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Wednesday, 6 June 2007

Public holidays in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands

Another reader's question: "What holidays are celebrated in the Canary Islands?", the answer is that these are primarily based upon the Public holidays celebrated in Spain, which includes a mix of religious (Roman Catholic), national and regional observances, as well as some hyper-local ones too.

National Holidays
 DateEnglish nameLocal name
January 1New Year's DayAño Nuevo
MoveableGood FridayViernes Santo
May 1Labour DayDía del Trabajador
August 15AssumptionAsunción
October 12National Day of SpainFiesta Nacional de España
Día de la Hispanidad
November 1All SaintsTodos los Santos
December 6Constitution DayDía de la Constitución
December 8Immaculate ConceptionInmaculada Concepción
December 25Christmas DayNavidad del Señor

Canaries Day - Día de Canarias is celebrated on May 30th and Epiphany - Día de Reyes is a public holiday on January 6th. Although the latter is listed as optional, it is the big day of the Christmas period, so I think there would be civil unrest if it wasn't observed! Wikipedia previously said that Holy Thursday - Jueves Santo (the day before Good Friday), is not observed as a holiday in the Canary Islands. However, every year except 2007 (when it was swapped out for something else and many complained bitterly) it has been observed in Tenerife, to my knowledge.

Each island has it's own holiday, which, in Tenerife is usually Feb 2nd, Candlemas

Any of the holidays, National, regional, or local, can be omitted, given a day in lieu, or substituted, if the holiday falls on a Sunday. Holidays falling on a Saturday do not get moved. People often say that Spain has a lot of public holidays, but this is a fallacy as you have to remember that Spain has a six-day working week. 

Then you also have to add local holidays, usually for the patron / fiesta in individual towns. Shops might close in one area, but are open just a few miles away. In Santa Cruz, Shrove Tuesday is always a holiday for Carnival. Each municipality declares two additional days of local holidays, which, once added to the national, regional and island ones, adds up to 14 public holidays, decreed by law.

Anyway visitors need not worry about finding things to do and getting fed. With the economy relying on tourism, somewhere will be open 365 days a year, particularly in the resorts. Even in other areas, if the day off is for a fiesta, then there'll be processions to watch and plenty of hot dog and food stalls open.

If you live here, of course, you won't get any important business done on those days and, if you work here in anything to do with the tourist sector, the chances are that you will never have a day off on anyone's public holiday!