fiesta legal
/fjesta leɡal/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase 'public holiday' is translated into Spanish as fiesta legal. Wiktionary also lists festivo.
Meaning: national or regional holiday from work on a specific day (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fiesta legal | /fjesta leɡal/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| festivo | /fesˈtibo/ | masculine |
A public holiday refers to a national or regional holiday from work on a specific day. In many Spanish-speaking contexts, it is common to use the phrase día festivo to refer to a public holiday.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form festivo is used. The default feminine form is fiesta legal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word puente (literally 'bridge') is used to refer to a long weekend created when a public holiday falls near a weekend.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun or adjective festivo becomes festivos in its plural form.
Did you know?
- In Spain, some public holidays are 'movable'. This means the government can shift a día festivo to the nearest Monday or Friday to create a puente for the public.
- The word legal is a 'learned borrowing', meaning it was re-introduced to the language from Latin later than many other common words.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, a public holiday is often called a feriado instead of a festivo.
Examples in context
- Era un día festivo.It was a public holiday.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use festivo.Tatoeba #9035957 by carlosalberto, translation #9035944 by carlosalberto
- El 1 de enero es un día festivo en muchos paísesJanuary 1st is a public holiday in many countries
- El Día de la Independencia es un día de asueto en MéxicoIndependence Day is a public holiday in Mexico
- El 20 de julio es el Día Nacional de ColombiaJuly 20th is Colombia's National Day
- El Día de Acción de Gracias es un día de fiesta en Estados UnidosThanksgiving is a public holiday in the United States
- El 25 de diciembre es un día feriado en la mayoría de los paísesDecember 25th is a public holiday in most countries
- Este fin de semana tenemos puente debido al Día de la ConstituciónWe have a long weekend this week due to Constitution Day
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing their work schedule.
- MateoElena, ¿abrimos la oficina el lunes?Elena, are we opening the office on Monday?
- ElenaNo, Mateo, el lunes es fiesta legal.No, Mateo, Monday is a public holiday.
- MateoTienes razón, lo había olvidado.You're right, I had forgotten.
- Elena¡Disfruta del descanso!Enjoy the break!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “public holiday” translations and entries festivo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries festivo, fiesta, legal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
