Día de Andalucía

On the 28^th of February, we celebrate the day of Andalucía, in Spanish known as ‘Día de Andalucía’ here in the region. But what does this day mean for us and what will be going on in the city? We will explain you more about this holiday in this blog. 

Why this day?

The 28^th of February marks the anniversary of a referendum held on February 28, 1980. A large majority of voters supported this referendum for Andalucía to become an autonomous community in Spain. However, the Spanish Parliament only accepted Andalucía as an historic nationality in 2006. It is a public holiday, which means that schools and most businesses will be closed. If you are on a holiday in Seville, you will have to keep this in mind. 

What will people be doing?

Most people spend this day with their family and closest friends. Some people organize private parties with traditional music, dancing, food and drinks. It is a bit a quiet day in Andalucía. You will see the green-and-white Andalucían flag widely displayed during this day. Some people even paint this flag on their faces. You will see on this day that Andalusians have a strong loyalty to their region, sometimes even more then to the country itself. Children often celebrate this day on the previous Friday and have a regional breakfast together which often consists of orange juice and toast with olive oil, they also learn about local history and sing the Andalucían hymn. In many towns, a ceremony will take place in the main square. In Seville, this ceremony takes place a little bit outside of the city at the monument to Blas Infante. 

Seville has a lot of (public) holidays, but this one also means a lot to them. Will you be in Seville around that time of the year? We wish you a good trip and keep in mind that most things will be closed during the Día de Andalucía!