It's January 17, 2026. If you woke up in Madrid today and saw a line of people holding shivering Chihuahuas or even the occasional disgruntled turtle outside a church, you aren't hallucinating. You’ve just walked into the Feast of San Antón.
But is it actually a "holiday" where everyone gets the day off? That’s where things get tricky in Spain.
Spain doesn't do holidays like most countries. We don't just have national days; we have a complex, three-tiered system of bank holidays that can make planning a grocery run feel like a logic puzzle. Today, Saturday, January 17, is technically a working day for the vast majority of the country, yet for thousands of people in specific towns, the shutters are down and the vermouth is flowing.
Understanding the Holiday in Spain Today
Specifically, today is the feast of San Antonio Abad, the patron saint of animals.
While it isn't a national "red day" (festivo nacional) where every office in the country closes, it is a massive deal in places like Madrid, Sa Pobla in Mallorca, and various villages across Valencia and Andalusia. In Madrid, the Church of San Antón on Calle de Hortaleza becomes the epicenter of chaos. People bring their pets to be blessed. It’s a tradition that feels remarkably medieval and oddly touching in a modern capital city.
But here is the catch. If you are looking for a reason to skip work, today might not be your lucky day unless you live in a municipality that has claimed January 17 as one of its two allotted "local holidays."
In Spain, the Labor Ministry sets the calendar, but they share the power. The central government picks a few days, the 17 Autonomous Communities (like Catalonia or Andalusia) pick some more, and then each individual town hall gets to pick two. This is why you can drive ten minutes from a town where everything is closed and find a bustling city where it's business as usual.
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The Madness of the 2026 Calendar
Since today is a Saturday, the "holiday" vibe is amplified. Many businesses that might usually be open on a Saturday morning in smaller provinces are closed, not necessarily because of the Saint, but because Spain takes its weekends seriously.
If you're in the Balearic Islands, particularly Mallorca, last night was the real party. The Foguerons de Sant Antoni involve massive bonfires, demons dancing in the streets, and a lot of grilled sobrasada. For them, today is the recovery day. It’s technically a local holiday in many Mallorcan towns, meaning if you needed a bank today, you're out of luck.
Why Spain Has So Many Holidays (And Why Today Feels Like One)
People love to joke that Spaniards are always on holiday. It’s a tired trope, but there’s a grain of truth in the frequency of celebrations, even if the total number of days off isn't actually higher than the EU average.
The reason it feels like there is always a holiday in Spain is the "Puente" or bridge system. When a holiday falls on a Thursday, Spaniards historically take the Friday off too. In 2026, the calendar has been particularly generous with these alignments.
The Real National Holidays Everyone Shares
To understand where today fits, you have to look at the "Big Ones" for 2026. These are the days when the entire country actually stops:
- January 1: New Year's Day (Año Nuevo).
- January 6: Epiphany (Día de Reyes). This is arguably bigger than Christmas for Spanish kids.
- April 3: Good Friday (Viernes Santo).
- May 1: Labor Day (Fiesta del Trabajo).
- August 15: Assumption of the Virgin (Asunción de la Virgen).
- October 12: National Day of Spain (Fiesta Nacional de España).
- November 1: All Saints' Day (Todos los Santos).
- December 6: Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución).
- December 8: Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción).
- December 25: Christmas Day (Natividad del Señor).
Since San Antón (today) isn't on that list, why do we care? Because Spain is a collection of deeply regional identities. A holiday in Seville for the Feria is more important to a Sevillano than the National Day in October. Today, if you are in a village in the Alpujarras of Granada, you'll see "Chiscos"—huge bonfires where neighbors share wine and pork. To those people, it is a holiday. Period.
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Regional Variations You Need to Know
If you are traveling through Spain today, check your GPS and your local town hall's website (Ayuntamiento).
In Valencia, San Antonio is often celebrated with the "Blessing of the Animals" and massive parades of horses. It’s a spectacle. In Aragon, particularly in the Graus region, they have their own specific twists on the fire festivals.
The "Transfer" Rule
Spain has a weird rule: if a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the regional governments can decide to move that day off to the following Monday. This didn't happen for today (Saturday), but it’s something to watch for later in the year.
For example, in 2026, several regions will shuffle their calendars to ensure they don't "lose" a day off. It’s a bit of a national sport, honestly. Finding the most efficient way to maximize a long weekend is a quintessential Spanish skill.
What is Open and What is Closed Today?
Basically, because it's Saturday, January 17, here is the reality:
- Big Supermarkets (Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl): Mostly open. They rarely close for local saints unless it's a major city-wide feast like San Isidro in Madrid (May 15).
- Small Local Shops: Likely closed in the afternoon, especially in smaller towns celebrating San Antón.
- Banks and Post Offices: Closed. They are closed every Saturday anyway.
- Museums and Tourist Sites: Open. They love the weekend crowds.
If you’re in a place like Sa Pobla or Manacor, expect nothing to be open. They are likely halfway through a tray of ensaimadas and don't care about your need for a souvenir.
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The Cultural Impact of These "Minor" Holidays
We often ignore these smaller feast days, but they are the heartbeat of Spanish social life. San Antón is about community. It’s about the guy who lives at number 4 bringing his goat to the priest to make sure it stays healthy another year.
There's a specific bread associated with today, too. The Panecillos de San Antón. They are these hard, little anise-flavored biscuits. Legend says if you keep one in your pocket or a drawer for a year, you’ll never lack money. Just don't try to eat it after six months unless you want a hefty dentist bill.
Practical Steps for Navigating Spanish Holidays
Checking the "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (BOE) is the only way to be 100% sure about national days, but that’s a dry read. Instead, use the "Calendario Laboral" for your specific city.
If you are planning a trip to Spain later this year, keep these tips in mind to avoid being stranded without a baguette:
- Download the local municipal calendar: Search for "Calendario Laboral [City Name] 2026."
- Watch for "Puentes": If a holiday is on Tuesday or Thursday, expect many people to take a 4-day weekend. Restaurants will be packed; shops will be shut.
- Sundays are still sacred: Not in a religious sense for everyone, but in a "commercial" sense. In most of Spain, big shops are still legally required to close on Sundays, with few exceptions in tourist zones.
- The 2:00 PM rule: Regardless of holidays, the 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM "siesta" window is real in smaller towns. Don't expect to get chores done then.
Today might not be a "day off" for the whole nation, but it's a perfect example of why Spain is so vibrant. It’s a Saturday, the fires are lit in the plazas, the dogs are getting blessed, and the anise bread is being passed around.
Check your local "Ayuntamiento" website for any last-minute changes to bin collection or road closures due to processions. If you are in Madrid, head over to Chueca and the surrounding streets to see the animal parades—it’s one of the most unique things you’ll see all winter. If you aren't in a celebratory zone, just enjoy a normal Saturday, but maybe buy a panecillo just in case the legend about the money is true.
Before you head out, verify if your specific destination has declared today a "festivo local." It’s rare for the 17th, but in the deep pockets of rural Spain, today is the only day that matters. Keep your pets close and your "Calendario Laboral" closer.