Aragon Regional Holiday

Aragon is a large region in north-central Spain that was long its own independent kingdom before uniting with Castile-Leon to form modern Spain. The unification of the crowns of Aragon and Castile was a process that culminated in 1479 with the marriage of Isabella of Castile to Ferdinand of Aragon. In 2027, Aragon Regional Holiday falls on Friday 23 April. The holiday will be on Monday 24 April in 2028. Aragon’s regional holiday is also known as Saint George’s Day and is celebrated on 23 April, which is the traditional date of the death of Saint George. This is also the “National Day of Aragon”. Interestingly, Saint George is also highly revered in England, Portugal, and a number of other countries, cities, and regions across Europe. Saint George, according to the legend, was a Roman Cavalry soldier who became a Christian. When the pagan Roman Emperor Diocletian demanded he sacrifice to the pagan gods of Rome, he refused and was tortured. Ultimately, he was killed by beheading in A.D. 303 for his stand for Christianity. By the A.D. 400s, he had a monastery built to his memory in Jerusalem and he was made a saint. This led to many celebrating “Georgemas” on 23 April as a religious holiday.