Day of Aragón in Spain

People in Aragon, Spain, annually celebrate the Day of Aragon (Día de Aragon) on April 23. They also honor the life of St George, their patron saint.

Some people celebrate the Day of Aragon with a communal meal.

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What do people do?

Some people attend special church services to honor the life of St George, the patron saint of the autonomous community of Aragon. In addition, a range of events are organized throughout the region, especially in the city of Zaragoza (Saragossa). These include:

• Flower displays arranged into the form of the flag of Aragon.
• The presentation of the Aragon Awards (Premios Aragon) to people who make a special contribution to the community.
• Plays and other musical and cultural performances in public places.
• Communal meals.
• Political demonstrations.
• Displays of traditional crafts.

The flag of the autonomous community of Aragon and red and yellow striped banners are displayed on public buildings, private homes and public transport vehicles.

Public life

Public life is generally quiet on in the autonomous community of Aragon on April 23. Many businesses and other organizations are closed. Many stores are closed but some bakers and food stores may be open. Public transport services generally run to a reduced schedule but there may be no services in rural areas. Parades and marches may cause some local disruption to traffic, particularly in town and village centers.

If April 23 falls on a Sunday, regional or local authorities may move the public holiday to a different date. If April 23 falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many businesses and organizations are also closed on Monday, April 22, or Friday, April 24. April 23 is a public holiday known as the Day of Castile and León in the autonomous community of Castile and León. In the autonomous community of Catalonia, April 23 is St George's Day. April 23 is not a public holiday in the rest of Spain.

Background

St George has been the patron saint of the Aragon region since 1096. Peter I of Aragon and Navarre reconquered the city of Huesca in the Battle of Alcoraz that year. The autonomous community of Aragon is in north-east Spain. It has borders with France and the autonomous communities of:

• Castile and Leon.
• Castile-La Mancha.
• Catalonia.
• La Rioja.
• Navarre.
• Valencia.

The region of Aragon became an autonomous community on April 16, 1984. St. George's Day became the day of regional celebrations. It was renamed as the Day of Aragon in 2007.

Symbols

The flag of the autonomous community of Aragon is displayed in many ways on the Day of Aragon. This flag is based on the Senyera, a symbol of the ancient Crown of Aragon. It consists of nine horizontal stripes. Five stripes are yellow and four are red. The coat of arms of Aragon is at the center of the flag. The flag is often displayed with the national flag of Spain and the European flag.

Day of Aragón Observances

Other holidays in April 2013 in Spain

• Easter Monday ―Monday, April 1, 2013
• St George's Day ―Tuesday, April 23, 2013