The
Fiesta Nacional de España (
Festa Nacional d'Espanya in
Catalan/ValencianCatalan is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencià , as well as in the city of Alghero on the Italian island of...
;
Festa Nacional de España in
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
;
Espainiako Jai Nazionala in
BasqueBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is the mother tongue of approximately one fifth of Basques, 632,000 out of nearly 3,000,000...
) is the
national dayThe National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a nation or non-sovereign country. This nationhood can be symbolized by the date of independence, of becoming republic or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler . Often the day is not called ”National Day”...
of
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It is held annually on October 12 and is a national holiday which commemorates the day in 1492 when
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere...
first set foot in
AmericaThe Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere or New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America...
. As such it is related to the
Columbus celebrationsMany countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday...
held on the same day and for the same purpose across the Americas.
To commemorate it, there is a parade led by the military (usually held in
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
) presided by the
Spanish KingThe Monarchy of Spain, constitutionally referred to as de la Corona de España, and commonly referred to as the Spanish Monarchy , is the constitutional institution and office comprising of a king or of a queen regnant of Spain , their legal spouse and family , and the Royal...
, who is the
Head of StateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
, since Spain is politically organized as a
constitutional monarchyA constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written , unwritten or blended constitution...
.
Discussion
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The
Fiesta Nacional de España (
Festa Nacional d'Espanya in
Catalan/ValencianCatalan is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencià , as well as in the city of Alghero on the Italian island of...
;
Festa Nacional de España in
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
;
Espainiako Jai Nazionala in
BasqueBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is the mother tongue of approximately one fifth of Basques, 632,000 out of nearly 3,000,000...
) is the
national dayThe National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a nation or non-sovereign country. This nationhood can be symbolized by the date of independence, of becoming republic or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler . Often the day is not called ”National Day”...
of
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It is held annually on October 12 and is a national holiday which commemorates the day in 1492 when
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere...
first set foot in
AmericaThe Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere or New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America...
. As such it is related to the
Columbus celebrationsMany countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday...
held on the same day and for the same purpose across the Americas.
To commemorate it, there is a parade led by the military (usually held in
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
) presided by the
Spanish KingThe Monarchy of Spain, constitutionally referred to as de la Corona de España, and commonly referred to as the Spanish Monarchy , is the constitutional institution and office comprising of a king or of a queen regnant of Spain , their legal spouse and family , and the Royal...
, who is the
Head of StateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
, since Spain is politically organized as a
constitutional monarchyA constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written , unwritten or blended constitution...
. The
Presidente del GobiernoThe President of the Government of Spain , usually known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the Spanish head of government...
has also a special role in the ceremony, only second to that of the King. Then a wide array of authorities, from foreign diplomats deployed in Spain to members of the Autonomous governments, are invited to attend the parade and
aerobaticsAerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
performed by the
Spanish Armed ForcesThe armed forces of Spain are known as the Spanish Armed Forces . Their Commander-in-Chief is the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, and consists of the Army, Navy and Air Force...
, typically by the
Patrulla ÁguilaPatrulla Águila is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air Force, based at San Javier airbase near La Manga, in the Murcia region of Spain. Flying 7 Casa C-101 Aviojets, they are the only team to use yellow smoke, and are also known for their formation landings.The team was formed on...
.
In the Autonomous Community of
AragonAragon is an autonomous community of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces from north to south: Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza .Aragon's northern province of Huesca borders France and is positioned in the middle of the Pyrenees...
, this date also commemorates Our Lady of the Pillar (their patroness).
It is also observed by the
Civil GuardThe Guardia Civil, commonly known as the Benemérita, is the Spanish gendarmerie. It has foreign peace-keeping missions and maintains military status and is the equivalent of a federal paramilitary police...
.
External links