Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands share 8 official “bank holidays” with the rest of Spain. Following the publication of the Laboral Calendar in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the eight immovable holidays are:
April 7: Good Friday, May 1: Labor Day, (Monday), August 15: Assumption of the Virgin (Tuesday), October 12: National holiday, (Thursday), November 1: All Saints, (Wednesday), December 6: Constitution Day, (Wednesday), December 8: The Immaculate Conception, (Friday) and December 25: Christmas, (Monday).
Each Spanish region is autonomous and has some flexibility around four other national holidays, which allows for celebrations to move, and so they will not necessarily be bank holidays throughout Spain on the same day.
The Regional Government establishes, within an annual limit of fourteen such holidays, a list of official bank holidays for the year ahead, 2023, in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, respecting, in any case, the national celebrations of the Nativity (aka Christmas), New Year, May 1, (Mayday Festival to celebrate workers and the start of summer) and October 12, Spain’s National Day; along with two local festivals for each municipality.
In 2023, January 1, New Year’s Day, falls on a Sunday so it has been decided to replace the usual rest day for one on May 30, Canary Islands’ Day.
There are also up to ten Sundays/holidays allowed on which businesses may remain open to the public, when the usual regime of business hours does not have to apply, in the Canary Islands, this.
On Gran Canaria these days are: April 6 and 30, November 26, December 3, 6, 8, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2023
You will find much more information and loads of local events in The Canary Guide calendar
Many of the patron saints’ celebrations will have a range of local and regional events scheduled for the several days, and weekends, with Romería processions, live performances, pilgrimage offerings, traditional fiestas and night time events free for all to attend; many attendees dress in traditional clothing to mark the occasion of the main feast day or the day before.
JANUARY
New Year 2023, 1 January falls on a Sunday
Friday, 6 January
Public Holiday in The Canary Islands – The Epiphany of the Lord, Reyes Magos, Epifanía del Señor
Friday 20 January
Local bank holiday in Agüimes – Feast of San Sebastian, Festividad de San Sebastián
FEBRUARY
Monday Thursday 2 February
Local bank holiday in Ingenio: Our Lady of Candelaria – Festividad de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
Tuesday 21 February
Local bank holiday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Brígida, Valleseco, Teror,
Tejeda, Santa María de Guía, Moya, Arucas, Firgas: Shrove Tuesday – Martes de Carnaval
Thursday 23 February
Local bank holiday in Agüimes: Carnival Thursday – Jueves de Carnaval.
MARCH
–
APRIL
Thursday, 6 April
Public Holiday in The Canary Islands – Holy Thursday, Jueves Santo
Friday, 7 April
Public Holiday in Spain – Good Friday, Viernes Santo
MAY
Monday, 1 May
Public Holiday in Spain – MayDay, Fiesta del Trabajo
Saturday 13 May
Local bank holiday in Vega de San Mateo: Festividad en honor a la Virgen de Fátima.
Monday, 15 May
Local bank holiday in Gáldar: Feast of San Isidro Labrador- Festividad de San Isidro Labrador
Monday, 29 May
Local bank holiday in Valleseco: Fiesta del Patrón del Municipio – San Vicente Ferrer
Tuesday, May 30
Public Holiday in the Canary Islands – Canary Islands Day, Día de Canarias
JUNE
Monday 12 June
Local bank holiday in Mogán: Víspera de San Antonio
Tuesday 13 June
Local bank holiday in Mogán: Festividad de San Antonio.
Local bank holiday in Santa Brígida: Festividad de San Antonio de Padua
Friday 16 June
Local bank holiday in Teror: Festividad del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.
Monday 19 June
Local bank holiday in Moya: Festividad de San Antonio de Padua
Saturday 24 June
Local bank holiday in Arucas: Feast of St John The Baptist, Festividad de San Juan Bautista
Local bank holiday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Conmemoración de la Fundación de la Ciudad
Local bank holiday in Telde – Festividad de San Juan Bautista
Thursday 29 June
Local bank holiday in Agaete: Feast of Saint Peter the Apostle -Festividad San Pedro Apóstol.
Thursday 29 June
Local bank holiday in Ingenio: Festividad de San Pedro
JULY
Tuesday 25 July
Local bank holiday in Gáldar: Feast of Santiago Apóstol- Festividad de Santiago Apóstol
Local bank holiday in San Bartolomé de Tirajana: Festividad de Santiago Apóstol.
AUGUST
Friday 4 August
Local bank holiday in Agaete: Feast of Our Lady of the Snows -Festividad de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
Tuesday 15 August
Public Holiday in Spain – The Feast of Assumption of the Virgin, Asunción de la Virgen
Wednesday 16 August
Local bank holiday in Firgas: Festivity of San Roque. Festividad de San Roque
Local bank holiday in Santa María de Guía: Festividad de San Roque.
Local bank holiday in Valsequillo: Festividad de San Roque
Thursday 24 August
Local bank holiday in San Bartolomé de Tirajana: Festividad de San Bartolomé, the co-patron saint of the municipality
Monday 28 August
Local bank holiday in Artenara: Day after the Feast of the Virgen de la Cuevita Agaete – Día posterior a la Festividad de la Virgen de la Cuevita
SEPTEMBER
Friday 1 September
Local bank holiday in La Aldea de San Nicolás: Patron Saint festivities – Festividad del Santo Patrono San Nicolás de Tolentino.
Friday 8 September
Bank Holiday on Gran Canaria: The Patron Saint of Gran Canaria Our Lady of the Pine, Nuestra Señora del Pino
Monday 11 September
Local bank holiday in La Aldea de San Nicolás: Día del Charco.
Local Bank holiday in Tejeda: Festividad de la Virgen del Socorro
Thursday 14 September
Local bank holiday in Artenara: Day of the Holy Christ of Acusa – Día del Santo Cristo de Acusa
Thursday 21 September
Local bank holiday in Vega de San Mateo: Festividad en honor al Apóstol San Mateo.
Friday 29 September
Local bank holiday in Valsequillo: Festividad de San Miguel.
OCTOBER
Thursday, 12 October
Public Holiday in Spain – Fiesta Nacional de España, Día de la Hispanidad
Tuesday 24 October
Local bank holiday in Santa Lucía: Festividad de San Rafael.
NOVEMBER
Wednesday, 1 November
Public Holiday in Spain – All Saints’ Day, All Hallows Day, Halloween, Todos los Santos
Friday 17 November
Local bank holiday in Telde: Festividad de San Gregorio Taumaturgo.
DECEMBER
Wednesday, 6 December
Public Holiday in Spain – Day of the Spanish Constitution, Día de la Constitución Española
Friday, 8 December
Public Holiday in Spain – Immaculate Conception, Inmaculada Concepción
Wednesday, 13 December
Local bank holiday in Santa Lucía: Patron Saint festivities, Saint Lucy’s Day, Festividad de Santa Lucía
Monday 25 December
Public Holiday in Spain – Christmas, Natividad del Señor
