{"id":59,"date":"2026-09-30T14:54:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leweb2ks.dev\/vitrine-vocadial\/en\/resources\/spanish-festivals\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T14:54:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:54:27","slug":"spanish-festivals","status":"publish","type":"vd_ressource","link":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/resources\/spanish-festivals\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish festivals: dates and traditions through the year"},"content":{"rendered":"

National, regional or local?<\/h2>\n\n

Before the calendar, one key point your pupils (and textbooks) often miss: in Spain, public holidays work on three levels.<\/p>\n\n

  1. National holidays.<\/strong> A short list of days are holidays across the whole country, such as 1 January, Good Friday or 12 October.<\/li>
  2. Regional holidays.<\/strong> Each of the 17 autonomous communities sets some of its own days, such as its regional day (D\u00eda de Andaluc\u00eda<\/span>, la Diada<\/span> in Catalonia) or certain religious feasts. When a national holiday falls on a Sunday, each region can also move it to the Monday.<\/li>
  3. Local holidays.<\/strong> Each town adds two local holidays, usually for its patron saint or its main fiesta. By law, the total cannot exceed fourteen days a year, two of them local.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n

    So a festival that closes every shop in Valencia can be an ordinary working day in Madrid. Note that fiesta<\/span> means both “party” and “public holiday”; a holiday is also un d\u00eda festivo<\/span> (in Latin America, un feriado<\/span>). When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, many people take the day in between off: hacer puente<\/span>, “to make a bridge”.<\/p>\n\n

    The festival calendar, month by month<\/h2>\n\n

    National means a holiday everywhere in Spain; regional, in one or more regions; local, in one town; tradition, celebrated but not a day off.<\/p>\n\n

    Date<\/th>Festival<\/th>Status<\/th>What happens<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    1 January<\/td>A\u00f1o Nuevo<\/td>national<\/td>New Year’s Day, after the grapes of Nochevieja<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
    5 January (evening)<\/td>Cabalgata de Reyes<\/td>tradition<\/td>parades of the Three Kings, who throw sweets to the crowd<\/td><\/tr>
    6 January<\/td>D\u00eda de Reyes (Epifan\u00eda)<\/td>national<\/td>children open their presents from the Reyes Magos<\/span>; rosc\u00f3n de Reyes<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
    February or March<\/td>Carnaval<\/td>local<\/td>Tuesday before Ash Wednesday; famous in C\u00e1diz and the Canary Islands<\/td><\/tr>
    28 February<\/td>D\u00eda de Andaluc\u00eda<\/td>regional<\/td>Andalusia’s day<\/td><\/tr>
    15\u201319 March<\/td>Las Fallas<\/td>local (Valencia)<\/td>giant figures burnt on the night of 19 March, la crem\u00e0<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
    19 March<\/td>San Jos\u00e9, D\u00eda del Padre<\/td>tradition; holiday in some regions some years<\/td>Father’s Day in Spain<\/td><\/tr>
    March or April<\/td>Semana Santa<\/td>Good Friday national; Maundy Thursday in most regions; Easter Monday in some<\/td>processions in Seville, M\u00e1laga, Valladolid and many towns<\/td><\/tr>
    April or May<\/td>Feria de Abril<\/td>local (Seville)<\/td>usually two weeks after Easter: casetas<\/span>, flamenco dresses, sevillanas<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
    23 April<\/td>San Jorge, Sant Jordi<\/td>regional in Aragon and Castile and Le\u00f3n; tradition in Catalonia<\/td>in Catalonia, a book and a rose for loved ones<\/td><\/tr>
    1 May<\/td>Fiesta del Trabajo<\/td>national<\/td>Labour Day<\/td><\/tr>
    2 May<\/td>D\u00eda de la Comunidad de Madrid<\/td>regional<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    first Sunday of May<\/td>D\u00eda de la Madre<\/td>tradition<\/td>Mother’s Day in Spain<\/td><\/tr>
    15 May<\/td>San Isidro<\/td>local (Madrid city)<\/td>Madrid’s patron saint<\/td><\/tr>
    May or June<\/td>Corpus Christi<\/td>local or regional in some places<\/td>Thursday, 60 days after Easter; processions and flower carpets, e.g. Toledo, Granada<\/td><\/tr>
    night of 23 June<\/td>Noche de San Juan<\/td>24 June is a holiday in Catalonia and some other places<\/td>bonfires, fireworks, beach parties; Hogueras<\/span> in Alicante<\/td><\/tr>
    6\u201314 July<\/td>San Ferm\u00edn<\/td>local (Pamplona)<\/td>the chupinazo<\/span> rocket at noon on 6 July; bull runs every morning from 7 to 14 July<\/td><\/tr>
    25 July<\/td>Santiago Ap\u00f3stol<\/td>regional in Galicia, some years elsewhere<\/td>Galicia’s national day; Santiago de Compostela<\/td><\/tr>
    15 August<\/td>Asunci\u00f3n de la Virgen<\/td>national<\/td>peak of the summer town fiestas<\/td><\/tr>
    last Wednesday of August<\/td>La Tomatina<\/td>local (Bu\u00f1ol, Valencia)<\/td>a giant tomato fight<\/td><\/tr>
    11 September<\/td>La Diada<\/td>regional (Catalonia)<\/td>Catalonia’s national day<\/td><\/tr>
    12 October<\/td>Fiesta Nacional de Espa\u00f1a<\/td>national<\/td>military parade in Madrid; also the Virgen del Pilar, Zaragoza<\/td><\/tr>
    1 November<\/td>Todos los Santos<\/td>national<\/td>families visit cemeteries; bu\u00f1uelos<\/span> and huesos de santo<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
    6 December<\/td>D\u00eda de la Constituci\u00f3n<\/td>national<\/td>the 1978 Constitution<\/td><\/tr>
    8 December<\/td>Inmaculada Concepci\u00f3n<\/td>national<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
    22 December<\/td>Loter\u00eda de Navidad<\/td>tradition<\/td>the Christmas lottery draw, el Gordo<\/span>, sung by schoolchildren<\/td><\/tr>
    24 December<\/td>Nochebuena<\/td>tradition<\/td>Christmas Eve family dinner<\/td><\/tr>
    25 December<\/td>Navidad<\/td>national<\/td>Christmas Day<\/td><\/tr>
    28 December<\/td>D\u00eda de los Santos Inocentes<\/td>tradition<\/td>pranks, inocentadas<\/span>: Spain’s April Fool’s Day<\/td><\/tr>
    31 December<\/td>Nochevieja<\/td>tradition<\/td>twelve grapes on the twelve chimes of midnight<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    Every region has its own day. Among them: Balearic Islands 1 March, Canary Islands 30 May, Castile-La Mancha 31 May, Murcia and La Rioja 9 June, Asturias and Extremadura 8 September, Valencian Community 9 October, Navarre 3 December.<\/p>\n\n

