Christmas is a time for family gatherings and feasting in Spain, but not everything will shut down complete over the festive period.
In most parts of Spain only Christmas Day – December 25th is a public holiday, although many offices and other workplaces close for a few days over the festive period.
Boxing Day, December 26th, known as Sant Esteve or Sant Esteban in Spain is only a public holiday in Catalonia and Palma de Mallorca, so everything should reopen in most of the country on Friday, apart from in these two regions.
Schools will be closed too. This year most finished on Friday December 19th and will return on Wednesday January 7th, after Three Kings’ Day on January 6th, but you should check the calendar in your region as it can change depending on where you are.
This year December 25th falls on a Thursday. December 24th is a normal working day – although most businesses will close their doors earlier than usual so their staff can get home to celebrate with their families.
Many companies give their staff a few extra days holiday over the festive period, and some public buildings are likely to have modified their opening hours over Christmas and New Year, so it’s advisable to check if you need to go anywhere.
Supermarkets
Most supermarkets in Spain will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25th, as well as New Year’s Day, January 1st.
Some will have reduced opening hours on the eves before these big holidays, while some may also close on Boxing Day in Catalonia.
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Mercadona
Wednesday December 24th: 9am-7pm
Thursday December 25th – closed
Wednesday December 31st – 9am-7pm
Thursday January 1st – closed
Tuesday January 6th – closed
El Corte Inglés supermarket
Wednesday December 24th: 9am-8pm
Thursday December 25th – closed
Wednesday December 31st – 9am-9pm
Thursday January 1st – closed
Tuesday January 6th – closed
Día
Opening times change so much depending on the region and even the local neighbourhood. For example some will close at 5pm on Christmas Eve, while others stay open until 6pm. In some towns though, they will close much earlier at 3pm.
Thursday December 25th – closed
Thursday January 1st – closed
Tuesday January 6th – closed
Lidl
Opening times can vary depending on location, but generally:
Wednesday December 24th: 9am-7pm
Thursday December 25th – closed
Wednesday December 31st – 9am-7pm
Thursday January 1st – closed
Tuesday January 6th – closed
Aldi
Aldi stores again depend on location, but most of them will close earlier between 6pm-7pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Thursday January 1st – closed
Tuesday January 6th – closed
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Bakeries
Several chain bakeries, as well as independent ones will be open in the mornings on public holidays. This means that you can still get your fresh bread and pastries on Christmas morning. The same goes for January 1st and January 6th.
Pharmacies
Some pharmacies operate a rota system on Sundays and public holidays such as Christmas. This ensures that at least one pharmacy is open in each area. Sometimes there will be one particular pharmacy that will be the main one open on public holidays.
Your best option is to search for a farmacia near you in Google and click the ‘open now’ tag to find out.
