Feliz Día de Andalucía! The day celebrating one of those most emblematic regions of Spain. But why do we celebrate this day?
This day does not only symbolize having ‘pan con tomate’ for breakfast and a ‘tapa con una cañita’ for lunch. It’s reason is actually a very important part of Spanish history, and surprisingly it wasn’t that long ago. This day commemorates the independence and autonomy of the Andalusian region.
In 1980, on 28th February, the people of Andalusia voted in a referendum to become an autonomous community. This means they would be an independent region with a self-government in charge of making most decisions, especially regarding health, education and culture. Between the years of 1939 and 1975 Spain lived through a long and hard dictatorship which meant no region in Spain had the right to decide anything for themselves. After Franco died in 1975, democracy started to be restored. In 1978, a new Constitution was approved which allowed the ‘Comunidades’ (regions) to have a government if they wanted to. This leads to the referendum of 1980 in Andalucía where this was finally implemented, making it the Comunidad Autónoma we live in today.
This day celebrates independence, culture, tradition and most of all community! Feliz Día de Andalucía to all those who celebrate.
