Spain

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The Spanish love to party. Even their word for party—”fiesta”—sounds festive. And you’d think they were the most pious nation in the world by the number of saints they celebrate.

A number of these Saint’s Days involve young people imbibing vast quantities of alcohol and dancing in the streets until dawn. Not quite saintly, though somewhat Augustinian.

“Lord give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” — St. Augustine, Confessions

Spain is however a deeply Catholic nation as many of its holidays attest to. In fact, Catholicism may be the one thing that binds Spaniards together. Contrary to popular belief, Spain is not unified by a single language. There’s Catalon spoken in the northeast Barcelona. Euskari still survives up in the Basque Country. Despite being one color on your map of the world, each region has its own unique customs and holidays. And lots of them!

New Year’s Day (January 1)

Epiphany (January 6)

Father’s Day / San Jose (March 19)

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Easter

Labor Day (May 1)

Assumption (August 15)

Day of Spanishness (October 12)

All Saints Day (November 1)

Constitution Day (December 6)

Immaculate Conception (December 8)