Guardian Angels are celebrated on 2 October: the liturgical memorial of the guardian angels assigned to each person in Catholic teaching.
Verified data
In 2026, the dataset records Guardian Angels as a local holiday in 8 municipalities, accounting for 20,132 residents in the 2025 register. The most common date is 2 October 2026.
This comparison uses only the official working calendars incorporated into the dataset for each year.
Demographic profile
Age, citizenship, birthplace and average-age structure from the 2025 Annual Population Census.
48.7% / 51.3%
15.5%
65.9%
18.6%
14.9%
18.1%
42.8 years
Comparison with Spain and with the aggregate of the 4 regions where it is observed. All five comparisons are population-weighted and use only the 2025 Annual Census. A positive sign means the covered population has a higher value than the benchmark.
| Demographic profile | Covered population | Compared with Spain | Compared with its 4 regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 0–14 | 15.5% | +2.6 pp | +2.1 pp |
| Aged 65+ | 18.6% | -2.1 pp | -1.1 pp |
| Foreign citizenship | 14.9% | +0.8 pp | +2.1 pp |
| Born outside Spain | 18.1% | -1.1 pp | +0.5 pp |
| Weighted mean age | 42.8 years | -1.8 years | -1.1 years |
The largest difference from Spain is in “Aged 0–14”: +2.6 pp.
Sex comes from the 2025 municipal register; all other metrics come from the 2025 Annual Census. Each percentage uses the total from its own statistical operation. INE municipal tables 68535 and 68541.
On 2 October the Catholic Church keeps the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels: the belief that God assigns each believer a protecting and guiding angel. The idea has biblical and patristic roots (for example Matthew 18:10); the Catechism states that each of the faithful has an angel as protector and shepherd.
The feast spread to the whole Church in the seventeenth century: after earlier partial permissions, Clement X fixed it on 2 October in 1670 for the universal calendar—the first free day after Michaelmas. It remains an obligatory memorial in the Roman Missal.
In Spain some municipalities adopt it as a local public holiday—parish patronage or municipal custom—without its being a national holiday. In 2026 the dataset links it to 2 October in a handful of town halls.
The day is quieter than a summer fair: Mass, devotion and sometimes school or neighbourhood acts. This entry stays with the general liturgical and historical frame; it adds no undocumented local legends.
Holy Guardian Angels
When
In 2026 it falls on Friday 2 October in most municipalities.
| Year | Main date | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 2 October | 8 |
Where it's a holiday
Its local holiday in 2026, by region. Each municipality links to its annual record and the available official source.
Together, they account for 20,132 residents in the INE municipal register at 1 January 2025.
Castilla-La Mancha1
Comunidad de Madrid1
País Vasco1
FAQ
In 2026, Guardian Angels is mainly celebrated on 2 October 2026 (Friday). Some municipalities move it to another date on the working calendar.
It's a local holiday in 8 municipalities in 2026, accounting for 20,132 residents in the 2025 register; mostly in Andalucía (5 municipalities).
No. Guardian Angels is a local-level holiday: it's only a non-working day in the municipalities that set it as their local festival; each keeps its official source.
Other holidays
Per-municipality data with its official source (regional gazette). Every date is verifiable on the municipality page. Data from festivos.io — CC BY 4.0.