Spain's National Day
October 12 · Level 9 · #251 of 2238
Spain's National Day, also called Día de la Hispanidad, is the country's main national holiday. It falls on 12 October, the date in 1492 when Columbus's expedition reached the Americas, and it also celebrates Spain's ties with the Spanish-speaking world.
How it is celebrated: Madrid hosts a military parade attended by the king and the royal family, aircraft fly over the city, and a reception for guests follows at the Royal Palace.
The date has a religious side too: 12 October is also the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, patron saint of Spain's Guardia Civil.