Copyright euroweeklynews
As Christmas approaches in Spain – the lights, the markets, the familiar scramble for gifts – there’s usually one last breather before everything speeds up: the early December puente. It’s the small pause many people rely on to decorate the house, visit family, or disappear somewhere quiet for a couple of days. But if you’ve already been eyeing the calendar for 2025 hoping for a nice, long bridge break… you may need to adjust expectations. The official holiday calendar published in the BOE has now confirmed how the dates fall next year, and unfortunately, the way the days line up means the break will be shorter than usual. So, when exactly is the December break in 2025? This mini-holiday happens every year between two national holidays: December 6 – Constitution Day December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception However, in 2025, December 6 falls on a Saturday. For many workers, Saturday is already a day off – so that one is effectively lost as a ‘bonus’ free day. The 8th of December, though, lands on a Monday, and that one is a proper national holiday for everyone. So instead of the usual four-day puente that many dream about, next year’s break will look like this: Saturday December 6 (holiday) Sunday December 7 Monday December 8 (holiday) A three-day weekend – nice, but not the full-blown escape some were hoping to plan. Still, the upside is important: both days are national holidays that cannot be removed, changed or swapped, meaning the long weekend is guaranteed in every region of Spain, no matter where you live. Why can’t Spain just “move” one of the days to make a longer puente? This is the part that often surprises expats. Spain’s holiday system is tightly regulated. Every region gets 14 official holidays per year, divided like this: 8 national holidays (fixed by the Spanish Government) 4 regional holidays (each Autonomous Community chooses) 2 local holidays (each town chooses) Because of this system, regions can’t just add a free day to create a longer puente – they would have to give up one of their own regional holidays to do so. And most regions don’t want to sacrifice key local celebrations to create an extra day off in December. Plus, Constitution Day on December 6 is a fixed national holiday. It’s written into law that it cannot be moved to a weekday. So yes – the dates are effectively locked in place. What do people usually do with this December break? Even with only three days, the puente de diciembre remains one of Spain’s most cherished pre-Christmas rituals. It’s the moment when: Fairy lights start appearing on balconies Christmas markets open in main squares Families get together to decorate the tree People make their first “serious” gift-shopping trip And many take a quick weekend escape Expats often use the break to: Travel before Christmas prices skyrocket Visit another Spanish city (Málaga’s Christmas lights are always popular) Get ahead of festive shopping Do nothing at all – and enjoy one quiet weekend before December gets wild Because even if it’s just three days, in Spain, a three-day weekend still counts as a celebration. The takeaway No, December 2025 won’t bring the long, dreamy four-day puente many were quietly hoping for. But Saturday 6 to Monday 8 December 2025 still gives Spain – and its expat community – a small but welcome pause right before the festive season kicks into full speed. And if there’s one thing living in Spain teaches you, it’s that even a short break can feel like a holiday… if you decide to treat it like one. Stay tuned with Euro Weekly News for more news from Spain
