What? No More Holidays?
Spain is famous for its love of ferias, festivos and holidays. We have often said that there is always an excuse for a holiday in Spain.
Towards the end of 2011, the national holidays in December on the 6th (Constitution Day) and the 8th (The Immaculate Conception) caused havoc with the working community. The fact that these days fell on a Tuesday and a Thursday resulted in many businesses and communities choosing to write off the whole week. Needless to say, this was not only disruptive but also cost the country a lot of money in the run up to the festive season.
The problem arises when a national holiday in Spain falls on a day other than a Monday or a Friday. This results in the beloved Spanish “Puente” (meaning bridge) .
What is a Puente? If a holiday falls on a Thursday, for example, then the Friday is also allocated as a no work day, hence forming a bridge to the weekend and consequently, extending the holiday.
Following an announcement from the Spanish government to move some of the National Holidays in Spain in 2012, the official work schedule for 2012 (calendario laboral 2012) is still to be confirmed.
Dates we have heard about so far are:
- Wednesday 15th August will be moved to Friday 17th August
- Thursday 1st November will be moved to Friday 2nd November
- Thursday 6th December will be moved to Friday 7th December
Once all the dates are confirmed and a definitive calendar has been published we will let you know.
What do you think about this monumental change? Do you think it will have much impact on the economy? Add your comments …
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