The calendar for the Canary Islands got off on the wrong foot for many people who thought they were losing out on a bank holiday this year because New Year's Day was on a Sunday and Monday the 2nd was not designated as a holiday.
However, that does not mean that there won’t be opportunities for people to enjoy a festive day in the middle of a working week over the next twelve months, as one of them is coming this Thursday February 2nd, although it is only in Tenerife, as it is Dia del Virgen de la Candelaria.
Each island has designated an island-wide bank holiday to make up for New Year, which is added to the national, regional, and municipal ones already on the calendar.
The new calendar for 2023 includes a total of 13 bank holidays, which includes three dates chosen by the councils and town halls, with the rest being national holidays.
Non-changeable holidays:
After the publication of the calendar in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the eight non-replaceable holidays included in the calendar for 2023 are:
April 7th: Good Friday.
May 1st: Labour Day (Monday).
August 15th: Assumption of the Virgin (Tuesday).
October 12th: National holiday (Thursday).
November 1st: All Saints Day (Wednesday).
December 6th: Constitution Day (Wednesday).
December 8th: Day of the Immaculate Conception (Friday).
December 25th: Christmas Day (Monday).
In addition, these are the designated extra bank holidays for each island:
February 2nd: Day of the Virgen de la Candelaria (Tenerife).
August 5th: Nuestra Señora del Nieves (La Palma).
September 8th: Nuestra Señora del Pino (Gran Canaria).
September 15th: Our Lady of the Volcanoes (Lanzarote and La Graciosa).
September 15th: Our Lady of the Rock (Fuerteventura).
September 25th: Our Lady of the Kings (El Hierro).
October 9th: Our Lady of Guadalupe (La Gomera).
Substitutable National Holidays:
These are the days that the regions of Spain can keep as bank holidays or replace them with others are:
January 6th: Three Kings Day (Already passed).
April 6th: Holy Thursday - All regions except Catalonia and Valencia.
Holidays by municipalities:
Each of the Canary Islands can choose two other festivities to add to their own calendar. For example, in the case of the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, the freely available holidays will be Shrove Tuesday (February 21st) and the day of the Cross (May 3rd).
