2026 Hispanic Day

Hispanic Day on October 12, officially the Fiesta Nacional de España, is Spain's national day and commemorates Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492; the date has held its current status since 1987. The centrepiece is a military parade in Madrid along the Paseo de la Castellana, presided over by the King and Queen, with a flypast by the Patrulla Águila aerobatic team trailing red and yellow smoke and a wreath laid for those who died for Spain. The date also coincides with the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, patron of Zaragoza, whose Fiestas del Pilar bring a week of concerts and a huge flower offering. It is a national public holiday, so shops close and many Spaniards take a long weekend, and Latin American countries mark the same date under names such as Día de la Raza. Madrid hotels near the parade route fill early. This countdown ticks to midnight Central European Time in Madrid on October 12.