Blog-post

October 12, a red letter day in the history of Spanish calendar is celebrated as “Fiesta Nacional de Espana” or the National Day in Spain. The day is evenly eminent as Dia de la Hispanidad, Day of the Armed Forces and el Día de la Raza in different Spanish-speaking terrains. However, the official name of this spectacular event is “Fiesta Nacional de Espana”, commemorating the very first arrival of Christopher Columbus in America that took place way back in August, 1492.

Every year on the 12th day of October, Fiesta Nacional de Espana is celebrated with great gusto across the country. The fiesta takes-off in style with hosting the National Flag of Spain in Madrid by the Spanish Emperor. The flag hosting ceremonial is followed by an army pageant exhibiting a variety of armaments and military exercise of troops and warships. Despite being a public holiday, the merriment of Fiesta Nacional de Espana takes places in a hushed manner in Spain. Most of the shops and offices remain closed on this day and people prefer to exult the holiday staying at home and watching the army parade and flag hosting ceremony, which is aired on Television.

Additionally, to turn this National Day of Spain more remarkable, the citizens of Spain  also love to relish different Spanish platters mingled with famous Flamenco (a blend of guitar, dance and song), which is organised in various parts of the country.

Anyone in Spain for a time-off must witness the following activities on this auspicious fiesta:

• Imperial parade of Spain’s Armed Forces, a must watch in Madrid: One of the leading attractions to witness on Spain’s National Day is the imperial parade of Spain’s Armed Forces in Madrid where, more than 3000 troops take part in a march past on army vehicles showcasing various artillery. The army pageant is followed by some thrilling air activities where a blend of red and yellow smoke is emerged from the airplanes signifying the National Flag of the nation. In addition, the presence of various government bureaucrats and personages make this prestigious event more impactful in the country.
• Fiesta at the Plaza de Colón: The best experience of Spain’s National Day can be felt at the Plaza de Colón in Madrid where, a great reverence is conferred to Christopher Columbus for his first arrival in Americas. To make this occasion notable, various cultural programs are organised near the plaza fountain.
• Pre-colonial time’s documentaries: Adding more excitement to the event, various pre-colonial times documentaries are also showcased in many places across the country. This is out and out an off-beat attraction to behold on Spain’s National Day.
• Read books on Columbus’s expedition to America: People also find it quite exciting to turn over the pages of some spectacular books published on Columbus’s expedition to America.

Same date with different names of celebration

Besides being a remarkable day in Spain, October 12 is also celebrated by different names in several other parts of the sphere. For instance, in Mexico and Chile, it’s a Day of Indigenous Resistance; in Costa Rica, October 12 is popular as the Day of the Cultures; in Argentine, people remember the date as the Day of the Races and in the Bahamas, the day is popular as the Discovery Day.