Constitution Day in Spain
Constitution Day is a holiday that’s observed in Spain and commemorates the approval of the Spanish Constitution in 1978. This is a day that’s observed on December 6th annually and is observed as a public holiday.
This means that it’s a day off for much of the general public and many schools, government buildings, and businesses are closed on this day. It’s also customary for some high school students in Spain to be invited to the parliamentary buildings in Madrid a few days before this holiday to read Spain’s Constitution aloud in the Lower House.
The History of Constitution Day In Spain
On October 31, 1978, the Spanish Constitution was created and it was ratified on December 6th of that same year. It was one of two fully democratic constitutions that were created and ratified in Spain, and it went into full effect on December 29th of 1978.
When it went into effect it essentially marked the culmination of the transition in Spain to a democratic society after the death of General Francisco Franco on November 20, 1975. Franco had ruled over Spain as a military decade for almost 4-decades.
Facts About Spain
As we began to dig into the history and culture of Spain, we came across some facts that we thought were pretty interesting. So interesting, in fact, that we just couldn’t resist sharing it with everyone reading about Spain’s Constitution Day.
- Spain is the second-largest country in the EU.
- Nudity is legal in many places in Spain-although it’s considered inappropriate in some places.
- Spain has the second-highest life expectancy in the world-second only to Japan.
- The average citizen of Spain has a life expectancy of 83-years.
Observing Constitution Day In Spain
As we already stated, this is a public holiday, so most businesses are closed. However, that doesn’t mean that all businesses are closed, and some businesses such as grocery stores remain open.
Public transportation in the country may also operate on a reduced holiday schedule. Most people in Spain will use this extra day off to spend time with friends and family, although there are a few official observances that also take part on this day.