topics
tools
Expatica countries
editor's choice

State and private schools in Spain

Festivals in Spain 2011

Should our kids go native too?

Childcare in Spain

Moving to Barcelona with children

Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2270.63 -0.42
DAX 6788.8 0.59
IBEX 30 8902.1 0.60
CAC 40 3424.71 0.43
FTSE 100 5895.47 0.33
AEX 325.12 -0.06
DJIA 12890.46 0.05
Nasdaq 2927.23 0.39
FTSE MIB 16653.83 -0.09
TSX Composite 12497.94 -0.18
ASX 4328.5 -0.66
Hang seng 20888.68 -0.58
Straits Times 2973.73 -0.25
ISEQ 20 503.71 0.33
You are here: Home Moving to Country Facts Spanish holidays for 2009

Country Facts

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


20/01/2009Spanish holidays for 2009

Spanish holidays for 2009 Here is a list of public holidays observed in Spain in 2009.

Below are the national holidays and some regional holidays for 2009.

2009
1 January - New Year's Day (Año Nuevo)
6 January* - Epiphany (Dia de los tres Reyes otherwise known as the 12th night of Christmas where children receive their Christmas presents)
19 March* - Father’s Day (San Jose) 
5 to 12 April - Week before Easter (Semana Santa)
9 April* - Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo) 
10 April - Good Friday (Viernes Santo)
11 April* - Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua)
1 May - Labour Day (Día del Trabajador)
15 August - Assumption of the Virgin (Asuncion)
12 October - National Day (Dia de la Hispanidad)
1 November - All Saints' Day (Todos los Santos where relatives remember the dead and lay flowers on their graves)
6 December - Constitution Day (Dia de la Constitucion)
8 December - Immaculate Conception (Immaculada Concepcion)
24 December - Christmas’ Eve. Some say Christmas’ eve is far more important than Christmas Day in Spain. Shops close early as Spaniards gather together for a big meal at night.
25 December - Christmas Day (Navidad) 
28 December - Fools’ Day (Dia de los Santos Inocentes – a day where people play all kinds of pranks on one another)

*These holidays may be replaced by the autonomous communities with another date. Depending on which part of Spain you are at, regional public holidays may vary. 

*Easter Monday is not a public holiday, except in Catalonia and Valencia. In Spain, shops close the week before Easter. Most stores are closed on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Sunday.

If this is your first year in Spain, public holidays can be confusing. Public holidays celebrated in this country include a mix of religious, national and regional observances. Each municipality is allowed to declare a maximum of 14 public holidays per year where nine are chosen by the national government and at least two are chosen locally. To complicate matters, if a government-picked holiday falls on a Sunday, the local municipality can replace it with a regional holiday. 

It is also important to note which day Spanish holiday falls on. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many businesses will take the Monday or Friday off too. This is known as a 'puente', a 'bridge' between the holiday and the weekend.

Expatica 2009

photo credit: Kozumel 


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

Looking for a job?

Browse all jobs
Moving to essentials
Moving to expert Q&A
ask your question
Discussion Forums

English in Spain

Public (free) primary schools in Barcelona + surrounding areas.

Jobs in Spain

IFAs / FSIs / Country Managers / Confidential Introducers

Community Noticeboard Spain

Barcelona-stay updated!

Housing in Spain

Sitges, Barcelona - 5 Bedroom Villa € 1,150,000 For Sale

Jobs in Spain

“Silicon Valley Comes to Barcelona”, 24th Feb 2012

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.

Groups and Clubs around Spain

Groups and Clubs around Spain

A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.