Fiesta Nacional de España Holiday
Monday, October 12, 2026
Fiesta Nacional de España is one of two “national days” of Spain and is held annually every 12 October on the day that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. In 2026, Fiesta Nacional de España falls on Monday 12 October. The holiday will be on Tuesday 12 October in 2027. The celebration has been observed since 1935 and shares its national day status with Constitution Day, which falls on 3 August. Up until 1987, the holiday was known as “Dia de la Hispanidad,” emphasizing Spain’s common Hispanic identity with Latin American nations. The name change came, however, to avoid any connection to Spain’s colonialist past. The choice of the date, Columbus’ sighting of the Bahamas, was a compromise between royalist and republican Spaniards that was struck in the midst of much political turmoil and many regime changes in the 20th Century. Spaniards take Fiesta Nacional de España as an off-work day and a time to spend with family and friends. Two activities you may wish to take part in are as follows:
History
The celebration has been observed since 1935 and shares its national day status with Constitution Day, which falls on 3 August. The choice of the date, Columbus’ sighting of the Bahamas, was a compromise between royalist and republican Spaniards that was struck in the midst of much political turmoil and many regime changes in the 20th Century
How It's Celebrated
The holiday will be on Tuesday 12 October in 2027. The celebration has been observed since 1935 and shares its national day status with Constitution Day, which falls on 3 August. Up until 1987, the holiday was known as “Dia de la Hispanidad,” emphasizing Spain’s common Hispanic identity with Latin A