What is a Jacobean Year?
A Jacobean Year (known in Spanish as Año Santo Jacobeo, in Galician as Ano Santo Xacobeo and sometimes referred to in English as a Jubilee Year, Holy Compostellan Year or just Holy Year) is when St James's Day (July 25) falls on a Sunday.See also: When to Do the Camino de Santiago
When Are the Next Jacobean Years?
The following years are Jacobean years:- 2010
- 2021
- 2027
- 2032
What Happens in a Jacobean Year?
For Catholics, visiting Santiago de Compostela in a Jacobean year is a very important event.- If they fulfill all the necessary requirements, Catholics will receive a 'plenary indulgence' upon visiting the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
- The Puerta Santa (Holy Door) in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, normally closed, is open for the whole of the year.
But the main way you'll see it's a Jacobean year is that there will be huge numbers of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Numbers more than triple in a Jacobean year, with a huge concentration around St James's Day in particular. This means that walking in late June and July will see an even more competitive battle for hostel beds than usual.
