February 28th: Día de Andalucía, a celebration of regional identity
Every year, Día de Andalucía (Andalucía Day) is celebrated on February 28th.
The day marks the anniversary of the 1980 referendum in which the people voted for the region of Andalucía to become an Autonomous Community of Spain.
It’s marked by a number of official events and distinctions, including the naming of Hijos Predilectos (Favourite Children) and awarding Medallas de Andalucía (Medals of Andalucía), for local-born personalities and community organisations.
Seville, the focal point
As to be expected, much of the festivities are celebrated in Seville – the regional capital and home of the Andalusian Parliament.
That said, Día de Andalucía is a public holiday across the entire Autonomous Community, and this comprises eight provinces: Huelva, Cadiz, Seville, Malaga, Jaén, Cordoba, Granada and Almeria.
As such, banks, public buildings and many shops will close and there will be celebrations in villages, towns and cities across the region that celebrate the region’s identity, especially its culture and distinctive accent.
Andalucía Day in Malaga
In Malaga, Andalucía Day is ordinarily marked by the raising of the Andalusian flag and the singing of the Himno de Andalucía at institutional buildings but is a comparatively low-key event.
This public holiday generally coincides with Semana Blanca – the week-long half-term holidays for schoolchildren. As such, Día de Andalucía could be a good excuse to make use of your day off and get out of the city and explore one of the other gems of the region.
Daryl moved to Malaga permanently in 2014 having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found Malaga Guru in 2016.