    Easter and the moveable dates<\/h2>\n\n
    1. Easter Sunday.<\/strong> The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, as calculated by the Church. It always falls between 22 March and 25 April.<\/li>
    2. Carnaval.<\/strong> The Tuesday of Carnival is 47 days before Easter Sunday; Ash Wednesday, 46 days before, ends it, often with the Entierro de la sardina<\/span> (the burial of the sardine).<\/li>
    3. Semana Santa.<\/strong> From Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos<\/span>) to Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrecci\u00f3n<\/span>). Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo<\/span>) and Good Friday (Viernes Santo<\/span>) are 3 and 2 days before Easter.<\/li>
    4. Corpus Christi.<\/strong> The Thursday 60 days after Easter Sunday; some towns hold the celebration on the following Sunday.<\/li>
    5. Mother’s Day.<\/strong> The first Sunday of May in Spain, not Mothering Sunday: in the UK it is the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter. Father’s Day is 19 March in Spain, but the third Sunday of June in the UK.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n

      Two festivals pupils often attribute to Spain are Mexican: el D\u00eda de Muertos<\/span> (1 and 2 November) and the Cinco de Mayo<\/span>. In Spain, 1 November is Todos los Santos<\/span>, a quieter day of remembrance.<\/p>\n\n

      Festival vocabulary<\/h2>\n\n
      Spanish<\/th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
      la fiesta<\/td>the party, the festival, the holiday<\/td><\/tr>
      el d\u00eda festivo<\/td>the public holiday<\/td><\/tr>
      la procesi\u00f3n<\/td>the procession<\/td><\/tr>
      la cabalgata<\/td>the parade (of the Kings)<\/td><\/tr>
      los fuegos artificiales<\/td>fireworks<\/td><\/tr>
      la hoguera<\/td>the bonfire<\/td><\/tr>
      disfrazarse<\/td>to dress up<\/td><\/tr>
      el patr\u00f3n, la patrona<\/td>the patron saint<\/td><\/tr>
      \u00a1Felices fiestas!<\/td>Happy holidays!<\/td><\/tr>
      \u00a1Feliz Navidad!<\/td>Happy Christmas!<\/td><\/tr>
      \u00a1Feliz A\u00f1o Nuevo!<\/td>Happy New Year!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

      Christmas presents come mainly from the Three Kings on 6 January, although Pap\u00e1 Noel<\/span> has become common too. Some regions have their own gift-bringers: el Olentzero<\/span> in the Basque Country and Navarre, the Ti\u00f3 de Nadal<\/span> log in Catalonia.<\/p>\n\n

      El 6 de enero los ni\u00f1os abren los regalos de los Reyes Magos.<\/span>On 6 January children open their presents from the Three Kings.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

      En Nochevieja comemos doce uvas.<\/span>On New Year’s Eve we eat twelve grapes.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

      Las Fallas se celebran en Valencia en marzo.<\/span>Las Fallas is celebrated in Valencia in March.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

      Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners<\/h2>\n\n
      • Capitals:<\/strong> festival names take capitals (Navidad<\/span>, Semana Santa<\/span>, Nochevieja<\/span>), but months do not: el 6 de enero<\/span>.<\/li>
      • “Fiesta” as party only:<\/strong> ma\u00f1ana es fiesta<\/span> means “tomorrow is a holiday”.<\/li>
      • Treating every festival as national:<\/strong> the Tomatina is one town’s festival.<\/li>
      • Mixing up Spain and Mexico:<\/strong> Day of the Dead, Cinco de Mayo.<\/li>
      • Pronunciation:<\/strong> the rolled initial r of Reyes<\/span>; Fallas<\/span> is “FAH-yahs”, not “fal-as”; Navidad<\/span> ends in a soft d, almost silent.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n

        In class: festivals in the daily routine<\/h2>\n\n

        Festivals make the date meaningful: on the right day, the date itself becomes a door into Spanish culture.<\/p>\n\n

        1. Start with the date as usual: Hoy es 6 de enero.<\/span><\/li>
        2. If a Spanish festival falls today, show its name and a picture. Ask \u00bfQu\u00e9 se celebra hoy en Espa\u00f1a?<\/span><\/li>
        3. Share one fact in simple Spanish: Hoy los ni\u00f1os abren los regalos.<\/span><\/li>
        4. Ask \u00bfEs fiesta en toda Espa\u00f1a?<\/span> Pupils decide: national, regional or local.<\/li>
        5. Compare with the UK: \u00bfY en el Reino Unido?<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n\n

          This is exactly what a daily routine does best: a small cultural fact, on the right day, every time.<\/p>\n\n

          For a longer project, give each group a month and a Spanish festival to present, or have pupils write a letter to the Three Kings in December.<\/p>\n\n

          Adapting to your class<\/h3>\n\n
          • A1<\/b>Name the day: Hoy es el D\u00eda de Reyes.<\/span><\/li>
          • A2<\/b>Describe it in the present: En Pamplona la gente corre delante de los toros.<\/span><\/li>
          • B1<\/b>Tell an experience in the preterite: El a\u00f1o pasado fui a las Fallas.<\/span><\/li>
          • B2<\/b>Give opinions with the subjunctive: No creo que la Tomatina sea un desperdicio.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n

            At KS2, Reyes and the grapes are enough to fascinate. At KS3, use the calendar to practise dates. At GCSE, festivals are a core cultural theme: be ready for debates on bullfighting around San Ferm\u00edn.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Reyes, Fallas, Semana Santa, San Ferm\u00edn, la Tomatina: Spain’s festivals in calendar order, with exact dates and who gets the day off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Spanish Festivals: Dates and Traditions | VocaDial","_seopress_titles_desc":"Spanish festivals and public holidays in calendar order, with exact dates, Easter-based rules, national vs regional vs local, and ideas for class.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_vd_topic":"fetes","_vd_target":"es","_vd_module":"dias","_vd_level":"A1\u2013B1","_vd_minutes":"8","_vd_card_word":"Reyes\u2026","_vd_answer":"Spain's national public holidays include A\u00f1o Nuevo<\/span> (1 January), Reyes<\/span> (6 January), Good Friday, 1 May, 15 August, the Fiesta Nacional<\/span> (12 October), 1 November, 6 and 8 December and Christmas Day. Many of its best-known festivals, such as las Fallas<\/span>, San Ferm\u00edn<\/span> and la Tomatina<\/span>, are regional or local, not national.","_vd_faq":"[{\"q\":\"What are the main festivals in Spain?\",\"a\":\"Reyes (6 January), Carnaval, las Fallas (15\u201319 March, Valencia), Semana Santa, the Feria de Abril (Seville), San Ferm\u00edn (6\u201314 July, Pamplona), la Tomatina (last Wednesday of August, Bu\u00f1ol), Christmas and Nochevieja.\"},{\"q\":\"What are the national public holidays in Spain?\",\"a\":\"1 January, 6 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 15 August, 12 October, 1 November, 6 December, 8 December and 25 December. Regions and towns add their own days.\"},{\"q\":\"When is Semana Santa?\",\"a\":\"The week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Easter falls between 22 March and 25 April, so Semana Santa is in March or April.\"},{\"q\":\"When is the Tomatina?\",\"a\":\"On the last Wednesday of August, in Bu\u00f1ol, near Valencia. It is a local festival, not a national holiday.\"},{\"q\":\"When is Mother's Day in Spain?\",\"a\":\"On the first Sunday of May. Father's Day is on 19 March, the feast of San Jos\u00e9.\"},{\"q\":\"Is the Day of the Dead celebrated in Spain?\",\"a\":\"Not traditionally. El D\u00eda de Muertos<\\\/span> is Mexican. In Spain, 1 November is Todos los Santos<\\\/span>, when families visit cemeteries.\"}]","_vd_key":"fetes-es","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-59","vd_ressource","type-vd_ressource","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource\/59","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/vd_ressource"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource\/59\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}