Where is November 1st a holiday in Spain?

• What is celebrated on November 1 in Spain and why it is called All Saints' Day
• Spain's work calendar 2024: these will be the holidays and long weekends

After the National Holiday of Spain, celebrated on October 12, and with the winter schedule about to begin this weekend, there are many who are waiting for the next national holiday to arrive.. And the truth is that it is just around the corner, since All Saints' Day is celebrated next November 1.

Last year it fell on a Tuesday, so some were able to take the opportunity to take a four-day long weekend and take a break before the “aqueduct” of the Constitution and the Immaculate Conception.. However, this 2023, November 1st is a Wednesday, so only a few lucky people who have vacation days will be able to take a long weekend, the rest will enjoy a holiday in the middle of the week, which never hurts..

Where is a holiday in Spain on November 1? Well, as can be seen in the 2023 work calendar, this day appears as one of the eight non-replaceable national holidays.. Which means that no Autonomous Community has the right to replace or change it and it is a paid and non-recoverable festive day.. Therefore, all of Spain will celebrate All Saints' Day.

The Day of the Faithful Dead

November 1 is a Christian holiday, since Spain is a country with a Catholic tradition and honors both known and unknown saints.. The proclamation of the feast of All Saints comes from Pope Gregory IV, who in the year 835 gave instructions for it in the time of Louis, the Pious.. Although there is no firm story about the origin of the November 1 holiday, it is believed that Pope Gregory IV chose this day because it coincided with one of the festivals of the Germanic peoples and during these years, the objective of the Church was eliminate all pagan celebrations.

In reality, it is celebrated that the deceased have overcome purgatory, have been sanctified and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God.. The most widespread tradition in Spain is to visit cemeteries as a family to bring flowers to the deceased and, in the process, clean the tombstones.. In some autonomous communities they have their own traditions. For example, in some areas of Galicia 'Samhain' is celebrated, in the Basque Country the 'Gaztañerre Eguna' and in Catalonia the 'Castanyada'. The typical thing, in all of them, is to roast chestnuts on the fire.

Although there is some confusion, it is important to keep in mind that All Saints' Day is not the same as All Souls' Day, also known as All Souls' Day.. This is celebrated on November 2 and its objective is to pray for the faithful who no longer continue in earthly life.. During this day, the so-called requiem masses are celebrated, that is, a prayer for the soul of the dead, unless November 2 falls on a Sunday, in which case these types of ceremonies cannot be celebrated..