All Saints' Day in Spain

A public holiday with a Sunday rule

Spanish law lists 1 November, Todos los Santos, among national paid, non-recoverable work holidays. The general statutory limit is 14 holidays a year, including up to two local holidays; regional and local calendars set the applicable dates in each place.[1][2]

The law provides that when a national holiday falls on Sunday, the corresponding work rest is taken on the following Monday. Autonomous communities may substitute that Monday’s rest with another traditional holiday, so the applicable calendar can depend on the region.[1][2]

A feast of saints and remembrance

In Catholic teaching, All Saints’ Day celebrates all the saints together, including those not individually named in the calendar. The Vatican describes the feast as honoring the faithful who have gone before and links it with the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on the following day.[4]

Cemetery visits

Visiting cemeteries and decorating family graves with flowers are established All Saints’ customs in Spain. The national tourism board also notes that some cemeteries offer guided visits, including tours focused on their sculptures and the stories of people buried there.[3]

Autumn foods and regional traditions

Roasted chestnuts are associated with this season across Spain. Regional celebrations have their own names: the Magosto in Galicia, Amagüestu in Asturias, Castanyada in Catalonia and Chaquetía in Extremadura.[5]

In Catalonia, Tots Sants and the Castanyada are marked with cemetery visits and foods such as chestnuts, sweet potatoes and panellets, a traditional sweet. The Generalitat’s cultural heritage site describes these foods as part of the homes and seasonal traditions around 1 November.[6]

Planning your day

Because the date is a public work holiday, work and administrative schedules may differ from an ordinary weekday. The national rules establish holiday status, but they do not set opening hours for each shop, attraction or transport service; check local information before making plans.[1][2]

Regional customs and local events vary. In Catalonia, for example, the Generalitat describes traditional festivities in several places on the evening before All Saints’ Day, alongside cemetery visits and seasonal food on 1 November. Check the town’s current listings for event and cemetery details.[6]