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The Constitution weekend explained: Why does Spain have two public holidays in early December?

December 6 and 8 are both Spanish bank holidays but for very different reasons

The Constitution long weekend at the beginning of December is usually one of the longest of the year in Spain, with two public bank holidays coming in quick succession. Both December 6 and December 8 are national holidays in Spain, and since there’s only one day in between them, this is taken off in some businesses, bars and shops too in order to make a long weekend or ‘puente’.

But why do the Spanish have these two bank holidays just before the Christmas break? And will there be a long Constitution weekend this year?

What happens on December 6 in Spain?

December 6 is the Día de la Constitución in Spain, or Constitution Day, celebrating the anniversary of the country’s current constitution that was instated in 1978 to bring about democracy after the fall of the Franco dictatorship.

Spaniards mark the day with a national holiday to show their respect for an important turning point in the country’s recent history, although some parties took the opportunity to call for changes to the constitution on its 40th anniversary a few years ago.

So much for the first public holiday, but why is there another bank holiday two days later?

What is celebrated on the December 8 in Spain?

As with many regional and provincial holidays in Spain, the answer lies with the Catholic church. December 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (‘Día de la Inmaculada Concepción’), a holy day according to the traditional Catholic calendar that marks the moment the Virgin Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

These two holidays are observed in every single one of the country’s autonomous communities and regions without exception.

This year, 2024, the Constitution Day holiday will be on Friday December 6 and the Immaculate Conception falls on Sunday December 8, so the day off has been moved to the following Monday, December 9, but only in the autonomous communities of Andalucía, Aragón, Castilla y León, Extremadura and in the Region of Murcia.

That means that in these places there will be a 4-day-long puente running from Friday to Monday, and everywhere else it’s just a 3-day weekend.

Be sure to see our Events Diary to check out what’s happening in your area this bank holiday weekend!

Image: Archive

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