Does Bilbao hold September independence celebrations

Uh??? What are you talking about?

When you posed that question, I couldn't think anything significant being held then, let alone one related to independence. Cataluña has its official holiday in September, that I know.

After giving it some thought, I began to wonder, so I researched it a little and couldn't find anything. I know the Basque Country's big national identity day is held every year on Easter Sunday (this year, March 28th). That's all I know.

I was in San Sebastian (Donostia) last September. Basque Week (Euskal Jaiak) was celebrated from September 4-12. There were many celebrations in the old town and along the beaches.

I'm sorry that my ignorance is confusing me and you. When I first started trip planning someone posted a reply that I should not go to Vic, near Baracelona, for the sausage market day on Saturday, September 11th because everything would be closed for "national day." I took that to be independence day. I thought the term was "La Diada" I cannot locate that post, but the poster spoke in terms of gigantes and dancers and other festivities. I thought if it was celebrated in Barcelona and Vic, that it might also celebrated in Bilbao. I've made a mess, haven't I?

Now it's clear! Wow! I thought that the Basque Country had declared independence already and I had missed it
Yep, 'la diada' is Catalonia's national party, not Basque Country's or anywhere else's in Spain.

DJC, "national day" does not mean "independence day" everywhere. Actually, Spain's "national day" is Oct 12th and that day many years ago Spain didn't independize from anyone. And every Sep 11, Catalonia commemorate the surrender of their troops in the Spanish Sucession War, back in 1714. Weird, but true.

Spain is divided into 17 Autonomous Communities (kind of your States) and 2 Autonomous Cities (Ceuta and Melilla). Each of the Communities have a different "national day", being Sep 11 for Catalonia, May 2 for Madrid, Feb 28 for Andalucia...

Well, in fact in Madrid we celebrate an "independence day", conmemorating independence from Napoleon's France.

In autonomous communities with nationalistic feelings (like The Basque Country or Catalonia) their festivities are so called "national days" by nationalists as a way of vindication of their wishes for independence. In others, like Madrid's Autonomous Community, it is just called "Día de la Comunidad" (Community's Day).

Fernando

Thank you for the information. I don't speak Catala or Euskera and only a little Castellano, so I don't think that I will be having any political discussions where I might put my foot in my mouth. Because Texas was a Republic for 10 years before it joined the United States, we have some indepence holidays that are not celebrated by the rest of the US.

Can anyone recommed a condensed history of Spain?

diebel, your pictures of Bilbao make me anxious to see it.

Actually I can. It's called:

The Story of Spain: The Dramatic History of Europe's Most Fascinating Country
by Mark R. Williams

It just came out last year. I came across it the other day. I just had a chance to flip through it but first impression was pretty positive.

You can shoot over to Amazon.com to see other people's reviews, but this might be something you are looking for.