In this post I will talk about one of the numerous cultural events that take place in Spain every year.
On 12 October is the National Day or Fiesta Nacional de España. It is also called the Hispanic Day or the Día de la Hispanidad. This day is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of Columbus in Americas in 1492. It is also celebrated as the day of the Armed Forces. It is a public holiday. Therefore, most of the shops and all the offices are closed. Usually, Spaniards enjoy this day by watching the live broadcast of the show with family.
Civil Guard parade (photo taken by my flatmate)
It is marked with the raising of Spain’s National Flag in Madrid by the king of Spain. The flag raising ceremony is followed by a military parade which showcases the country’s weapons and artillery. An air show also takes place with the armed forces performing acrobatic maneuvers in the air.
Plaza del Pilar for « The Offering of Flowers » and parade in Alfonso Calle Coso
During National day I was in Zaragoza, the regional capital of Aragon. Here, takes place the festival of the Fiestas del Pilar which lasts 9 days. Streets of Zaragoza are full of music, fireworks, flower trails, parades and of course many bullfights. But National Day is celebrated in a special way in the city. In fact, on 12 October, 100 000 people in traditional costumes make a pilgrimage. They walk trough the city streets to the Basilica for “The Offering of Flowers” to the blessed Virgin del Pilar from 6 am to the end of the day. There are also many concerts everywhere in the city.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
I suggest you to go to Zaragoza during this festival. It’s really funny to see people’s disguises and the Basilica del Pilar is very impressive. I travel by bus with Erasmus Student Network. It takes 4 hours to go to the festival from Madrid but it’s worth it!
See you next week! 🙂
