Holiday! Just a reminder that on Friday 1st November, it is a national holiday in Spain.
It is to celebrate All Saints Day, Día de todos los Santos, and it is to honour all of the saints, but in particular those who do not have their own special feast days.
Many of the shops will be closed as will the banks and medical centres etc. However in the main holiday resorts in Lanzarote: Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise a lot of the shops will remain open, as of course will the bars and restaurants.
Saturday 2nd November is All Souls Day, and is traditionally a day to pray for departed souls.
In December we have 3 holiday days that we celebrate; December 6th is Constitution day, Día de la Constitución. In 1978 the people of Spain approved a referendum defining the Constitution of Spain. This set out how the government would be run, what powers they had and determined the governmental system that Spain operates on today. Constitution day is a celebration of the day Spain became a democracy. This day is principally seen as the start of the December holidays and a long weekend is normally taken in conjunction with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In recent years however, Constitution Day has become more popular for protest marches and political statements. This year it falls on a Friday and will be a national day of holiday.
December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Inmaculada Concepcion. This holiday in Spain is typically a day of additional church services.
As there is only one day between Constitution day and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Spanish traditionally get two days off during this week, so many take the whole week off in the biggest Puente/bridge “linked holiday” of the year.
However this year as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, falls on a Sunday there is no national holiday, so we lose one days holiday and for many no Puente!
December 25th is of course Christmas Day and is a national holiday. In Spain the traditional Christmas meal is normally eaten in the evening of the 24th, so many shops, and businesses close early to allow the staff time to enjoy the celebration.
