Easter Monday
When is it celebrated
Easter Monday is the day immediately after Easter Sunday and opens the week of the Easter Octave. Its date changes with the Easter count and can be between the end of March and April. In 2026 it falls on 6 April, the day after Easter Sunday on 5 April; The specific date must be recalculated every year.
Is it a holiday or a working day?
Monday, 6 April 2026 is a paid and non-recoverable public holiday throughout Castile-La Mancha. Decree 44/2025 incorporated it to replace San José, on 19 March, and the BOE identifies it as a regional holiday. This is a decision regarding the calendar for that year: in other years it may be a working year or chosen through another substitution, so you must always consult the current standard.
Origin and geographical link
It is a day of the Christian liturgical calendar celebrated in numerous countries and was not specifically born in Castile-La Mancha. Its regional connection combines the labour declaration that the community adopts in some years with its own local customs. A notable example is Campo de Criptana, where Easter Monday is associated with the pilgrimage and the transfer of its patron saint, the Virgin of Criptana.
Regular events
In the religious sphere, Easter Octave masses are celebrated, focused on the announcement of the Resurrection. Popular activities vary from one town to another and include pilgrimages, patron saint processions and days of coexistence in the open air. In Campo de Criptana the image of the Virgin goes down from the sanctuary to the parish along the historic Camino de la Virgen, a traditional route of about 2.1 kilometers.
Usual duration of events
The labour festival takes up one day, but local events can take place for several hours and link up with longer cycles. The pilgrimage and the transfer of Campo de Criptana are concentrated on Monday; The image then remains in the parish temple until its return to the sanctuary, traditionally in June. Schedules, itineraries and complementary activities depend on each year's programme.
Traditions and history
Catholic tradition calls this day "Monday of the Easter Octave" or "Angel Monday" and prolongs the joy of Easter Sunday. In Castile-La Mancha this liturgical meaning coexists with patron saint devotions. The Diocese of Ciudad Real documents the celebration of more than eight hundred years of the Virgin of Criptana and the transfer of the image from its hermitage on Easter Monday, a custom maintained by the local community.
Where is it celebrated
In 2026, the status of non-working day will reach the five provinces of Castile-La Mancha. Religious celebrations take place in parishes and temples in the region, while popular demonstrations are local. The sanctuary, the Camino de la Virgen and the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Campo de Criptana constitute one of the best documented regional itineraries for this date.
Who participates
Parish communities, brotherhoods and brotherhoods, local authorities, neighbors, families and visitors participate. In Campo de Criptana, the brotherhood of the Virgin, the parish and those who accompany the transfer along the traditional path intervene in a special way. The Communities Board determines the autonomous work scope, but the organisation of each event corresponds to the religious and municipal entities of each locality.