How to say the holidays in Spanish
Below is a list of the Spanish names for major holidays and celebrations. These are often common topics of conversation in Spanish (or any language, really). So, by familiarizing yourself with them, you are preparing yourself for a variety of small talk situations.
| English name | Date | Spanish name | Date in Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | el Año Nuevo | 1 de enero |
| Epiphany | January 6 | Día de los Reyes Magos, Epifanía | 6 de enero |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 15 | Día de Martin Luther King Jr. | 15 de enero |
| Valentine's Day | February 14 | el día de San Valentín, día de los enamorados | 14 de febrero |
| April Fool's Day | April 1 | el Día de los Inocentes | 1 de abril |
| Easter | April 17 | la Pascua | 17 de de abril |
| Spanish Independence Day | May 2 | el Día de la Independencia | 2 de Mayo |
| Celebration of Mexico's defeat of France | May 5 | el Cinco de Mayo | 5 de Mayo |
| Mother's Day | May 9 | el Día de la Madre | 9 de mayo |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | Día Conmemorativo | 31 de Mayo |
| Flag Day | June 14 | Día de la Bandera | 14 de junio |
| Father's Day | June 20 | el Día del Padre | 20 de junio |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Día de la Independencia | 4 de julio |
| Labor Day | September 6 | Día laboral | 6 de septiembre |
| Mexican Independence Day | September 16 | el Grito | 16 de de septiembre de |
| Columbus Day | October 11 | Día de la Raza, Día de la Hispanidad | 11 de octubre |
| Halloween | October 31 | Víspera de Todos los Santos | 31 de octubre |
| Day of the Dead | November 1 | Día de Muertos | 1 de noviembre |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Día de los Veteranos | 11 de noviembre |
| Thanksgiving | November 25 | el día de Acción de Gracias | 25 de de noviembre de |
| Christmas | December 25 | la Navidad | 25 de diciembre |
| Christmas Eve | December 25 | la Nochebuena | 25 de diciembre |
| New Year's Eve | December 31 | la Nochevieja | 31 de diciembre |
| Hanukkah | varies | janucá | Varía |
| birthday | el cumpleaños | ||
| sweet sixteen | la quinceañera | ||
| first communion | la Primera Comunión | ||
| party | una fiesta | ||
| wedding | la boda | ||
| wedding anniversary | el aniversario de bodas |
This is a list of common holidays celebrated in the United States and the equivalent term in Spanish. Of course there are many other holidays that are celebrated around the world and that vary by region, religion, etc. This is just meant to get you started! As you study abroad, speak with more people from different places, and take classes with professors from various backgrounds, you will learn more and more. And that can be a great way to get to know new people and start some interesting conversations.
Try this holiday vocabulary for opening up a dialogue about holiday plans, or how the holidays went:
- ¿Cuáles son tus planes para ___?
- ¿Cómo estuvo el/la ___?
- ¿Cómo estuvieron las vacaciones?
- ¿Qué tal el/la___?
- ¿Comó fue la ___?
- ¿Cómo pasaron sus vacaciones?
How to say “on holiday” in Spanish?”
If you are wondering about how to say ‘holiday’ in the British sense (ie. the way an American would say “vacation”), the answer is “vacaciones”. This refers to extended periods of time off, such as summer vacation from school, Easter holidays, Christmas or New Year, Spring break, and so on. If you are trying to communicate that you have a single day off due to a holiday such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, etc, you could say “Hoy es fiesta”. Other variations could include las días festivos, los feriados, el descanso, or las siestas.
There is also a special term in Spanish for when you already have a Tuesday or Thursday off, and you take an additional Monday or Friday off work to make it a four-day weekend. It is called “puente”, as in, “esta semana hay puente” or “esta semana es puente”.
You may also enjoy these articles:
Spanish tongue twisters
Turning someone down politely in Spanish
How to answer the phone in Spanish
How to ask for advice in Spanish