Spain's Independence Day

I found the following question sent in by Josh in Sacramento, CA fitting for the month of July. As we wrapped up celebrating our own independence day earlier this week, Josh wanted to know if Spain had an independence day and when they celebrate it.

Through the centuries, Spain was occupied by various people like the Moors and the French. As a nation, they celebrate October 12th as National Day which started in the year 1492. That year, not only did Columbus sail the ocean blue, but King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella finished kicking out the Moors who had occupied the country for over a century. I would say that would be reason for celebrating.

As I mentioned earlier, the French had also invaded Spain. The communities around Madrid celebrate May 2nd because that was the day back in 1808 when the Spanish people rose up against the French who were fast taking control of their region. It sparked what is known as the Spanish War of Independence or la Guerra de Independencia. Unfortunately, that war would not end until April 17, 1814.

Even though the Spanish were not controlled by an outside empire and won their independence like the U.S., they still have many reasons that pull them together to celebrate the rich culture and tradition as a people. ¡Viva España!

I hope this helped answer your question Josh. If anyone has questions or comments, please feel free to post them below. You may send me an email to SpanishMyWay@hotmail.com. ¡Hasta luego!