In 2026, All Saints’ Day, el Día de Todos los Santos, falls on a Sunday. So nine of Spain’s regions are moving the day off to Monday 2 November, and many people get a long weekend. Read the news in easy Spanish, learn how Spain remembers its loved ones, and find out which sweets you will see in every bakery window.
La noticia en español fácil
This story is at A2 level. Notice how the days of the week and the months are written with small letters in Spanish.
El domingo 1 de noviembre es el Día de Todos los Santos. Es una fiesta nacional en España. Este año cae en domingo y, por eso, nueve comunidades autónomas pasan la fiesta al lunes 2 de noviembre.
Las nueve comunidades son Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Canarias, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, la Comunidad de Madrid y Navarra. Allí, mucha gente tiene un puente de tres días: sábado, domingo y lunes.
En otras comunidades, como Cataluña, Galicia, el País Vasco o la Comunidad Valenciana, el lunes es un día normal de trabajo.
El Día de Todos los Santos es un día para recordar a la familia. Muchas personas van al cementerio y llevan flores, sobre todo crisantemos. Limpian las tumbas y pasan un rato tranquilo con sus recuerdos.
También es un día de dulces. En las pastelerías hay buñuelos de viento y huesos de santo, unos dulces pequeños de mazapán. En Cataluña, la fiesta se llama la castanyada: la gente come castañas asadas, boniatos y panellets.
En estas fechas, algunos teatros presentan Don Juan Tenorio, una obra de teatro clásica de José Zorrilla. El día siguiente, el 2 de noviembre, es el Día de los Fieles Difuntos.
«Este año tenemos puente: sábado, domingo y lunes.»
The story in English
Sunday 1 November is All Saints’ Day. It is a national holiday in Spain. This year it falls on a Sunday, so nine autonomous regions are moving the holiday to Monday 2 November.
The nine regions are Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, the Community of Madrid and Navarre. There, many people get a three-day weekend: Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
In other regions, such as Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country or the Valencian Community, Monday is a normal working day.
All Saints’ Day is a day to remember family members. Many people go to the cemetery and take flowers, especially chrysanthemums. They clean the graves and spend some quiet time with their memories.
It is also a day for sweets. Bakeries sell buñuelos de viento, light fried puffs, and huesos de santo, small marzipan sweets. In Catalonia the festival is called la castanyada: people eat roast chestnuts, sweet potatoes and panellets.
Around these dates, some theatres put on Don Juan Tenorio, a classic play by José Zorrilla. The next day, 2 November, is All Souls’ Day.
Words for the holiday
Tap the speaker to hear each one.
Todos los Santos
A2- el día festivo[ehl DEE-ah fehs-TEE-boh] the public holiday
- el puente[ehl PWEHN-teh] the long weekend (literally “the bridge”)
- caer en domingo[kah-EHR ehn doh-MEEN-goh] to fall on a Sunday
- el cementerio[ehl seh-mehn-TEH-ryoh] the cemetery
- los crisantemos[lohs kree-SAHN-teh-mohs] chrysanthemums
- las castañas asadas[lahs kahs-TAH-nyahs ah-SAH-dahs] roast chestnuts
- los huesos de santo[lohs WEH-sohs deh SAHN-toh] marzipan “saints’ bones”
- recordar[reh-kohr-DAHR] to remember
Grammar spot: days, dates and “on”
In Spanish, days of the week and months are not written with capital letters: «el domingo 1 de noviembre». To say “on Monday” you don’t need a word for “on”: just use the article. «El lunes es festivo» means “Monday is a holiday” or “On Monday it’s a holiday”. Practise them in Lesson A1-31: Days of the Week and Lesson A1-32: Months and Dates.
Notice also «cae en domingo»: the verb caer (to fall) is used for dates just like in English. And «hacer puente», to “make a bridge”, means taking an extra day off between a holiday and the weekend. You’ll hear it every time a holiday lands on a Tuesday or a Thursday.
Spain vs Latin America
Mexico celebrates the same dates in a very different way. El Día de Muertos, on 1 and 2 November, is colourful and joyful, with altars, marigolds, sugar skulls and pan de muerto. In Spain the mood is quieter and more private: flowers on the grave, a family visit and something sweet afterwards.
Quick facts
- 1 November 2026 is a Sunday and a national holiday.
- Monday 2 November is a holiday in nine regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid and Navarre.
- In Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country and the Valencian Community, Monday is a working day.
- Typical sweets: buñuelos de viento, huesos de santo and, in Catalonia, panellets.
- Local holidays can differ, so always check the calendar for your town.
Try it
What does «tener puente» mean?
Answer: To have a long weekend: a holiday joined to the weekend.
Fix the capital letters: «El Lunes 2 de Noviembre».
Answer: «el lunes 2 de noviembre»: days and months take small letters.
What do many people take to the cemetery on 1 November?
Answer: Flowers, especially crisantemos (chrysanthemums).
Want more about Spanish customs? Read Two kisses: greetings in Spain in our Culture Notes.
