Today, Tuesday, October 12, is a holiday in Spain, but for what reason? What is celebrated on October 12 in Spain? This is the day on which the National Holiday in Spain or Hispanic Day is commemorated, but also another important holiday is celebrated that we will reveal to you below.
What is celebrated on October 12 in Spain?
Every year October 12 is a day marked as a national holiday in our calendar because it is the National Holiday Day, but not only that. October 12 is also the day on which the Virgen del Pilar is celebrated, so this Tuesday is when the Offering of flowers to the Virgin is made in Zaragoza.
What does Columbus Day commemorate?
Hispanidad Day is the other name by which the National Holiday is known, commemorating the fact that on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas.
Columbus left Palos de la Frontera, Cádiz, in August 1492 . Two months later he arrived on an island that is now part of the Bahamas. However, this was not the original idea. Columbus, who was sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, was actually looking for a western route to India, but instead stumbled upon the Americas by mistake . Hispanic Day symbolizes the union between Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America.
The military parade of October 12
The main event that takes place on October 12 is the military parade in Madrid in which all branches of the army participate: planes, tanks and other bodies. The parade runs along the Paseo de la Castellana and is attended by the Kings, their daughters and members of the world of politics.
During the parade, acrobatics by the Spanish Air Force can be seen, with the planes leaving a trail of red and yellow smoke that simulates the Spanish flag. Afterward, a paratrooper jumps out of a plane with the flag and offers it to the Royal Family upon landing. Also in the parade you can see the Spanish Legion, a unit of the Spanish Army.
On this day and once the parade is over, many museums and palaces in Madrid open their doors to the public , while the Instituto Cervantes holds special exhibitions.
The Day of the Virgin of Pilar
October 12 is also the day in which the community of Aragon celebrates the Virgen del Pilar and this is also the week in which the Pilar festivities are celebrated in honor of the Virgin.
As we mentioned, in the city of Zaragoza the Flower Offering takes place on this day, which takes place in the basilica del Pilar, in addition to the meeting of groups, brotherhoods and individuals from the entire community.
Last year due to the coronavirus pandemic this celebration could not take place although this year it will be celebrated although with restrictions on capacity and without having Pilar parties . The Offering ceremony can also be followed, virtually.
Columbus Day in the rest of the world
October 12 is an important day in Spain but also in other countries of the world. In the United States, Columbus Day is known as Columbus Day, the same name that the holiday has in Mexico, Colombia and Chile. In Urugay, the Day of the Americas is celebrated, which is how the festival is also known in Belize and in the Bahamas it is known as Discovery Day.
