Joshua Parfitt
A PETITION is demanding a new holiday for the province of Alicante in honour of the city’s patron Saint Barbara.
The Change.org campaign from organisation Alacant a Part aims to right a historical wrong given that the ‘Dia de la Comunidad Valenciana’ on October 9 celebrates the 1238 reconquest of Valencia city by Jaime I – Alicante, meanwhile, was reconquered on December 4, 1248.
“While we respect the legacy of excellent kings, such as Jaime I, we cannot share the joy of celebrating October 9 because it does not represent us,” write the campaign’s authors.
“With the creation of the Comunidad Valenciana, Alicante has seen its investments diminished, its rights trampled upon and its identity cunningly pushed aside under the ideology of a single Valencian community that has never existed.”
Supporters of the campaign may be more entranced, however, that the new holiday could turn Alicante into the region with the most festive days in Europe.
Spain’s 14 public holidays – 12 national and 2 regional – already put Spain joint-second with Malta on the European table of days off.
But the extra day for Alicantinos would put it joint-first with Finland, the only country in Europe to enjoy 15 holiday days.
Supports shouldn’t get their hopes up, however, as the campaign has only reached 250 supporters at the time of publication.
