
Andalusia
February 29th: Andalusia Day (Monday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Aragon
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
April 23rd: St George’s Day and Aragon regional day (Saturday)
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Asturias
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
September 8th: Asturian Regional Day (Thursday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Balearic Islands
March 1st: Balearic Regional Day (Tuesday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Basque Country
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day / Regional Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
Canary Islands
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
May 30th: Canary Islands Day (Monday)
Cantabria
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
July 28th: Cantabrian Institutions Day (Thursday)
September 15th: Patron Saint of Cantabria (Virgen de la Bien Aparecida)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Castilla-La Mancha
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 26th Corpus Christi
May 31st Castilla-La Mancha Regional Day
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Castile and León
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
April 23rd: Castile and León Day (Saturday)
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Catalonia
March 28th: Easter Monday
May 16th: Pentecost (Monday)
June 24th: St James (Friday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Ceuta
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
September 2nd: Ceuta Day (Friday)
September 12th: Festival of Abraham’s Sacrifice (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Extremadura
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
September 8th: Extremadura Regional Day
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Galicia
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 17th Galicia Literature Day (Tuesday)
June 24th St John’s Day (Friday)
July 25th: St James’ Day / Galician Regional Day (Monday)
La Rioja
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
June 9th: La Rioja Regional Day (Thursday)
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
Madrid
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Community of Madrid Day
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Melilla
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
September 12th: Festival of Abraham’s Sacrifice (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Murcia
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
June 9th: Murcia Regional Day (Thursday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Navarre
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Valencia
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
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When a newly elected Mariano Rajoy pledged to do away with mid-week public holidays and move them to the nearest Monday (in line with the British system) there was a collective moan from workers across Spain.
The proposal formed part of the ambitious labour reforms pledged by the conservative Popular party and were aimed at saving the economy the costs associated with puentes - the Spanish custom of taking the day off to bridge the weekend with the holiday.
However, the reform failed to materialize and Spaniards have just learnt that they will enjoy eight national holidays, four regional and two local ones.
If you think that sounds like rather a lot, it is actually on a par with the number of public holidays marked by Germany and Greece, and only one more than the French, according to a comparison drawn up by Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Britain draws the short straw with just eight public holidays a year which - aside from Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday - are all celebrated on a Monday.
Here is the official list of all the public holidays across Spain, as published in Spain's BOE official state bulletin.
The eight national public holidays in 2016 are:
January 1st: New Year's Day (Friday)
January 6th: Dia de los Reyes Magos, Three Kings Day, Epiphany. (Wednesday)
March 25th: Good Friday
August 15th: Assumption of Mary, (Monday)
October 12th: Spanish National Day, (Wednesday)
November 1st: All Saints’ Day (Monday)
December 6th: Constitution Day (Tuesday)
December 8th: Immaculate Conception, (Thursday).
Apart from these national dates, all regions have additional holidays. See below for the full list.
Andalusia
February 29th: Andalusia Day (Monday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Aragon
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
April 23rd: St George’s Day and Aragon regional day (Saturday)
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Asturias
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1)
September 8th: Asturian Regional Day (Thursday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Balearic Islands
March 1st: Balearic Regional Day (Tuesday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Basque Country
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day / Regional Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
Canary Islands
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
May 30th: Canary Islands Day (Monday)
Cantabria
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
July 28th: Cantabrian Institutions Day (Thursday)
September 15th: Patron Saint of Cantabria (Virgen de la Bien Aparecida)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Castilla-La Mancha
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 26th Corpus Christi
May 31st Castilla-La Mancha Regional Day
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Castile and León
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
April 23rd: Castile and León Day (Saturday)
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Catalonia
March 28th: Easter Monday
May 16th: Pentecost (Monday)
June 24th: St James (Friday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Ceuta
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
September 2nd: Ceuta Day (Friday)
September 12th: Festival of Abraham’s Sacrifice (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Extremadura
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Workers’ Day (Monday after May 1st)
September 8th: Extremadura Regional Day
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Galicia
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 17th Galicia Literature Day (Tuesday)
June 24th St John’s Day (Friday)
July 25th: St James’ Day / Galician Regional Day (Monday)
La Rioja
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
June 9th: La Rioja Regional Day (Thursday)
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
Madrid
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
May 2nd: Community of Madrid Day
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Melilla
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
September 12th: Festival of Abraham’s Sacrifice (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Murcia
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
June 9th: Murcia Regional Day (Thursday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Navarre
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
July 25th: St James’ Day (Monday)
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
Valencia
March 19th: St Joseph’s Day (Saturday)
March 24th: Maundy Thursday
March 28th: Easter Monday
December 26th: St Stephen’s Day (Monday)
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