All Saints' Day in Canary Islands

A public holiday across the islands

The Canary Islands’ labour calendar names November 1 as All Saints’ Day. Spanish labour law provides that public holidays are paid and non-recoverable, so workers covered by that law are generally entitled to the day off.[1][2]

The regional calendar is set through an annual decree. It lists All Saints’ Day on November 1; it does not move the holiday to Monday when the date falls on a Sunday. The decree also allows municipalities to set up to two additional local holidays, so other dates off can differ by municipality.[2]

Remembering the dead through Los Finaos

Los Finaos, also called Finados, is a Canarian tradition associated with the eve of All Saints’ Day. A cultural education booklet produced by FEDAC, an autonomous body of Gran Canaria’s Cabildo, describes its roots in the family and rural life of traditional Gran Canaria. Families gathered to recall deceased relatives, often with older family members telling stories about them.[3]

Seasonal foods described in the booklet include chestnuts, walnuts, almonds and apples; it says chestnuts are now the most commonly used fruit in the celebration. In the traditional account, families also cleaned and decorated graves with flowers and lit candles. In urban celebrations, the tradition may take a more public form, with music, dancing, traditional dress and roasted chestnuts.[3]

Finaos may be celebrated alongside Halloween or separately, and specific activities and foods can differ locally.[3]

What to expect locally

A date being classed as a non-working day for administrative deadlines does not by itself determine public administrations’ workplace operations or hours.[2]

Shop opening is also not uniform. The Canary Islands Government lists designated tourist areas where special commercial-hours rules apply, and sets out which Sundays and holidays shops may open under the general regime. Check the relevant shop or local authority for current opening information.[4]