From the colorful festivities of Día de los Muertos to the more somber celebration of Semana Santa, Mexico knows how to celebrate the holidays in style. One thing is for sure: if you’re planning a trip to Mexico, you’ll want to muster up the courage to brave the crowds on a holiday weekend. Holidays are the perfect window into Mexico’s culture, and celebrating alongside the locals is no doubt an experience to remember.
Bear in mind that in Mexico, as in many other countries, some days like Christmas are always celebrated on the exact day of the year, but other days are celebrated during a three-day weekend known as a puente (bridge).
The best way to enjoy a stay, short or long, in Mexico and really understand the meaning of these holidays is to start learning Spanish. Rosetta Stone can help you build your language skills in no time in a fun, immersive environment—no vocabulary lists required. Plus, TruAccent is built into every bite-sized lesson, so you can perfect your pronunciation at every step of the way.
And now… on to the holidays!
Complete list of public holidays in Mexico
These are the official holidays when banks, most offices, and many stores will be closed. You should keep in mind that many establishments will close (or close early) even for unofficial holidays!
- January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
- February 5: Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
- March 18: Natalicio de Benito Juárez (Benito Juárez’s Birthday)
- May 1: Día del Trabajador (Labor Day)
- June 2: Jornada Electoral (Election Day)
- September 16: Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
- October 1: Cambio de Gobierno (Change of Government)
- November 18: Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day)
- December 25: Navidad (Christmas)
Mexican holidays en detalle (in detail)
Below, we’ll dive into more detail on what each holiday has to offer. Note that unlike the list above, we’ve included both official and unofficial holidays, since establishments tend to close on both.
January
January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
Not much happens on New Year’s Day since all the fun occurs the night before on the Víspera de Año Nuevo (New Year’s Eve) when celebrations tend to take place at home. Expect the next day to be very quiet when very few establishments and none of the banks open.
January 6: Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day)
Though not an official holiday, el Día de los Tres Reyes is the day young children receive their Christmas presents, so it’s still an important day and usually the last day of vacation before returning to school. Adults and children alike get together to drink hot chocolate and eat a rosca de Reyes, a delicious pastry that contains a small plastic Baby Jesus. If you get it in your piece of bread, you’ll be expected to buy the tamales on February 2!
February
February 2: Candelaria (Candlemas)
While not an official holiday, Candelaria is a fun day when statues of Baby Jesus get dressed up and taken to church to be blessed. On the secular side, whoever found the plastic Jesus in the rosca will be buying tamales for the same group who got together for the Día de los Tres Reyes the month before. This is the very last day of the Christmas season.
February 5: Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
February 5 marks the day to celebrate the Día de la Constitution, and it’s also the second official puente of the year. With only a few festivities, the biggest one usually being a parade, this is not a major holiday in Mexico.
March
March 18-March 23: Semana Menor
Known as the Semana Menor, this is the week before Palm Sunday with the most significant day being Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows) when processions are held and altars are built.
March 18: Natalicio de Benito Juárez (Benito Juárez’s Birthday)
Benito Juárez’s actual birthday was March 21, 1806, but nowadays, it’s celebrated on the third Monday of March, which falls on March 18 this year. This is one of the official three-day weekends of the year, and this year it coincides with the beginning of the Semana Menor.
March 24-30: Semana Santa (Holy Week)
As we mentioned, Semana Santa is sometimes called the Semana Mayor because it’s an important week for Catholic celebrations of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. It begins with Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday).
Jueves Santo and Viernes Santo (Holy Thursday and Good Friday) are solemn days when families may go to church, stay home for quiet reflection, or attend a simulation of Christ’s Passion. Though not official holidays, most businesses will be closed these days.
Sábado de Gloria (Holy Saturday) tends to be a more upbeat day when most people come out of their peaceful time at home and get ready for Easter. Easter mass, or the Easter vigil, is held late at night on this day.
Here are the specific dates for Semana Santa:
- March 24: Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)
- March 25: Lunes Santo (Holy Monday)
- March 26: Martes Santo (Holy Tuesday)
- March 27: Miércoles Santo Holy Wednesday
- March 28: Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday)
- March 29: Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
- March 30: Sábado Santo/Sábado de Gloria (Holy Saturday)
- March 31: Domingo de Resurrección/Pascua (Easter)
Note that children are off from school this year March 25-April 7, so the rhythm of everyday life may be slightly different the week after Easter.
April
Although there are no holidays in April this year, all school children will be off from school the first week of the month, and some families choose to continue their vacation this week. April also brings crowds of college students from the US who travel to Mexico on spring break, which makes popular destinations that much busier.
May
May 1: Día del Trabajador (Labor Day)
Also known as International Workers Day, el Día del Trabajador is always celebrated on May 1. It is an official holiday in 80 countries around the world! Since this day falls on a Wednesday in 2024, there will not be a puente (long weekend) in Mexico. This holiday recalls those who marched in Chicago in early May of 1886 in support of workers striking for an eight-hour workday.
