Special Supermarket Hours in Spain for All Saints' Day
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Spain celebrates All Saints' Day on 1 November every year. It is a national public holiday, and many shops change their opening hours.
Mercadona, one of Spain's biggest supermarket chains, has announced special hours for both Sunday 1 November and Monday 2 November.
Other major supermarkets are also affected. Lidl, Carrefour, Dia and Alcampo have different schedules for 2 November, the day right after the holiday.
Some stores may close completely on 1 November, while others open for shorter hours. This often depends on the city or region.
In Spain, each region can set its own rules about which shops may open on public holidays. This means hours can vary across the country.
Shoppers planning to buy food before or after the holiday are advised to check each supermarket's hours in advance, since they are not the same everywhere.
All Saints' Day is an important date in Spain. Many families visit cemeteries to remember relatives who have died, and it is common for people to buy flowers and sweets for the occasion.
Because of this tradition, supermarkets often see more customers in the days just before the holiday, which is part of the reason for the special schedules.
This pattern of adjusted hours around 1 November happens every year, so shoppers in Spain are used to checking supermarket schedules in advance.
Vocabulary9 words
- All Saints' Day
- a special day on 1 November; people remember family who died
- public holiday
- an official day off; most people do not work
- special hours
- different opening times than a normal day
- region
- a part of a country with its own local rules
- cemeteries
- places where dead people are buried
- schedule
- a plan that shows opening and closing times
- chain
- a company with many shops using the same name
- tradition
- something people do every year because it is old and common
- customer
- a person who buys things in a shop
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Because it is a public holiday, All Saints' Day 2. Lidl, Carrefour, Dia and Alcampo 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Spain celebrates _____ on 1 November every year.
It is a national _____, and many shops change their opening hours.
Mercadona has announced special hours for both Sunday 1 November and _____ 2 November.
Other major supermarkets, Lidl, Carrefour, Dia and _____, are also affected.
Some stores may close completely on 1 November, while others open for shorter _____.
This often depends on the city or _____.
In Spain, each region can set its own rules about which shops may open on public _____.
Many families visit _____ to remember relatives who have died.
This pattern of adjusted hours around 1 November happens every _____.
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