National Day of Spain

National Day of Spain
Official nameFiesta Nacional de España
Observed bySpain
Date12 October
Next time12 October 2024 (2024-10-12)
FrequencyAnnual
The coat of arms of Spain displays the symbols of both medieval and modern Spain and the key transition event between them, the discovery of the New World, represented by the motto "PLUS ULTRA" (further beyond), replacing the previous one, "NON PLUS ULTRA" (nothing further beyond) the Pillars of Hercules (today's Strait of Gibraltar) which marked the edge of the known world since Antiquity.

The National Day of Spain (Spanish: Fiesta Nacional de España) is a national holiday held annually on 12 October. It is also traditionally and commonly referred to as the Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanicity, Spanishness Day[1]), commemorating Spanish legacy worldwide, especially in Hispanic America.[2]

The National Day of Spain is the day of celebration on which the Spanish people commemorate the country's history, recognize and appreciate achievements, reconfirm their commitment to the nation's future. The day celebrates unity and fraternity, and also shows Spain's ties with the international community.[3][4][5][2]

Spanish law declares

" The date chosen, 12 October, symbolizes the historical anniversary on which Spain, about to conclude a process of State construction based on our cultural and political diversity, and the integration of the kingdoms of Spain into the same monarchy, begins a period of linguistic and cultural projection beyond the boundaries of Europe. "[6]

National Day of Spain commemorates the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus for Spain on 12 October 1492. The date is a key point for Spain's overseas influence and legacy to the world and to the Americas in particular. It symbolizes Spain's vast, common heritage with today's American countries, which made up the Spanish Empire, the first global power in world history.[7]

12 October is also the official Spanish language day, the Feasts of both Our Lady of the Pillar and the Virgin of Zapopan as well as the Day of the Spanish Armed Forces.[8]

12 October is also an official holiday in much of Hispanic America, though under varying names (Día de la Hispanidad, Día de la Raza, Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural, Día de la Resistencia Indígena, etc.). To varying degrees, these holidays celebrate the historical and cultural ties among Hispanic American countries, ties between them and Spain, and their common Hispanic and pre-Hispanic indigenous American heritage. Furthermore, on the second Monday in October, the United States celebrates Columbus Day.[9][10]

  1. ^ ""hispanidad"". Collins Spanish-English Dictionary.
  2. ^ a b Paloma Aguilar, Carsten Humlebæk, "Collective Memory and National Identity in the Spanish Democracy: The Legacies of Francoism and the Civil War", History & Memory, April 1, 2002, pag. 121–164
  3. ^ David MARCILHACY «América como factor de regeneración y cohesión para una España plural: "la Raza" y el 12 de octubre, cimientos de una identidad compuesta», Hispania (Madrid), vol. LXXIII, no. 244 (mayo-ag. 2013), p. 501-524
  4. ^ David Marcilhacy "LA PÉNINSULE IBÉRIQUE ET LE MARE NOSTRUM ATLANTIQUE: IBÉRISME, HISPANISME ET AMÉRICANISME SOUS LE RÈGNE D'ALPHONSE XIII DE BOURBON" Revista de História das Ideias, Vol. 31 (2010), pags. 121–154
  5. ^ "Día de la Fiesta Nacional | 12 de octubre | Ministerio de Defensa".
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Decree was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Thomas, Hugh (11 August 2015). World Without End: Spain, Philip II, and the First Global Empire. Random House. pp. 496 pages. ISBN 0812998111
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fuller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Congress, The Library of; Administration, National Archives and Records; Humanities, National Endowment for the; Art, National Gallery of; Service, National Park; Institution, US Smithsonian; Museum, US Holocaust Memorial. "National Hispanic American Heritage Month 2021". www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov.
  10. ^ "Hispanic History Milestones: Timeline". 15 September 2023.