The Spanish Constitution is 30 years old

It's a typical Constitution Day - Immaculate Conception "puente" (long weekend) here in Spain -- lovely weather, Christmas decorations everywhere, people milling about, restaurants packed with diners, politicians talking nonsense, etc.

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On this 30th anniversary of Spain's Constitution, opposition leader Mariano Rajoy has accused Prime Minister Jose Rodrigo Zapatero of destabilizing Spain. In case anyone might think he was mincing words, he threw in terms like irresponsible, frivolous and disturbing.

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Rajoy has assured everyone, however, that he did not want to cast a shadow over the country's celebrations. I suppose he simply wanted to get as much press coverage as possible -- which he seems to have done, as he's right up there on most front pages, along with reports on the Royal family's plans for today and Zapatero's revelation that in his opinion the Spanish Constitution, "has been, is and will be useful."

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I'm not sure if Z's remark was an example of faint praise or faint oratorical skill.

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We can only hope that no politicians will feel a need to comment on the Immaculate Conception.

Chao amig@s,

Carloz

It's another bank holiday in Spain! This one's Constitution Day...

...or el Día de la Constitución Española. That's right, only a few weeks before the Christmas, New Year and Reyes holiday season, Spain has yet another holiday.

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This is one of the few holidays in Spain with completely secular roots. It commemorates the anniversary of the national referendum held on 6 December 1978, in which 88% of Spanish voters approved the constitution which had been passed by parliament on 31 October of that same year. Although the constitution actually came into effect on 29 December 1978, the date of the referendum was established as a national holiday in 1983. Perhaps this was because it was one of the crowning moments in the period from 1975 to 1978, referred to as The Transition, during which Spain was converted from a fascist dictatorship to a parliamentary monarchy.
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This year's anniversary is the 29th. I don't know if there are any special plans for 2008's nice round 30th anniversary, but for the even-numbered 25th a special web site was designed that includes an official English translation of the constitution. Click here to read it.
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For a holiday that marks such a notable event in the country's history, it's not a something the Spanish people seem to celebrate very much. Sure, there are formal events participated in by politicians, royalty and celebrities. But on the street, there is not much that I can see to mark the occassion other than special little flags flying from city buses. (Except, here in Barcelona the little flags are Catalan and not Spanish. Go figure.) For most people, it's just a day off work.
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Well, perhaps I should say, a "few days" off work, because Constitution Day is followed by another national holiday on 8 December. That one is Immaculate Conception (La Inmaculada Concepción), which, of course, refers to the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. This particular representation of Mary was designated the "patron virgin" of Spain in 1760, so it's a holiday with a longer history than Constitution Day. However, from what I can tell, it doesn't seem to have much meaning to most Spaniards either. As a matter of fact, when I ask locals if they know what the holiday is, most say something equivalent to, "I think it's some religious holiday."
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In other words, "Who cares?! I'm just glad it's a long weekend!"

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Amen to that.
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Hasta luego amig@s,
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Carloz