Día festivo vs. feriado vs. festivo
The Spanish language contains various terms to refer to 'public holidays', including 'día festivo', 'feriado', and 'festivo'. All three share a common meaning but may have specific regional usages or lack of different connotations.
Día festivo
'Día Festivo' is a commonly used phrase in Spain to denote a holiday. It generally refers to any day that is recognized as a non-working day and is celebrated due to a national or regional event.
El 12 de octubre es un día festivo en España.
(October 12th is a public holiday in Spain.)
Pasaremos el día festivo en la playa.
(We will spend the holiday on the beach.)
Feriado
'Feriado' is often used in several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Peru, and Chile. It also refers to non-working days due to national holidays.
El 25 de julio se celebra un feriado nacional en Perú.
(July 25th is a national holiday in Peru.)
Mantendremos el negocio cerrado durante el feriado.
(We will keep the business closed during the holiday.)
Festivo
'Festivo' alone can implicitly mean a public holiday too, in a broad sense. However, it might be used more broadly to reflect anything festive or celebratory.
El lunes será festivo debido a la celebración del Día de la Independencia.
(Monday will be a holiday due to Independence Day celebrations.)
Nos vestimos de manera festiva para el evento.
(We dressed up in a festive way for the event.)
Summary
While 'día festivo', 'feriado', and 'festivo' all refer to public holidays in Spanish, their usage tends to vary regionally with 'día festivo' being common in Spain and 'feriado' preferred in Latin America. The term 'festivo', without 'day', may have broader implications referring both to public holidays and festive or celebratory occasions.