NATIONAL FESTIVALS IN

SPAIN

JANUARY• New Year’s Day: - January 1st

- The new calendar starts and Spanish people celebrate it having a family lunch together.

• The day of the Three Wise Men:

- January 6th

- On the night of the 5th, the children all over Spain can’t sleep, waiting for the presents which the Three Wise Men will leave for them.

FEBRUARY• Carnival Time: - Immediately before the period of Lent. - People dress up and go on processions,

and groups of friends get together to sing funny songs about current events.

MARCH• Father’s Day:

- March 19th.

- People give presents to their fathers, honouring the fathers of the world.

APRIL Easter:• Palm Sunday: - The First Sunday of the

Easter period. - It commemorates the

arriving of Jesus in Jerusalem.

• Holy Thursday: - It commemorates the

Last Supper and the first eucharist. In Spain people go on processions.

• Good Friday:

- It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.

• Easter Sunday:

- People in Spain celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion.

MAY• Labour Day:

- May 1st. - Spanish people have a day off work and in some

cities there are processions and peaceful marches.• Mother’s Day:

- The first Sunday of May. - Spanish people give presents to their mothers to

celebrate this day.

JUNE• Saint Marcelino’s Day: - June 6th. - It’s the day of Saint Marcelino

Champagnat, the founder of our school, and we celebrate it with a family party in our school.

JULY• Day of the Apostle Santiago.

- July 25th.

- He is the patron of Spain.

- Hundreds of pilgrims arrive in the north of the country to walk to Santiago de Compostela.

AUGUST• Assumption of Mary:

- August 15th.

- It commemorates the ascending of the Virgin Mary into Heaven when she died.

SEPTEMBER• Day of Extremadura:

- September 8th.

- This is Extremadura´s regional day. Our city of Badajoz forms part of this region . It is a holiday and some cultural events are celebrated.

OCTOBER• El día de la Hispanidad: - October 12th. - This is the national day of Spain and a national

holiday that commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first arrival in America. . It´s also Spain's Day of the Armed Forces, celebrated each year with a military parade in Madrid, presided over by the Spanish King.

NOVEMBER• All Saints’ Day:

- November 1st.

- It is a national holiday in honour of all the Saints.

• All Souls’ Day:

- November 2nd.

- Spanish people visit the graves of their beloved and leave flowers there.

DECEMBER• Day of the Spanish

Constitution:

- December 6th.

- A national day in all Spain that commemorates the day that the constitution was approved in Spain.

• The Immaculate Conception:

- December 8th.

- It is the day when we celebrate that the Virgin Mary was free of sin.

DECEMBER

• Christmas Eve: - December 24th. - Families meet and have

dinner all together.

• Christmas Day: - December 25th. - This time we enjoy lunch

together with our families.

• New Year’s Eve: - December 31st. - A family dinner to say

goodbye to the year and welcome a New Year. At midnight we eat 12 grapes and wish each other a happy New Year.