Valencian Community Day
When is it celebrated
Valencian Community Day, also known as New October, celebrated every year on 9 October. The date is fixed and remembers the entry of Jaume I into the city of Valencia on 9 October 1238. Institutional and cultural events usually begin in the previous days, but their specific calendar changes with each edition.
Is it a holiday or a working day?
It is a regional public holiday in the Valencian Community when it appears on the official calendar of the year. The BOE resolution for 2026 includes Friday, 9 October, as a community holiday. Although the civil commemoration always preserves that date, its status as a non-working day must be verified in the work calendar of each year.
Origin and geographical link
It is the institutional and festive day of the Valencian people and is celebrated throughout the Valencian Community. Its historical reference was born in the city of Valencia, the scene of the entry of Jaume I, and the capital maintains the most emblematic ceremony. Municipalities of the three provinces develop civic, musical and cultural programmes adapted to each locality.
Regular events
In València, the Civic Procession of the Reial Senyera from the City Hall, the tour through the centre and the floral offering in front of the statue of Jaume I stand out. According to the annual programme, a Te Deum in the Cathedral, a mascletà and an entrance of Moors and Christians. The Generalitat also organises institutional events, open doors, exhibitions, concerts and cultural activities in different parts of the territory.
Usual duration of events
The central commemoration occupies the day of 9 October, with the civic ceremony during the morning and other proposals during the afternoon. Institutional programming usually extends over several previous days and includes activities with independent schedules. Tours, concerts and building openings should be checked each year because their duration and location may change.
Traditions and history
The festival commemorates the entry of Jaume I into Valencia in 1238 and became a date of collective Valencian memory. The Civic Procession preserves as its protagonist the Reial Senyera, who solemnly descends from the balcony of the City Hall, walks through the streets and receives honours before the monument to Jaume I; Since 2016, this procession has been declared an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest. The day coincides with Sant Donís and with the tradition of Mocadorà, in which marzipan sweets are given as gifts wrapped in a handkerchief.
Where is it celebrated
The festival reaches the entire Valencian Community. Its main ceremonial itinerary is concentrated in the centre of València, between the Town Hall square, the historic streets, the Cathedral when it is part of the route and the Alfonso el Magnánimo square, where the statue of Jaume I is located. The Palau de la Generalitat and other public buildings host institutional events, while Alicante, Castelló and numerous municipalities organise their own activities.
Who participates
The Generalitat Valenciana, the Valencia City Council, regional and municipal institutional representatives, the local corporation and civic and cultural entities take part in the official events. The Reial Senyera occupies the symbolic centre of the procession, accompanied by musical groups and ceremonial participants; Festive associations, folklore groups, artists, families and citizens complete the celebrations throughout the territory.