Euskadi will observe a new public holiday in 2027: October 7th. This date commemorates the formation of the first Basque Government in Gernika in 1936. It was previously a holiday in 2016 for the 80th anniversary of this milestone.
To implement this, the Basque Government has removed the March 19th holiday (Saint Joseph), which was celebrated in 2026. October 7th, 2027, a Thursday, will mark the 91st anniversary of the first Basque Executive and conclude the year's commemorations.
This will allow for a six-day vacation period, connecting with the weekend.
On October 7th, 1936, Spain was already nearly three months into civil war. While Franco's regime controlled most of Álava, Republican troops remained loyal to the constitutional regime in Bizkaia and parts of Gipuzkoa. It was in this context that the first Basque Government was formed in Gernika, functioning within the constitutional side during the war.
José Antonio Aguirre (PNV) became the first lehendakari. As elections could not be held due to the war, he was chosen by councilors from the unoccupied areas. This government also included representatives from the PSOE, Izquierda Republicana, Unión Republicana, Acción Nacionalista Vasca, and the Partido Comunista de Euskadi.
This new holiday on October 7th, 2027, will enable many to enjoy a six-day break by linking the weekend and the public holiday on October 12th, which falls on a Tuesday. This will create a festive 'aqueduct' at the beginning of the academic year.
The Basque Government has been selecting specific dates for holidays in its labor calendar for years. Although it reinstated March 19th this year, in previous years even the 500th anniversary of Elcano's circumnavigation was celebrated as a holiday. Under Lehendakari Patxi López, October 25th (Statute Day) was also a holiday.
