Festive Benidorm Town Hall

Earlier this year the Government said that they would be debating the issue of Bank Holidays in Spain, as when they fell mid week many take a "puente" (bridge) to make it into an extra long weekend. This resulted in many working business days being lost and there was talk of bringing any Bank Holidays that fell midweek to the following Monday.

The Directorate General of Employment have now confirmed and published nine national holidays that are "non replaceable":
January 1st - New Years Day
January 6th - Epithany / 3 Kings
April 18th - Good Friday
May 1st - Labour Day
August 15th - Assumption
November 1st - All Saints Day
December 6th - Spanish Constitution Day
December 25th - Christmas

Regional Governments will still be able to legislate on additional holidays within their communities, such as in the Valencian Communidad which covers Benidorm - March 19th which is San Jose and October 9th. Next year, 2014 these both fall on a Thursday so it will be an extra long weekend for most. The Spanish certainly like their holidays - a month hardly ever seems to pass by without some sort of fiesta. Next month, December we have two at the beginning of the month - the 6th which is Constitution Day and 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, but this falls on a Sunday anyway.

Overflowing fish counters...

Not much happens on 25th December here - the Spanish tend to celebrate on 24th by having their big family meal in the evening. They tend to eat a lot of seafood and you will notice the fish counters at Mercadona and Carrefour overflowing with prawns and lobsters in the days leading up to Christmas - they are certainly far cheaper than in the UK.

3 Kings parade in Benidorm this year

 Shops tend to close early and then 25th is more like Boxing Day for them. There certainly isn´t the rush for presents as there is in the UK. Children receive gifts from The 3 Kings on 6th January - many towns hold a 3 Kings procession which is great to watch. But keep away from the toy shops on the 5th as they will be jam packed then typically the sales all begin on 7th, the day children go back to school.