Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

HOLIDAY

IN PICTURES: Spain’s National Day

October 12th is Spain’s National Day - el Día de la Hispanidad. See the best pictures from the parade in Madrid with all its military pomp, controversy and…goats.

Published: 12 October 2022 16:17 CEST
IN PICTURES: Spain's National Day
A paratrooper flies with a Spanish flag during the military parade on Spain’s National Day. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP

October 12th is Spain’s ‘National Day’, known as el Día de la Hispanidad. Though somewhat controversial as its origins lay in celebrations of Christopher Columbus and Spanish imperialism, El Día de la Hispanidad has evolved over the years into a day of jolly jingoism and patriot parades.

READ ALSO: How Spain celebrates its National Day (and why not everyone is happy about it)

The biggest event on National Day in Spain is a massive military parade along Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana – it is also Armed Forces Day.

The army, navy, air force, Guardia Civil and even the Spanish Legionnaires – who even bring with them their goat mascot –  come out in force to march along the capital’s grandest thoroughfare.

King Felipe VI, who is head of the armed forces, attends with Queen Letizia and their daughters, as well as the Prime Minister, and other leading politicians.

This year’s parade wasn’t without controversy, however, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reportedly left the King waiting during the parade, and was then roundly booed and showered with shouts of ‘resign’ and ‘resignation’.

Not ideal for the Prime Minister on Spain’s national day, but the culmination of the event is always a fly-by from the Spanish Air Force acrobatics team, the Patrulla Águila.

We’ve collected some of the best pictures from the parade to give you a sense of what Spain’s Día de la Hispanidad is really like.

Horsemen of the Spanish Guardia Civil honour guard troops march. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
October 12th is very military-focused day, with the Spanish Legion, Army, Navy, Guardia Civil and Air Force all taking part in the parade. Often military families, or those supportive of the military or police force, take to the streets to watch the parade, and events also take place in Málaga, Huelva and Zaragoza. 
 

A paratrooper flies with a Spanish flag. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
 

(From L) Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe VI of Spain, Princess Sofia of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
National Day is always attended by Spain’s political bigwigs and Royal Family. This year’s parade was not without political undertones, however, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez firstly kept the King waiting at the Plaza de Lima, breaking protocol, and was then welcomed with whistles, boos and shouts of ‘resign’ from spectators.
 
2022’s parade was also notable for its lack of a representative from the Spanish judiciary, notably the absence of Carlos Lesmes, who on Sunday announced his resignation as president of the General Council of the Judiciary.
 
 

The Spanish Legion’s goat takes part in the parade. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
As always, for many one of the highlights of the day was the Spanish Legion’s goat mascot.
 

Members of Spain’s Legion. Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
4,000 soldiers marched along the Paseo de la Castellana as part of the event, with 150 vehicles and 86 aircraft.
 
 

Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 

The Spanish Air Force’s aerobatic demonstration team Patrulla Aguila. Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO CANAS/AFP
 
As is customary, the finale of the day’s proceedings was a fly-by from the Spanish Air Force acrobatics team, the Patrulla Águila, who release a stream of crimson and gold smoke to replicate Spain’s national flag across the sky.
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

WHAT CHANGES IN SPAIN

NEW LAWS: What changes about life in Spain in June 2023

New laws, tax deadlines, school holidays and cultural festivals, discover all about the important changes that will take place in Spain during June 2023.

Published: 30 May 2023 10:57 CEST
Updated: 3 June 2023 09:02 CEST
NEW LAWS: What changes about life in Spain in June 2023

La Renta tax deadline

There are several important tax deadlines coming up in June for Spain’s annual income tax return known as ‘la declaración de la renta‘. This year you must present your earnings for 2022. The campaign began in April and ends on June 30th. From June 1st until June 30th, you can present your personal income tax return in person at the various Agencia Tributaria offices around the country. If you want to present them over the phone, the deadline is June 29th and if you want to pay by direct debit, it has to be done by June 27th. Click here to find out more and all the deadlines coming up this month. 

New road signs come into effect 

At the end of 2022, Spain’s Ministry of Transport and the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) revealed a new raft of road signs and redesigns, many of which will come into effect in June 2023. The new signs and redesigns of old ones are to be rolled out throughout 2023, but many of them can be expected to be seen on our streets and highways from June 1st, 2023. Click here to see the new signs and learn what they mean. 

New reproductive law for women comes into force

On June 1st the Organic Law 1/2023, of February 28th will come into force which includes the “introduction of the necessary modifications to guarantee the effective enforcement of women’s sexual and reproductive rights”.

This includes menstrual leave for those suffering from extreme pain during their periods, which could be from a number of medical conditions including endometriosis, polycystic ovaries or dysmenorrhoea, among many others. The amount of leave should not exceed three days, however, it can be extended up to five days if your doctor considers it necessary. 

