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![]() What's in this section? » Galician flag flying days [proposal] » Galician flag flying days [expanded] Galician flag flying days Most countries in Europe have a calendar of national holidays, religious celebrations, or military commemorations which are used as official flag flying days. The Galician government (Xunta de Galicia) publishes annually the national holiday calendar which is to be observed in Galicia. Based on the already-established Galician national holidays, and adding on them a number of dates of historical and cultural significance, we have listed a proposal of dates for Galician flag flying days (in chronological order): National holidays and celebrations: May 17 - Day of the Galician Language [Dia das Letras Galegas]. June 28 - Home Rule: First Statute of Autonomy of Galicia, 1936. July 25 - St James, National Day of Galicia [Sant-Iago]. August 17 - Galician Martyrs Day. September 17 - Coronation of King Afonso Raimundes and restoration of the Royal House of Galicia, 1111. December 21 - Home Rule: Second Statute of Autonomy of Galicia, 1980. Religious celebrations: Two weeks before the Lent - Entroido or Carnival. Friday before Easter - Venres Santo or Good Friday. May 1 - Os Maios or May Day. June 24 - San Xoán or St John. November 1 - Todos os Santos or Halloween. November 11 - San Martiño or St Martin of Tours. December 8 - Immaculate Conception. December 25 - Nadal or Christmas Day. Civil celebrations: January 1 - New Year's Day. May 1 - Labour Day. Military remembrance: January 14 - Arrival in Galicia of the Irish refugees from the Battle of Kinsale, 1602. April 3 - Battle of Najera, victory of the Atlantic alliance over the Mediterranean coalition, 1367. April 26 - Battle of Cacheiras and Freedom Martyrs, 1846. June 8 - Battle of Ponte San Paio: Liberation of Galicia from the French occupation, 1809. September 1 - Battle of Tamaron, dethronement of the Royal House of Galicia, 1037. December 17 - Execution of Marshal Pardo de Cela, beginning of the Dark Centuries, 1483. |
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Religious
holidays and civil celebrations explained![]() Religious holidays: All countries in Europe have a number of public holidays in their calendar which were originally celebrated as a Christian (or christianised) religious holiday. Many countries with a strong flag flying tradition take those public holidays as an occasion to display their national flag in a festive atmosphere. In Galicia the most important religious celebrations of the calendar are: Entroido or Carnival (Latin: "carne vale") which was a period on which carnal pleasures were moderately allowed, Easter or Good Friday, marking the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; Os Maios or May Day, a spring fertility festival (May 1); San Xoán or St John, summer solstice (June 24); Todos os Santos or All Saints' Day, known as Halloween or Samhain, day of the dead (November 1); San Martiño or St Martin of Tours, ![]() Civil celebrations: The holiday calendar has also a number of civil celebrations, the most important being New Year's Day (January 1) and Labour Day (May 1). The celebration of the first one seems obvious, since for practical reasons not many Galicians would be in conditions of going to work after the drinking of the night before. The second celebration, May 1, commemorates the rights of the workers and is still a public holiday in many countries in Europe and around the world. |
![]() September 1, Battle of Tamaron, dethronement of the Royal House of Galicia, 1037: King Vermudo II of Galicia and Leon and his vassal Count Fernando I of Castile were in disagreement about the territorial limits of the Castilian county. In 1037 both men and their armies met at the Battle of Tamaron. The King of Galicia was killed in the fight and the Castilian count gained the throne of Galicia and Leon. At first sight, the Galician defeat may not seem that important, for in 1111 King Afonso Raimundes regained the Galician Crown and restored the Galician Royal House. However, the Castilian kings that ruled over Galicia during those years applied the tactic of "divide to conquer" and splitted the Kingdom of Galicia in two. The southern half of the Kingdom later on became the country of PortuGal, the "Port of Galicia" and walked away from the north of Galicia. The defeat at the Battle of Tamaron on September 1st 1037 was an unfortunate event that changed the historical course of Galicia ever since. April 3 - Battle of Najera, victory of the Atlantic alliance over the Mediterranean coalition, 1367: For several centuries a Galician Royal House had ruled over the kingdoms of Galicia, Leon and also Castile. During the Succession War of Castile (1366-1371) the Galicians tried to restore a king of their own and regain the political power that they had been losing in the past century. The Galicians supported King Pedro I, heir of Afonso XI and Maria of Portugal, and cousin of the Prince of Wales. The Castilians supported his bastard brother Enrique of Castile. With the support of the Galicians, King Pedro I reigned over Galicia, Leon and Castile from 1350 until his bastard brother Enrique usurped the throne in 1369 with the help of Castilian, Aragonese, Catalan and French troops. King Pedro I escaped to the Kingdom of Galicia, where he prepared a military alliance of Galicians, Portuguese and British. In April 3rd 1367 the ![]() December 17 - Execution Marshal of Pardo de Cela, beginning of the Dark Centuries, 1483: ![]() January 14 - Arrival in Galicia of the Irish refugees from the Battle of Kinsale, 1602: Ireland, AD 1592. Earl Hugh O'Neill rebelled against England and started the long Nine Years War. Castilian king Felipe III saw in this an opportunity to put a foot in Ireland and punish his foe the Queen of England. In 1601 several thousand soldiers from the kingdoms of Galicia and Castile left the port of Corunna and headed to Ireland. Part of the troops under the command of Castilian captain Juan de Aguila got lost in the Atlantic or were captured by the English as they arrived in Ireland. On the other hand a contingent of troops commanded by the Galician Alphonso Ocampo managed to reach chieftain O'Donnell in Castlehaven, where they joined forces and marched to challenge the English at the Battle of Kinsale, ![]() June 8 - Battle of Ponte San Paio: Liberation of Galicia from the French occupation, 1809: ![]() April, 26 - Battle of Cacheiras and Freedom Martyrs, 1846: ![]() |