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ARCHIVED - Tuesday October 12 is a national holiday in Spain: this is what you need to know
The live TV parade for the ‘Día de la Hispanidad’ is back on this year as Spanish Covid restrictions ease up
Next Tuesday October 12 is a national holiday in Spain, celebrated annually as ‘Día de la Hispanidad’ or Spain Day. Traditionally, people have the day off work and sometimes even a day either side for a long weekend, as is the case in some sectors this year. Because the ‘festivo’ holiday falls on a Tuesday, some companies are also giving their employees the Monday off to make a long ‘puente’ bank holiday weekend. Don’t be surprised if businesses, schools and post offices are closed on Monday October 11 as well as the Tuesday, although this decision is generally left in the hands of local authorities.
The Día de la Hispanidad event on October 12 is normally marked with a military parade along the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, which is attended by the King and important high-ranking Spanish officials. This year, the parade is on once again after it was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, when the commemoration was limited to a ceremony in the Plaza de la Armería, presided over by the King, with a small parade on the ground by just over 500 soldiers.
However, the celebrations will be “reduced” for 2021 due to “health reasons”, as confirmed on Monday October 4 by sources from the Royal Household. There will also be no official cocktail this year after King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia greet all the guests.
This time around, celebrations for the national holiday will go ahead “to the extent permitted by the new health regulations… in accordance with the measures in force and with the need to avoid high concentrations of people indoors”.
It is still unknown whether Princess Leonor, the King’s daughter who is currently studying at a boarding school in Wales, will accompany her parents and sister to the parade as she did last year.
Other guests this year include the current president of Spain and the four former living Spanish presidents, as well as personalities from the economic, social, sporting, educational, cultural and media spheres.
In the last week, military aircraft, including fighters, transport planes and helicopters, have already been flying in the skies over Madrid in preparation for the event, which is televised live on Spanish TV.
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