The beginning of the second half of August is one of the most important dates on the calendar. It is not only marked by a national holiday, that of the Assumption of the Virginbut it also means the beginning – or end – of vacations for many workers.
The 2024 work calendar is now official: check the holidays and long weekends
The date represents an intermediate point between the four national holidays that precede it, and the four that follow it, making it one of the most anticipated of all the country’s holidays. And this year it falls on a Thursday.
As every year, the festival stands out for being national and immovable character, which means that it is celebrated in all the autonomous communities of Spain without exception, coinciding in some with other local commemorations.
Also, as with the rest of the country’s festivities, Thursday, August 15 will be a non-working day. However, there will be no long weekend, so on Friday the 16th of the same month all employees who have not requested the day off will have to return to work (unless there is an agreement with their company, of course).
In Spain, non-working days are distributed between national, regional and local holidays. Thus, during the year there are 9 national holidays, the same for the whole country; 3 regional holidays, chosen by each community; and 2 local holidays, dependent on each municipality.
Why is August 15th a holiday?
On August 15th the celebration takes place Assumption of the Virgin Marya holiday of traditional and Catholic origin, which commemorates the religious belief that, after ending her days on Earth, the body and soul of the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven.
Thus, the commemoration was assumed as a dogma of faith by Pope Pius XII in 1950, and has become one of the most important celebrations most important throughout Spain. In addition, the celebration coincides in some regions with other commemorations, so the festival can vary depending on the location.
In Madrid, the festivity coincides with the commemoration of the Virgin of the Doveunofficially considered the “popular patron saint of Madrid”. During the celebration, a large number of Madrid residents march through the La Latina neighbourhood in the centre of the capital.
In Seville, August 15 is the day of its patron saint, the Virgin of the Crowned KingsThus, after a great mass in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Seville, the people of Seville carry out a commemorative procession throughout the city.
Upcoming holidays
Despite the proximity of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin, there are still other things to do four national holidays that you can enjoy until the end of the year. These are:
- National Holiday of SpainSaturday, October 12.
- All Saints’ DayFriday, November 1st.
- Spanish Constitution DayFriday, December 6th.
- ChristmasWednesday, December 25.
After August 15, the next national holiday will be in October, the National Holidayalthough this year it falls on a Saturday, a non-working day in itself, so the holiday will not affect working days.
Longer weekends
When the holidays fall on a Friday or Monday, it is possible extend the weekendturning it into three days. Both All Saints’ Day like the Spanish Constitution Day will fall on a Friday in 2024, which will mean that workers will have one more weekend day.
So, there will be days non-working days from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 3; and from Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8, respectively. Finally, all employees will be exempt from working on December 25, the day of Christmasalthough in general we will work on both December 24 and 31.
In addition, workers will be entitled to the holidays established in each community and locality by the Autonomous Governments and City Councils.
Holiday shared between communities
Another of the most common festivities, although not of a national character, is that of the Immaculate ConceptionDecember 8, which this year falls on a Sunday and, therefore, some of the communities in which it is celebrated will move it to Monday, December 9; these are:
- Andalusia
- Aragon
- Asturias
- Castile and Leon
- Estremadura
- Murcia
- Melilla
In all these communities it will be possible extend the weekend from Saturday, December 7 to Monday, December 9.
