Are you planning your trip to Spain in 2023 or 2024?

I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but sometimes I go on vacation, and everything is closed when I reach my destination! And that is because I didn’t check the holiday calendar.

We created a calendar for all of Barcelona’s holidays to avoid this happening to you and getting a big disappointment because you could not visit a specific landmark or maybe a restaurant you were dying to try.

Check out the article and make sure you either travel for a holiday you want to experience or avoid them!

New Year’s Day - Día de Año Nuevo

January 1

Just like the rest of Spain, the celebration of New Year’s starts a day before, on December 31. The traditional way of celebrating the end of the year is having dinner with the family and counting down the seconds to January 1 at 00:00. 

So, how do people celebrate New Year’s in Barcelona? 

The first activity to receive the New Year in Barcelona is dinner with friends and family. If you are ever invited to eat on December 31, expect a varied menu with traditional dishes such as gallet soup, cannelloni, turron, or neulas (wafer sticks).

After dinner, you will get a glass of cava and wait for the expected countdown and bell chimes. Now, another tradition you must remember before the clock strikes midnight is the twelve grapes! 

How does this work? You need to have ready 12 green grapes to eat before midnight and ask for a wish per grape which represents a wish per month of the year. 

Other traditions to remember during New Year in Barcelona are wearing red underwear to attract love or adding gold jewelry in your cava to attract wealth. 

Finally, once you have cheered to the bell chimes, you can party in a club or enjoy the fireworks in Plaza Catalunya. 

Learn more about spending New Year’s in Spain!

Why is Spain The Perfect Place to Celebrate New Years?

7 New Year Traditions in Spain for Powerful Beginnings

Epiphany - Día de Reyes

January 6

Pay close attention to this holiday because it’s one of the most celebrated days in Spain. Yes! As you have heard, Three Kings Day is a popular holiday in Barcelona, especially for the kids who wait a year to be visited by the Biblical characters and receive lots of gifts. 

The Biblical passage of the Three Wise Men indicates that three men followed the star from East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king, Jesus Christ. When they found the Virgin Mary with the baby, the three men offered a gift: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So, how is Epiphany Day celebrated in Barcelona? 

The first tradition to celebrate Epiphany in Barcelona is with a vibrant, joyful parade on the evening of January 5. That day people of all ages, especially kids, go out to different streets in Barcelona (some even take chairs!) to enjoy the parade.

The parades in Barcelona are famous for their big, decorated carts with colorful characters accompanying the three kings. 

When the parade is over, families go back home and prepare their houses for the three kings’ arrival. Finally, on January 6, kids wake up to open the presents that the “reyes” left for them and enjoy a delicious piece of the *Roscón de Reyes (*traditional bread crown for the day). 

To learn more about this day, check out our article!

Celebrate Dia de los Reyes Magos for a Magical Time in Spain

Maundy Thursday - Jueves Santo

April 6 (2023)

Holy Week is an important event all over Spain as the country remembers Christ’s passion with daily masses and processions with floats representing the different scenes of Jesus’s path. 

Maundy Thursday is a national holiday, and it remembers the Last Supper that Christ had with his disciples, in which he also commanded them to love each other as He had loved them. 

The procession in Barcelona is less vivid and passionate than in other cities in Spain, but if you visit that week, you’ll experience a bit of what Holy Week means to the country. 

Good Friday - Viernes Santo

April 7 (2023)

Again, Good Friday, or “Viernes Santo,” is a national holiday in Spain. This day commemorates Jesus’ death on the cross. 

An important procession on Good Friday in Barcelona is the floats from “Hermandad y Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias” which involves a wave of tambourines. 

During Good Friday, people don’t celebrate mass. Instead, they attend a liturgy. 

Easter Monday - Lunes de Pascua

April 10 (2023)

Easter Monday is another public holiday in Barcelona and the last day of Holy Week. 

Even though not all Christians celebrate Easter Monday, Catholics consider this day the closure of a period in which they have remembered Christ’s resurrection. 

