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Spanish Public Holidays
Sundays in general are a bad time to get anything done in Spain. Different Autonomous Communities have different laws regarding shopping on a Sunday - in Madrid, for example, the shops are open on the first Sunday of a month and closed the rest of the time. Most regions are more relaxed regarding Sunday opening in December.
Big shops like El Corte Inglés and FNAC often open on public holidays (though not on Sundays and not on Workers' Day - May 1).
Note that 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.
The month of August, particularly in bigger cities, is a popular time for businesses to take a vacation and you will often find stores and restaurants to be closed for the whole of the month.
While on the subject of businesses being closed, remember the Siesta in Spain, while still affects the opening times of shops and companies.
Read more about on The Best (and Worst) Time to Visit Spain.
Spanish Public Holidays
For details of local holidays in Spain, take a look at this Calendar of Events in Spain
- January 1 New Year's Day.
- January 6 Epiphany.
- Week Before Easter Semana Santa - the later in the week you get, the more likely things will be closed - with Thursday, Friday and Sunday the most affected. Easter Monday is not a public holiday, except in Catalonia and Valencia.
- May 1 Workers' Day.
- August 15 Assumption of the Virgin.
- October 12 National Day.
- November 1 All Saints' Day
- December 6 Constitution Day
- December 8 Immaculate Conception
- December 24 Navidad. Christmas Eve (Night) is far more important than Christmas Day in Spain. Shops may close early on Christmas Eve, though most will be open in the morning. Read more about Christmas in Spain.