READ ALSO: Women in Spain first in Europe to get ‘menstrual leave’

The law also covers temporary disability leave due to termination of pregnancy. Whether you’ve suffered a miscarriage or had an elective abortion for any reason, you will be allowed medical leave. The number of days will depend on what your doctor recommends. 

The third most important point the new law covers is temporary disability due to ongoing pregnancy. Your doctor may put you on bed rest during pregnancy or may advise you against doing certain types of physical labour, meaning that you need time off work. 

Telecommunications law comes into force

Getting spam calls from companies trying to sell you new products or gettin you to change providers seems to be commonplace in Spain, but this could all be about to change with a new telecommunications law coming into force on June 30th. 

Article 66.1b of the latest reform of the General Telecommunications Law states that in order to protect the legitimate interests of consumers and users, operators are prohibited from making unsolicited telephone calls for the purpose or effect of promoting or selling goods and services.

While you still may receive these types of calls from companies you’ve signed up for or for products you’ve agreed to hear about, the good news is the number of spam calls you receive is set to decrease. 

Corpus Christi celebrations take place 

The Corpus Christi festival commemorates the body of Christ and occurs nine weeks after Easter. It is celebrated very differently depending on where you are in the country. In the Catalan town of Sitges, Elche de la Sierra in Albacete, and some places in Tenerife, the locals make brightly-colored patterned carpets on the streets, made of either flower petals or sawdust. In Granada, they have elaborate processions and lots of festivities, while in Barcelona they decorate the city’s fountains with flowers and place an egg to ‘dance’ in the water. 

READ ALSO: Why you should visit Barcelona’s quirky egg dancing festival

egg dancing festival

Ou Com Balla festival in Barcelona. Photo: Esme Fox
 

School holidays begin

June marks the end of the 2022/2023 school year and the start of the summer holidays. Most schools across the country will break up for summer around June 20th to 23rd, but there are regional differences. For example, in Andalusia schools will end on June 22nd, while in Catalonia they will end on the 20th for secondary school and 22nd for primary and kindergarten age. In Valencia all schools will break up on June 21st and in Madrid it’s June 22nd. 

This gives kids a 10-12 week summer break before they return to school again, usually the second week of September. 

READ ALSO: What childcare options are available over the summer in Spain?

New proposal for electricity rates 

The Spanish government is confident that it will soon approve a proposal on the new methodology for calculating the regulated electricity tariff, most likely in June. The PVPC is the Voluntary Small Consumer Price, the system that the Spanish government uses to establish an hourly rate for electricity. The aim of the new proposal is to reduce the volatility of rates and abnormally high electricity bills experienced, especially in 2022.

Unpredictable weather to continue 

June marks the official arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere, but this year the weather has been very unpredictable with droughts across much of the country throughout winter and spring, and the hottest April on record. Conversely, May has seen a dip in temperatures and much more rain, including flash flooding in some parts of the country. 

According to forecasts, June will be somewhat rainier and colder than normal throughout much of mainland central Spain, with only the Canary Islands experiencing higher temperatures. The mercury in the coastal Mediterranean regions and northern Spain, however, is expected to stay around the same as normal. 

New rail passenger rights come into force

From June 7th, rail passengers will benefit from protection when travelling and booking tickets. Among the new rights that this regulation includes, is a new obligation for certain carriers to offer their rail services as direct tickets, which provides greater security for passengers against the loss of connections in the event of a delay.

Companies will also have to provide real-time information to travellers, while ticket providers will have to provide passengers with any information on disturbances and delays. They will also have to inform passengers whether the tickets they hold constitute a direct ticket or not, otherwise, the provider will be responsible for guaranteeing the rights of passengers in the event of a trip interruption.

Noche de San Juan

June sees much of Spain celebrating the Night of Sant Juan. Saint John’s Eve occurs on the night of June 23rd and sees Spaniards across the country celebrating with bonfires and fireworks. It marks St John the Baptist’s birth as well as one of the shortest nights of the year.

It is celebrated slightly differently depending on where you are in the country. In Galicia, Pagan traditions of scaring away evil mix with religious ones as bonfires are set up on the beaches. In Catalonia, towns and cities go all out to celebrate Sant Joan with firecrackers, fireworks, and traditional sweet coca bread. Finally, in Alicante Las Hogueras or Les Fogueres take place, similar to Valencia’s Las Fallas festival where lare papier-mâché sculputres are burnt. 

READ ALSO: Goats, horses and fire: the weird ways Spain celebrates San Juan

Music festivals in Barcelona

Some of Spain’s biggest music festivals are to take place in June, including Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and Sonar. Primavera will be on from May 29th until June 4th, while Sonar will be on from June 15th – 17th. 

Batalla del Vino

In the Riojan town Haro, locals celebrate the region’s wine heritage in a very unusual way, by having a giant wine fight and throwing the ruby red drink all over each other. It takes place on June 29th and during the event, everyone meets on a hillside outside the town dressed in white. By the time the fight is over, everyone’s clothes have turned to shades of red and purple. 

SHOW COMMENTS