In Barcelona, godfathers and godmothers gift their godchildren a “Mona de Pascual.” The literal translation would be “Easter Monkey,” but “mona” comes from the word “munna” which means something like food provision. It was a word used by the Muslim community when they gifted sweet bread to their masters. 

The traditional “Mona de Pascua” shape is a sweet bread decorated with an egg in the middle. 

If you are interested, check out our post about Easter in Spain!

Why is Easter so Special in Spain? Holyweek Customs and Best Cities

Sant Jordi

April 23

Sant Jordi is one of Barcelona’s most unique holidays. I would even dare to say that it’s more special than Valentine’s Day when celebrating love and friendship. 

The Legend

Once upon a time, a fearful dragon terrorized the small town of Montblanc in Catalonia. The townspeople would choose a person to sacrifice to avoid full destruction. 

One day, they chose the king’s daughter, and just when she was about to be attacked by the dragon, Saint Jordi, also known as Saint George, came to her rescue. 

Sant Jordi threw his lance to the dragon, and a bush of red roses sprang out of the blood that spilled.

The tradition

Since the 19th century, Sant Jordi has been the Saint Patron of Barcelona. The tradition says that people should give a red rose to their loved ones, but it evolved to more!

Sat Jordi’s day coincides with international book day. In the 20th century, members of the Booksellers Guild decided to celebrate 23 April because the writers William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Garcilaso de la Vega all died on that date. Now, UNESCO recognizes the date as International Book Day.

So, if you are in Barcelona for Sant Jordi walk through La Diagona, Plaza Catalunya, Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter to visit the multiples roses and books stalls in the city.

Check out the program for this year!  👉  **Sant Jordi **🌹

Labour Day - Día del Trabajo

May 1

Labour Day, or “Dia de la Feina” in Catalan, is a public holiday in Spain. This day recognizes the value and contribution of workers, and many people use this day to join labor unions in demonstrations and rallies. 

If you find yourself in Barcelona on May 1, know that many shops and restaurants will be closed. Still, you can plan and organize other activities to enjoy that day or check what tourist places will be open. 

If you want to know everything about this celebration came to Spain, read the following article to learn how it is celebrated, plus some curious facts:

Labor Day: A Very Special Day for Working Spaniards

Second Easter

June 5

Some Christian communities celebrate Second Easter, and it remembers the fifth Sunday after Jesus’ resurrection when the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples. 

This holiday is also known by the names Pascua de Pentecostés (Pentecost Easter), Pentecostés, the Second Easter (Segunda Pascua), Pascua Granada, Pascuillas, or, Cinquagesma (Catalan). 

So, how does Barcelona celebrate this holiday? The people in the Catalan capital celebrate with “Cors Muts” or quiet choirs. These groups gather in a process and play joyful instruments while dancing to the rhythm without singing. 

It is typical to see the “Cors Muts” in neighborhoods like The Raval and the Barceloneta. 

In addition, people in Barcelona celebrate Second Easter with a long weekend over the countryside or religious pilgrimages. 

Sant Joan

June 24

I know this holiday from Barcelona sounds like the city is celebrating a saint, but in this case, they are welcoming the new season: summer.

Sant Joan, also known as “Nit de Sant Joan.” or “Nit del Foc,” a night of the fire in Catalan, is celebrated on the longest day of the year. People in Barcelona celebrate this public holiday with bonfires, fireworks, and parties throughout the night from the 23 to the 24. 

Assumption Day - Asunción de la Virgen

August 15

Assumption Day is a national holiday that celebrates the end of the Virgin Mary’s life on Earth and her ascension to heaven. This day is celebrated with mass in all churches and parades. 

The Cathedral of Barcelona and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar are beautiful places to celebrate this holiday in Barcelona. 

Catalan National Day

September 11

I think you will find this holiday pretty curious because Catalan National Day, also known as “La Diada” in Catalan, commemorates Barcelona’s defeat during the Spanish Succession War in 1973. 

During “La Diada,” the national assembly of Catalonia organizes manifestations that go from Paral·lel avenue to the Marquès de l’Argentera avenue. Besides that, people leave flowers at the monument of Rafael Casanova, which is close to the Arc of the Triompf. He was an influential lawyer who supported the Austrian House in the war. 