June
June 2: Jornada Electoral (Election Day)
While this day falls on a Sunday, workers who normally work on Sunday are given the day off to exercise their civic right to vote.
July
There are no official holidays in Mexico during July.
August
There are no official holidays in Mexico during August.
September
September 16: Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
The Día de la Independencia falls on a Monday this year, so there will be an official puente in 2024. One of the biggest Mexican celebrations of the year, this day commemorates the beginning of Mexico’s independence from Spain. However, the core of the festivities start the night before with El Grito de Dolores (The Cry of Dolores), festive food and drink, and fireworks, among many other activities. There’s usually a parade the next day on September 16.
October
October 1: Cambio de Gobierno (Change of Government)
After an election, Mexican presidents have traditionally entered into office on December 1. However, due to an electoral reform in 2014, the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, AMLO for short, will be the first president to exit his post on October 1. So Mexican office workers get an extra day off in 2024!
November
November 1 and 2: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Though not an official holiday, Mexicans take two days to celebrate Día de los Muertos, and it is common for all offices and banks to be closed either both days or on November 2.
Mexicans start preparing to set up their altars with flowers, food, and drink a few days before. There are cemetery visits, spooky parades, and skull-shaped candy too.
November 18: Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day)
The traditional day for celebrating the Día de la Revolución is November 20, but this year it will be celebrated on Monday, November 18 to allow for a three-day weekend. Though this is an official holiday commemorating an important historical moment—the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)—there are not many events on this day, with the exception of a parade.
December
Christmas in Mexico means almost two months of celebrating from start to finish. If you want to know more, check out our in-depth guide to Christmas traditions in Mexico!
December 12: Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe Day
As the patron of Mexico and an important religious figure, the Virgin of Guadalupe is celebrated in many ways, most often by visiting her basilica in Mexico City. This day also marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Even though this is not an official bank holiday, banks may be closed on this day.
December 16-24: Posadas
Las Posadas occur on the nine days before Christmas. These are processions and gatherings with singing, music, satisfying food and drink, and best of all…piñatas.
December 24: Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
Some businesses and government offices may close early today, so get your shopping done soon! Nochebuena is actually more important than Christmas day in Mexico. It’s when people go to church and have a late night supper.
December 25: Navidad (Christmas)
This year there will not be a three-day weekend for Christmas, but nearly everyone gets Christmas off. Christmas Day is usually a quiet affair when people rest from the night before and eat leftovers.
December 28: Día de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day)
Though definitely not a bank holiday, Día de los Santos Inocentes is a fun day similar to April Fool’s Day. Many pranks are pulled!
Víspera del Año Nuevo (New Year’s Eve)
Though not an official holiday, businesses and offices often close early on this day. New Year’s Eve usually involves a cena (late night dinner) and something bubbly to drink.
Fun festivals in Mexico
With so many fun festivals in Mexico we hardly know where to start, but here are a few of the more notable festivals in Mexico. Though too many to mention in this post, Mexico City alone has 125 festivals per year, some traditional and others more contemporary.
February 12 and 13: Carnaval (Shrove Tuesday) in various locations
Carnaval is held the Tuesday before Cuaresma (Lent), which starts on Miércoles de Ceniza (Ash Wednesday) coinciding with Valentine’s Day this year. Celebrations may start about a week before, and one of the biggest carnavales is in Mazatlán, held this year February 8 to 13.
October 11-27: Festival Internacional Cervantino (Cervantino Festival) in Guanajuato
The Festival Internacional Cervantino holds its fifty-third iteration in 2024. With international film, art, dance, and drama, this is one of the most exciting festivals of the year. Each year, one Mexican state and one country is chosen to be featured, and this year that’s Sonora and the United States.
December 18: Fiesta de la Virgen de la Soledad (Virgin of Solitude Feast) in Oaxaca
The Patron Saint of Oaxacans, religious folks may travel from all over the country to see her at the Basílica de la Soledad in downtown Oaxaca. Her statue takes part in a procession lasting most of the night. Parades called calendas or local fairs may be held as well.
December 23: Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes) in Oaxaca
This one of a kind event held on December 23 on the zócalo (public square) of Oaxaca can’t be missed! Participants in Noche de Rábanos carve giant radishes into elaborate sculptures, but only one entry wins the grand prize!
Get to know Mexico even better with Rosetta Stone
Now that you’ve gotten a handle on all the holidays in Mexico, why not take the next step and learn some Spanish? It’s the best way to get to know the country, people, and culture that makes it so unique. Rosetta Stone has got you covered with its simple approach to language learning that avoids repetition and memorization, and instead makes learning fun, immersive, and accessible for busy schedules! Start your first lesson today, and soon you’ll be on your way to your next holiday celebration in Mexico.
Written by Rowena Galavitz
Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature instructor with three master’s degrees who loves Spanish and all things Mexico.
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