Europe

Spain’s Basque Country announces public holidays for 2021

While most of the world is wondering about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on this year’s holidays, the Basque Country is showing positivity and foresight by making its work calendar for 2021 available.

The way that the holiday dates fall in 2020 means there is little in the way of bridge holidays or the feast days of certain saints being called off the substitute’s bench.

The Basque Country holiday calendar for 2021 includes 12 days in addition to Sundays as holidays. Two of the holidays fall on a Saturday.

In January there will be public holidays on Friday 1st for New Year and Wednesday 6th for Three Kings. The only other holiday in the first quarter is on Friday March 19th for St. Joseph’s Day.

Easter arrives a bit earlier than in 2020, with Holy Thursday on April 1st, followed by Good Friday and Easter Monday, creating the traditional five-day weekend.

Labour Day, May 1st, falls on Saturday. As Assumption on August 15th, falls on a Sunday, summer passes to autumn without further holidays until the National Festival on Tuesday October 12th. At least the start of the next month begins with a long weekend, with All Saints’ Day on November 1st falling on a Monday.

In December, Constitution Day on Monday December 6th is followed on the Wednesday by Immaculate Conception Day. If you have a spare holiday, we would recommend using it on Tuesday December 7th to create a five-day weekend. You might want to use the time to buy something nice to make up for Christmas Day falling on a Saturday in 2021.

The timetable approved by the Basque Government applies to the whole of the Basque Country, although as usual it will be bolstered by two local holidays chosen by the local municipalities. Here is a small selection of local holidays in the Basque Country for 2021:

January 20th: San Sebastian (San Sebastián)
June 30th: San Marcial (Irun)
July 31st: Saint Ignatius (Gipuzkoa)