Happy Spanish National Day
The MiMove-blog congratulates Spain on October 12th. This is the Spanish National Day. You may think that the National Day would be a big thing in Spain as it is a country known for its elaborate festivals and late-night partying, but nothing could be further from the truth. For some reason or another, the Spanish National Day is celebrated quietly at home, at least in many areas of Spain.
October 12th is of importance to Spain in many ways. For starters, Christopher Columbus took the wrong turn and discovered America on this very day in 1492. The day is often called Día de la Hispanidad (the Hispanic Day). The day is also called Columbus Day and is celebrated widely in both North and South America. Many countries celebrate their independence from Spain, but other countries celebrate their Spanish roots, and others yet, like the US simply celebrate Columbus.
Cristóbal Colón discovered the Americas
Christopher Columbus Spanish name is Cristóbal Colón. It is believed that he was born in Genoa in Italy in 1451 and that he worked on ships from the age of 14. He lived in Portugal for many years. Early on, he was dreaming of finding a western route to Asia. He got obsessed by the idea and wanted to test it and looked for funding for many years before he found a solution to his problem.
He needed two things, one was monetary backing but he also needed a nation to support his mission. Repeatedly, he received negative responses from Portugal, France and Spain. But, all of a sudden, there was a window of opportunity and he was able to strike an agreement with the Spanish Kind Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They promised to fund his expedition in return for ownership of whatever land he discovered. The agreement, initially thrown out by the Royal couple, gave Columbus far reaching advantages in regard to titles and riches. In the end the agreement was signed as there was a fear that Columbus would go to another country with his proposal.
The agreement was the starting point for several expeditions in the name of Spain. Columbus first journey took him to the waters outside America. He navigated incorrectly and instead of finding Asia he discovered America in 1492 on October 12. Later, the Spanish colonisation and spreading of the Spanish language started.
The Spanish National Day got a new name
In 1981, it was decided to make Día de la Hispanidad a national holiday in Spain. A few years later, in 1987, the name was changed into Fiesta Nacional and the day became one of two National Days in Spain. The other one is celebrated on December 6. That is the Day of the Constitution and democracy is celebrated.
The most important celebration during the Spanish National Day takes place in Madrid, the capital. And the most prominent part of the celebration is the military parade led by the King and the Prime Minister. The celebrations start with the flag being raised in the presence of the King. He and the prime minister then lead the big military parade through Madrid’s streets like Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Paseo de Castellana and Plaza Colon. Representatives from most branches of the military are included in the parade and the air force has its own show. The planes will release red and white smoke to symbolise the Spanish flag up in the air.
Most people take the day off during the Spanish National day and if it is happens to fall on a Tuesday, or a Thursday many have also the Monday, or Friday off. In some cases, if the Spanish National Day falls on a Sunday, Monday will also be a day off work or school.
Fiesta del Pilar in Zaragoza
Apart from being the Spanish National Day, another event, Fiesta del Pilar, is celebrated on October 12, in different parts of Spain. It is a religious festival honouring the Virgin Mary. However, the celebration taking place in the town of Zaragoza in the region of Aragon is perhaps the most famous. The fiesta in Zaragoza attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. As a matter of fact, many Spaniards refer to the day as the Fiesta del Pilar rather than the Fiesta Nacional.
History has it that James the Greater was walking the paths of Spain doing missionary work. However, he despaired and was on the verge of giving up as he felt people did not listen to him. He knelt down on a river bank outside the town of Zaragoza and prayed. Then he saw a vision of Virgin Mary standing on a pillar. She spoke to him and said he must not give up. All would be well as long as he kept his faith. She also told him he must build a church.
He followed her words and built a church. Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, complete with a Virgin Mary statue on a pillar, is now standing on the place where he got his vision
Many thousand flowers
The festival is made up of different parts. The most popular one is dedicated to the offering of flowers. People offer flowers to the Virgin Mary. They bring the flowers to a construction symbolising Virgin Mary. At the end of the festival the Virgin Mary is completely covered by a sea of flowers. There is also a parade through the city. One of the floats is the flower covered Virgin Mary. There are also 30 floats made entirely out of glass to symbolise the relationship between art and religion. Bull fighting is another common theme during the festival.
There is an ongoing party in the streets, all bars and restaurants are open and you are allowed to drink in the streets. The 12th of October ends with a great concert in the centre of town.
In Catalunya you may find the opposite of peace and quiet. Since the separatist groups in Catalunya want independence from Spain there are often demonstrations in Barcelona during this particular day. Some may even go to work as a protest. But, in general the Spanish National Day is quietly spend with family and friends.
