The Government of Spain publishes a list of holidays every year. This is the list for 2008.
- January 1 (New Year's Day)
- January 6 (Epiphany)
- March 20-21 (Holy Thursday & Good Friday)
- May 1 (Labor day)
- August 15 (Assumption)
- October 12 (National Day)
- November 1 (All Saints' Day)
- December 6 (Constitution Day)
- December 8 (Inmaculada Concepcion)
- December 25 (Christmas)
In addition to these national holidays there are many local holidays that vary by region and city. In Madrid: May 2 (Comunidad de Madrid celebration); May 15 (San Isidro celebration); November 9 (La Almudena celebration).
The workdays abutting Spanish holidays and vacation periods are not a good time to schedule business meetings. Neither is the month of August nor the several vacation periods around Christmas and Easter. Business hours in Spain are generally 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Banking hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the week, and sometimes Saturday morning. Department stores are generally open 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. To ensure availability, appointments are recommended.
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