Why Friday 6th December is a national holiday for the whole of Spain!

The office of Jacaranda Spain will be closed for business this Friday 6th December. In fact you will find all businesses and services have a holiday weekend this week. The day is known as “Día de la Constitución”. It is a day to mark the anniversary of the referendum that approved the Spanish Constitution, which is the “Supreme Law of the Kingdom of Spain”. 

If you need to know one thing about recent Spanish history, Constitution Day is one of the most important days on the calendar. 

The first constitution of 1931 was repudiated by Francisco Franco after the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930´s. Francos victory marked the start of a strictly, authoritarian regime, in which the State controlled all aspects of Spanish life. This “Francoist” regime enforced ideals that were; anti-communist, Spanish nationalist, monarchist, militaristic, conservative Roman Catholic and anti-liberal. National Conservatism was used as an excuse to repress Spains cultural diversity and the State controlled education and the media. The autonomous communities were forbidden from using languages other than Spanish (Castellano). More than three decades of this dictatorship ended on the day of Francos death in 1975.

The new Spanish Constitution was approved by the Spanish people, with a huge majority, in a referendum on 6th December 1978. Finally, it was sanctioned by King Juan Carlos on 27th December and came into affect on 29th december 1978, three years after Franco´s death. It was defined as “the culmination of the transition to democracy”!

The Spanish Constitution sets out how the government in Spain will function, it is the core of Spanish political and legal systems and establishes public rights and freedoms. 

The introductory statement to the Spanish Constitution is:

"The Spanish Nation, desiring to establish justice, liberty and security, and to promote the well-being of all of its members, in the exercise of its sovereignty, proclaims its will to:

-Guarantee democratic coexistence within the Constitution and the laws, in accordance with a fair economic and social order.

-Consolidate a State of Law which ensures the rule of law as the expression of the popular will.

-Protect all Spaniards and peoples of Spain in the exercise of human rights, of their culture and traditions, languages and institutions.

-Promote the progress of culture and of the economy to ensure a dignified quality of life for all.

-Establish an advanced democratic society, and Cooperate in the strengthening of peaceful relations and effective cooperation among all the peoples of the earth.

It is little wonder that the 6th December would become an auspicious date. If you speak a few words of Spanish, it is great to engage with the older generation, a lot of whom remember the days of Franco. Raise a glass with them and wish them “Feliz Día de la Constitución”!