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March 19 is a bank holiday in Spain, but only in 2 regions
Two autonomous communities in southern Spain will celebrate Father’s Day with a holiday this month
As Wednesday March 19 approaches, families in certain parts of Spain are gearing up to celebrate a special day dedicated to dads. But unlike in the UK, where Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June, Spain's autonomous communities have their own rules.
In fact, March 19, known in Spain as Día del Padre, is only a holiday in two places: the Region of Murcia and the Valencian Community, which includes the popular city of Alicante.
In these areas, March 19 is a significant day, coinciding with Saint Joseph's Day or Día de San José in Alicante, a traditional Catholic holiday. As a result, most supermarkets, businesses and schools will be closed, giving families a chance to spend quality time together and honour the men of the house.
The day is especially meaningful in the Valencian Community, where it marks the end of the famous Fallas festival.
But why isn't March 19 a holiday everywhere? The reason lies in the country's decentralised system, where each autonomous community has the power to decide its own holidays. While some regions, like Murcia and the Valencian Community, have chosen to maintain Father’s Day as an official holiday, others have not.
The origin of Father’s Day
The story of Father's Day in Spain is closely tied to the story of a pioneering woman, Manuela Vicente Ferrero, who organised the first tribute to fathers at her school in Madrid in 1948.
She chose March 19, Saint Joseph's Day, as the date for the celebration, which eventually spread throughout the country. However, it wasn't until the 1950s, when the managing director of Galerías Preciados launched an advertising campaign to boost sales, that Father's Day started to gain popularity.
El Corte Inglés soon joined the initiative.
Today, while March 19 may not be a national holiday in Spain, it remains a special day for families in the Region of Murcia and the Valencian Community to come together and celebrate their dads.
Image: Pexels
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