Spanish National Holidays
This article concerns the Spanish National Holidays and how as a visitor you can learn to cope with them. It is not an article on discovering holidays in Spain during your vacations. It is important if you plan to visit this great country to understand a little bit about the Spanish holidays and the importance of the celebrations. This idea is not only imperative so that you can properly plan your vacation to coincide with the Spanish holidays but also so you can experience a small taste of this fabulous country's rich history and culture. Spain is a living country. By living I mean every act the people do is filled with joyful life and traditions. The more you can understand Spanish National holidays the more you will feel connected to the countries customs and thus the better prepared you will be to celebrate these events with the local people.
The Spanish National holidays are a time when not just local communities come together but rather the entire country gets involved in some of the festivities. Usually during the national holidays most of the country shuts down in celebration. The shops, banks, cafes and bars are generally closed. The various holidays that are celebrated in Spain are usually taken on the very day in which they fall whether that day happens to fall within the midweek rather then the weekend. Never is the holiday moved to a Monday or a Friday to facilitate giving the people a three day weekend as is most often done in America. What this amounts to is that large percentages of the people will take days off in order to create a four or possibly a five day weekend. If the Spanish national holidays happen to fall on a Tuesday then most of the workers will also take Monday off providing an extra long weekend. During these holidays the public transport will generally be extremely busy and naturally overpriced.
Holidays in Spain fall into two broad classes. They are either regional holidays or as we are talking about here - Spanish National Holidays. Regional holidays do not necessarily mean that other areas of Spain are off work and celebrating the holidays also. Each of the particular provinces in Spain has their own public holidays that are enjoyed in conjunction with the Spanish National Holidays.
When you are visiting Spain during one of their National Holidays there are certain things that you should keep in mind.
Most of the public offices will be closed in celebration of the holiday. Most shops and commercial malls will be closed. Approximately half the bars and restaurants will be closed. Public transportation will be drastically reduced. National Museums will remain open There will be a reduction in medical services Taxi fare may be increased as a result of the holiday.
Other then the above mentioned items you should enjoy any Spanish National Holiday that you decide to particulate in.