La Mercè Festival - Fiestas de la Merced

September 24

 La Mercè is Barcelona’s largest annual festival, and it celebrates de city’s saint patron. The legend says that the Virgin appeared to king Jaime I in 1218, asking him to create an order of monks to protect the imprisoned Christians. 

 A few centuries later, in 1687, Barcelona was attacked by a plague, and the people asked the Virgin de la Mercè for her intervention. When the plague was over, the city council named Her saint patron of the city. 

How do people celebrate La Fiesta de la Merced in Barcelona? If you visit during this holiday, you will see traditional dances like the Sardana, activities like castells (human towers), and colorful processions.  

Hispanic Day - Fiesta Nacional de España

October 12

October 12 is a national holiday in Spain commemorating the Spanish legacy in the world. 

Hispanic Day in Barcelona is celebrated with parades and flower offerings to the Monument of Colon at the end of Las Ramblas, close to the port.

You can read all about Hispanic Day in the article below:

Why is National Day of Spain October 12? Hispanic Day!

All Saint’s Day - Día de Todos los Santos

November 1

All Saints’ Day, or “Día de Todos los Santos” in Spanish, is a Christian holiday that honors the saints and the deceased. As with most of the other holidays, we already mentioned All Saints’ Day is a national holiday, so everywhere you go in Spain, you will find people remembering their deceased beloved. 

Traditional things to do on All Saints’ Day are going to church, eating chestnuts in small stalls on the streets, and eating panellets which are traditional desserts made with chestnuts and sweet potatoes. 

November 2 is All Souls’ Day, and families in Barcelona often visit cemeteries to pay their respects to loved ones who have passed away.

Constitution Day - Día de la Constitución Española

December 6

Constitution Day commemorates the ratification of the Spanish Constitution in 1978; it is an important day as it marks the end of Francoism. 

Constitution Day in Barcelona is a public holiday, but most businesses remain open in this case! Which is great news for us traveling!

On this holiday, only a little is done; politicians remind the country of the creators of the Spanish Constitution and hold most commemorative events. However, if you find yourself in Barcelona, you might witness protests from groups supporting Catalunya’s independence. 

Read more about this public holiday in the article below!

Constitution Day in Spain: Origin, Celebrations and 11 Fun Facts

Immaculate Conception Day - Día de la Inmaculada Concepción

December 8

Immaculate Conception Day is a Christian holiday celebrating the belief that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin. 

In Barcelona, processions and religious ceremonies often honor the Virgin Mary. On top of that, you can take advantage of this public holiday to stroll around Barcelona’s center, and enjoy the Christmas lights and markets that will make you feel the magic of Christmas. 

Christmas Day - Día de Navidad

December 25

We all know this holiday! Christmas Day is a religious and cultural public holiday in Spain as it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Families in Barcelona celebrate Christmas from the night of the 24 to the 25. They attend “Misa del Gallo” and share dinner with traditional foods such as gallets, porks, and turrón. On the 25th, people open presents and have more dinners with families and friends. 

To know more about Christmas Day in Sapin, check the articles below!

Spanish Christmas: How we celebrate a Merry and Bright Holiday

9 Spanish Traditions for a Holly Jolly Christmas in Spain

16 Magical Spanish Christmas Songs to Jingle Your Day

Misa del Gallo: What and Why Do Spanish Celebrate Rooster’s Mass?!

Stephen’s Day - Día de San Esteban

December 26

“St. Stephen’s Day” is a unique tradition from Catalunya as it honors their Carolignian past. 

The tradition of extending Christmas for one more day comes from the 9th century when Catalynua was under the Carolingian Empire. History says that the family concepts differed from the rest of Spain, and it was a tradition that all families would come together to celebrate.

Because journeys were very long, the holidays would be extended one more day, so families had enough time to travel, meet and return home. 

Stephen’s Day is also celebrated with traditional Christmas foods and family reunions. 

Calendar of Barcelona’s Holidays 2023

Calendar of Barcelona’s Holidays 2024

If you need any help or doubt, contact us! We are happy to hear from you!