Today - 12 October - is Hispanic day and is a public holiday across Spain. Naturally being in Catalunya the celebrations are quite muted, or non-existent in many places, but we still get the day off!

According to the tradition, Christopher Columbus set sail from the port of Palos de la Frontera in South-West Spain on August 3, 1492. He landed on a island that is now part of the Bahamas in the Caribbean on October 12, 1492.The anniversary of this date is marked as Hispanic Day in Spain.

The king of Spain supervises the raising of the Spanish national flag in the center of Madrid on Hispanic Day. He and the prime minister lead a military parade after that. The parade includes representatives from most of Spain's military units and various military vehicles. Armed forces' planes perform aerobatics above the parade route and display yellow and red smoke to represent the Spanish flag. Radio, television and Internet news services broadcast live on these events.