What holiday is the 12th of October in Spain?
Anyone who had lived in Spain long enough to become familiar with local customs knows that the 12th of October is an important public holiday. Its official name is National Day of Spain, although if you ask your Spanish friends, they might seriously confuse you with different names for this holiday, starting from Our Lady of Pilar Day (Fiestas de Pilar) to Columbus Day. Don’t be surprised to stumble across other semi-official names such as:
- Day of the Spanish Race (Día de la Raza),
- Motherland Day (Día de la Madre Patria),
- Our Lady of Pilar Day (Día del Pilar),
- Discovery Day (Día del Descubrimiento),
- Columbus Day (Día de Colón),
- National Day of Spain (Día Nacional de España) or
- Hispanic Day (Fiesta de la Hispanidad).
So, what do Spaniards – and not only Spaniards – celebrate on the 12th of October?