La Festividad del 2 de Mayo en Madrid

Wow! Here we love bank holidays. We already explained this fact to you in previous posts and, lucky us, we have just enjoyed the most important holiday for Madrid citizens: the May bank holiday, this is, we join both Labours Day with the 2nd of May. Do you wanna know why that day is important for us? Why is it the day of Madrid in Spain?

What do we celebrate on the 2nd of May?

2nd of May is a festival exclusive to the people of Madrid. This holiday, one of the most important for us, only takes place in our Region. We commemorate it since 1808, from the day of the rebellion by the people of Madrid against the occupation by French troops.Those were hard times in Madrid, motivated by the complicated situation of political uncertainty derived from the Mutiny of Aranjuez, this is, the fall of the monarch.

This fact, of course, had important consequences not only for the city of Madrid but for the whole country. After the repression of the uprising by Napoleonic troops, who back then had “the power”. The rebellion prompted by the citizens indignation spread quickly through all the country, leading to a Civil War.

This street fight that started in the Royal Palace in order to avoid the departure of infant Francisco de Paula, was extended in all the city as a protest for the killings of the previous days and the citizens desire of liberation from the French troops. This revolt leaved 408 deaths on the street, people died in the streets and after the shootings.

Since then, 2nd of May has become the Community of Madrid Day, marking the beginning of the struggle that lead for the Independence of Spain against the French invaders.During the day, Madrid celebrates numerous commemorative events: back in 1908, on the date of the first centenary of the popular revolt, the sculptural group for the 2nd of May representing Daoiz and Velarde.

2nd of May is always a day full of emotions, celebrated warmly as a symbol of patriotism and independence, a day that you can not miss if you are in Madrid.

Categories: Cultura