Local patronal festivals around Saint James (25 July)—distinct from Galicia’s national Day of Santiago when that day is fixed in the regional calendar.
Verified data
In 2026, the dataset records Feast of Saint James the Apostle as a local holiday in 10 municipalities, accounting for 37,917 residents in the 2025 register. The most common date is 24 July 2026. 1 municipalities set it on another date.
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.
49.6% / 50.4%
13.7%
67.9%
18.4%
10%
13.2%
43.4 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 | 13.7% | +0.8 pp | +0.2 pp |
| Aged 65+ | 18.4% | -2.3 pp | -1 pp |
| Foreign citizenship | 10% | -4.1 pp | -2.6 pp |
| Born outside Spain | 13.2% | -6 pp | -4.1 pp |
| Weighted mean age | 43.4 years | -1.2 years | -0.4 years |
The largest difference from Spain is in “Born outside Spain”: -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.
25 July is the liturgical feast of James the Greater, traditionally Spain’s patron apostle and the figure at the heart of the Camino. In Galicia, when the regional calendar provides for it, that date can also be Galicia’s National Day. This entry covers something else: the local major festivals that town halls in several regions schedule around Santiago as patron or titular saint.
In Spain’s labour calendar, Santiago Apóstol often appears as a local public holiday—one of the two each municipality may name. It does not automatically replace a national holiday: it is a day off only where the municipal bulletin lists it. In 2026, among municipalities tagged with this label in the dataset, dates cluster around 24–25 July.
Local Santiago festivals typically combine Mass, procession, night dances and the civic programme of any summer fiesta mayor. The exact mix—pilgrimage, dance, fair—varies by town; no single invented local legend is claimed here.
Keep three layers distinct: the liturgical solemnity of 25 July, any Galician regional holiday, and these municipal patronal weeks. They may overlap in time without being the same thing in labour law.
Saint James the Apostle
When
In 2026 it falls on Friday 24 July in most municipalities. 1 move it to another date (when it lands on a weekend or by local agreement).
| Year | Main date | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 24 July | 10 |
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 37,917 residents in the INE municipal register at 1 January 2025.
Castilla-La Mancha2
Comunidad de Madrid2
Extremadura1
FAQ
In 2026, Feast of Saint James the Apostle is mainly celebrated on 24 July 2026 (Friday). Some municipalities move it to another date on the working calendar.
It's a local holiday in 10 municipalities in 2026, accounting for 37,917 residents in the 2025 register; mostly in Andalucía (5 municipalities).
No. Feast of Saint James the Apostle 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.