The National Day of Spain () 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), commemorating Spanish legacy worldwide, especially in Hispanic America.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
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.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. 501-524David 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
Spanish law declares
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.Thomas, Hugh (11 August 2015). World Without End: Spain, Philip II, and the First Global Empire. Random House. pp. 496 pages.
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.
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/ Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Observance
National Day of Spain is a holiday throughout the entire country, so all central (national) government's and autonomous communities' (provincial) institutions and administration offices are closed on that day, as are banks and stores. National Day is celebrated in Spain through numerous public and private events organized throughout the country to praise the nation's heritage, history, society and people. The festivity is also celebrated by Spanish communities worldwide. Solemn acts of tribute to the national flag take place at different locations in Spain and abroad. The most important by far is the one held in the capital, Madrid, along with the Armed Forces parade. Other tribute, cultural, religious and vindicative parades and demonstrations are also organized by participants from civil society across Spain.
Origins and evolution
The distant origin of the holiday is to be found in the Roman Catholic tradition of the Virgin Mary's apparition "in flesh and blood" in Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza's name under the Roman Empire) to Apostle Saint James the Greater in AD 40 where a temple was built by the river Ebro, the first in the world dedicated to the cult of Saint Mary. Pilgrimage to Zaragoza to venerate Our Lady of the Pillar started in the early 8th century. Together with Saint James in Compostela, the spirituality of Christians in the Iberian Peninsula has centered around Our Lady of the Pillar for centuries.
On 27 May 1642 the city of Zaragoza designated Our Lady of the Pillar as a symbol of Hispanidad (Hispanicity), and the date became a feast in commemoration of the appearance of La Virgen del Pilar in the city.
In 1730, Pope Clement XII allowed the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar to be celebrated all over the Spanish Empire from then on.
On 23 September 1892 the queen regent of Spain, Maria Christina of Austria, promulgated a Royal Decree in San Sebastián, as proposed by the Prime Minister, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, declaring 12 October 1892 a national day in commemoration of the 4th centenary of the discovery of America.David MARCILHACY « Las fiestas del 12 de octubre y las conmemoraciones americanistas bajo la Restauración borbónica: España ante su pasado colonial », Revista de Historia Jerónimo Zurita (Zaragoza), n°86 (2011), p. 131-147
The preamble of that decree states the government had "considered appropriate to explore the position of all the American countries and Italy, as homeland of Columbus, to see if, by joint agreement, that commemoration could be vested with greater importance."
The preamble continues pointing out that "most governments of America have already adhered to the idea in principle, like that of the United States as well as those of the Hispanic American republics, with few exceptions, maybe because of temporary circumstances, which shall probably not prevent a unanimous resolution, and, for its part, the Government of his S.M. the King of Italy has also welcomed the invitation in the most cordial and satisfactory way." It is further stressed the opportunity of "perpetuating" such a commemoration as a National Day of Spain.Gaceta de Madrid
Hispanicity was celebrated again in Spain from 1935, when the first festival was held in Madrid. The day was known as Día de la Hispanidad ("Day of Hispanicity"), emphasizing Spain's connection to the international Hispanic community.
Hispanicity linked to the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar as historical background and symbol of the National Day of Spain are well expressed in a 1939 letter addressed by an Argentinian donor, Doña Soledad Alonso de Drysdale, to the Spanish government regarding the fundraising to complete the building of the last two of four towers of the Cathedral of the Pillar:
from the original:
In 1981, soon after the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the national day is renamed "Fiesta Nacional de España y Día de la Hispanidad" by Royal Decree On 7 October 1987, the reference to Hispanidad is discarded and the name is changed again to Fiesta Nacional.Ley 18/1987, de 7 de octubre, que establece el día de la Fiesta Nacional de España en el 12 de octubre boe.es 12 October became one of two national celebrations, along with Constitution Day on December 6.
