The Day of Navarra honors both the patron saint San Francisco Javier and the regional identity of Navarra within Spain. It combines religious devotion, cultural festivities, and institutional recognition of the region's autonomy and heritage.

When is the Day of Navarra?

The Day of Navarrais celebrated every year on December 3.

The following is the list of the Day of Navarra from 2020 to 2049.

The History of the Day of Navarra?

The date December 3 is the feast day of Saint Francis Xavier (San Francisco Javier, 1506–1552), one of the founders of the Jesuit order and a famous missionary. He was born at the Castle of Javier, in Navarre, and became the region's patron saint after his canonization in 1622. For centuries, Navarrese people made pilgrimages (Javieradas) to his birthplace in devotion, making December 3 an important religious feast long before it became a civic holiday.

With Spain's transition to democracy after the Franco era, the 1978 Constitution recognized the country's autonomous communities. For Navarre, this took shape in the Amejoramiento del Fuero (Improvement of the Regional Charter), approved in 1982, which reaffirmed Navarre's historic rights (fueros) and gave it autonomous community status.

That same year, the Government of Navarre chose December 3 as the Day of Navarra, linking its modern political identity to the centuries-old devotion to its patron saint.

The first official Day of Navarra was celebrated on December 3, 1983. The holiday was conceived as a way to combine religious tradition (honoring the patron saint) with civic pride (celebrating Navarre's autonomy and identity).