Spain’s Christmas Work Rules: The Truth About 24 And 31 December

Every year, arsenic Spain slips into Christmas mode and nan streets capable pinch lights, markets and last-minute shoppers, 1 mobility starts circling offices and WhatsApp groups: “Do we get 31 December off… aliases not?”
It comes up without fail, nary matter really galore times it’s explained, because Christmas successful Spain isn’t conscionable a day connected a almanac – it’s a full play pinch its ain rituals, rhythms and expectations.

And this twelvemonth is nary exception. With families already readying dinners, trips and gatherings, workers crossed nan state are erstwhile again trying to activity retired precisely which days are officially holidays, which are not, and which simply feel for illustration they should be.

Christmas: much than lights and dinners

Spain takes Christmas seriously. Really seriously.
From early December, there’s a consciousness that life softens astir nan edges. The large cities move connected their ray displays, mini towns group up their nativity scenes, and families commencement preparing for nan marathon of meals that runs from Christmas Eve each nan measurement to Three Kings.

The sound of children rehearsing carols, nan smell of turrón, and nan celebrated Lotería de Navidad, which temporarily unites nan state successful shared hope, each denote that nan festive play has arrived.
It’s nan clip of twelvemonth erstwhile activity people slows – aliases astatine slightest tries to – and erstwhile group usage up nan past of their vacation allowance to agelong retired their break.

But traditions aside, workers still request clarity. And that’s wherever nan yearly disorder starts.

The dates that are charismatic holidays

Let’s clear distant nan easiest part: successful Spain, 3 dates are guaranteed national, non-working holidays, each year, everywhere:

• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 1 January – New Year’s Day
• 6 January – Epiphany / Three Kings

Nothing changes there.

In Catalonia, there’s 1 more:

• 26 December – Sant Esteve, besides a non-working time and conscionable arsenic important arsenic Christmas Day for galore families.

Those are nan only fixed, nationalist (or regional) public holidays of nan festive period.

And nan large question: is 31 December a holiday?

Short answer: no.
Long answer: still no… but it’s complicated.

Neither Christmas Eve (24 December) nor New Year’s Eve (31 December) look connected nan nationalist vacation calendar.
They are normal moving days, legally speaking.

But successful practice? Many companies dainty them differently.

Some adjacent early. Some connection reduced hours. Some springiness nan full time disconnected arsenic a goodwill motion aft a agelong year.
Others – particularly those successful retail, hospitality aliases basal services – activity afloat schedules and often moreover longer hours.

There’s nary ineligible responsibility for companies to trim nan time aliases connection clip off. When they do, it’s retired of custom, contented aliases soul policy.
And though galore workers presume these dates “don’t count”, nan rule is clear: 24 and 31 December are not nationalist holidays.

Why these dates matter truthful much

Part of nan disorder comes from really emotionally loaded nan play is. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are 2 of nan astir important nights of nan twelvemonth successful Spain.
They’re moments for large family meals, reunions and long-established traditions – truthful naturally, galore group expect nan time to beryllium treated for illustration a holiday.

At nan aforesaid time, this play brings its ain financial pressure. Christmas gifts, travel, food, nights retired and nan dreaded cuesta de enero create a peculiar benignant of accent that pushes workers to organise their clip (and money) good successful advance.

That’s why knowing which days are charismatic holidays – and which aren’t – matters truthful much.

What companies usually do

While nan rule doesn’t unit companies to shorten nan moving time connected 24 aliases 31 December, galore take to do truthful anyway.
It’s a celebrated measurement of acknowledging unit effort complete nan twelvemonth and allowing group a spot much breathing abstraction earlier awesome celebrations.

But it remains a institution decision, not a ineligible right.
Employees request to cheque their corporate agreement, soul argumentation aliases nonstop institution communication.

Some workplaces instrumentality to tradition.
Others set twelvemonth by year.
Some dainty nan days for illustration immoderate other.

And that’s precisely why nan mobility keeps coming backmost each December.