Spain's "national day" had moved around several times during the various regime changes of the 20th century. Establishing it on the day of the international Discovery of America celebration was part of a compromise between conservatives, who wanted to emphasize the status of the monarchy and Spain's history, and the left-winged parties, who wanted to commemorate Spain's burgeoning democracy with an official holiday. While the manifest ties of Spain with Hispanic America are not questioned, the removal of the Hispanidad from the name of the national festivity aims to avoid any controversy regarding the conquest, influence and rule of the Americas by Spain during the imperial period.
The participation of the Armed Forces in the celebration of National Day was established in 1997 by Royal Decree, which regulates the commemoration and tribute acts to be performed by the Armed Forces on National Day of Spain. It actually transfers the most relevant acts of the Armed Forces Day, traditionally celebrated separately in springtime, to 12 October. This measure aimed, on the one hand, to integrate in the same festivity all the historic and cultural elements of the Spanish nation, and on the other hand, to enhance the identification of the Armed Forces with the Spanish society whom they serve. Other civic-military events are also organized around 12 October, including military training and exhibitions, cultural and sport events, aiming to facilitate the citizens to get a better knowledge of the Armed Forces.Royal Decree 862/1997, of June 6, https://boe.vlex.es/vid/actos-conmemorativos-fiesta-defensa-15370717
Celebrations
Public and civil society celebrations of the National Day are numerous and of different natures. Solemn Acts of Tribute to the National Flag take place in different locations of Spain. The most important is the one traditionally held in the capital, Madrid, along with the Armed Forces and State Security Forces parade. Other tribute and vindicative parades and demonstrations are also organized by figures from civil society across Spain.
While the reference to 'Hispanidad' was removed from the official name of the festivity, the tradition of somehow celebrating this phenomenon is observed in Spain as it is celebrated by Hispanic peoples worldwide. Celebrations emphasizing the discovering of America and the pioneering efforts and contributions of Spain in America and to the world through centuries, from the world exploration to the Spanish influence and shaping of Hispanic American societies, are traditionally held.Gustavo Bueno, "España no es un mito. Claves para una defensa razonada" Temas de Hoy, Madrid 2005,
Officially commemorated until 1987, Dia de la Hispanidad has continued to be spontaneously celebrated by Spanish people with both a cultural and a religious dimension. It celebrates Hispanic diversity, brotherhood, common heritage and cultural ties between Hispanic countries.
Tribute to the Flag and Armed Forces Parade
The celebration traditionally includes a parade of the Spanish Armed Forces (military) and the national police forces, usually held in Madrid, attended by high institutional and political representatives including the Monarch, head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, together with the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, the presidents of the Cortes Generales and faction leaders of its chambers, the President of the Constitutional Court, and the President of the Supreme Court and General Council of the Judiciary, members of the Council of Ministers, members of parliament, and other representatives of the central, regional and local governments. Political and institutional delegations from other guest countries, including military forces participating in the parade, also attend the event. The parade expresses the commitment of the Armed and the police forces to society and their contribution to the wider international community. The parade is held in one of the capital's big plazas, in recent parades the marching contingents are assigned the Paseo de la Castellana for the parade as a marching route.
The most important role is usually reserved for the Spanish flag. For several consecutive years, the Spanish Air Force aerobatics parachute demonstration unit has performed a jump carrying a massive Spanish flag to land in front of the Royal dais where the Monarch and they royal family, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Defense Staff. Then the tribute to the national flag follows, with its raising while the national anthem, the "Marcha Real," is performed. Then, tribute is paid to the soldiers who gave their lives for Spain which is followed by a civil-military parade with mobile column and flypast segment, which usually includes a display by the Spanish Air and Space Force's aerobatics team, the Patrulla Águila.
The Armed Forces Parade is one of the most widely attended events in Spain, with thousands of citizens gathering along the parade route, where they can show their affection to the Royal Family, Armed Forces and to the State Security forces as they march past the dais.