Holidays and Celebrations in 2019

Each and every year, one of the things that we humans like to do, is to look at the calendar to know when the next holidays and celebrations will be. The truth is that many people do not know when certain holidays take place in Barcelona and Catalonia, nor when National Holidays are celebrated. Spain is a country in which, due to its extensive and profound history, multiple festivities are enjoyed and they automatically became non-working days. Today, ShBarcelona talks about the most interesting holidays and celebrations of 2019, so you can organize your little getaways and have enough leisure time.

Related article: Spanish Traditions in Catalonia

Festive days in winter

Christmas is the first important celebration of the winter season. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th and here is one of the most deeply rooted Catalan traditions: caga tió. It consists of feeding a tree trunk, which has special powers, and covering it with a blanket starting on December 8th. On Christmas Eve, the tree trunk will be beaten with a stick while children are singing, all so he will give them gifts the next morning. January 1st: The first day of the new year is a holiday in almost the entire world. The tradition in Catalonia, as in all of Spain, is to eat 1 grape at each chime of the clock at midnight. January 6th: On the night of January 5th we are visited by ‘Los Reyes Magos’, or the Three Kings. Then on January 6th children receive gifts from the Kings. All gifts are opened and children (and sometimes adults) play with them. February 12th: Santa Eulalia’s Day, the patron saint of the city of Barcelona. From March 2nd to 5th: Carnival.

Festive days in spring

From April 14th to 22nd: ‘Semana Santa‘ or Holy Week. Easter is usually celebrated in Catalonia from Friday April 19th to Monday April 22nd. April 23rd: ‘Sant Jordi’ or San Jorge. Traditionally men give women a rose, while they are given a book. May 1st: Labor Day, which is celebrated throughout all of Spain. June 10th: Whit Monday.

Festive days in summer

June 24th: ‘Sant Juan’ or Saint John’s Day festival. It is one of the most celebrated festivals in Catalonia, but it’s not a holiday in all of Spain. The festival of Sant Juan starts the night of June 23rd, when firecrackers and fireworks light up the sky and also a special coca is eaten. August 15th: Assumption Day. September 11th: National Day of Catalonia, which, in recent years, has become a very intense day in the Catalan community.

Related article: The Most Important Events in Barcelona

Festive days in autumn

September 24th: Mercè Day. It is the biggest festival in the city of Barcelona and during the previous week various cultural activities are held in Barcelona. October 12th: Columbus Day or Spanish National Day. It is a national holiday, but in recent years some Catalan collectives refuse to celebrate it, which has created great controversy. November 1st: All Saints Day. In Catalonia the Castanyada is celebrated, a feast in which chestnuts, sweet potatoes and ‘panellets’, which are marzipan-based sweets, are eaten. Halloween has also become fashionable and more popular. December 6th: Constitution Day.

Do you have any plans for these holidays?