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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. Mexican holidays are the perfect window into local culture, and celebrating alongside the locals will be an experience to remember.
The best way to enjoy your stay during a holiday in Mexico and really understand the meaning of these holidays is to start learning Spanish. Rosetta Stone can help you build your language skills through immersive learning and cultural understanding. Then you’re well prepared to blend in with locals as you explore the religious and cultural Mexican holidays you don’t want to miss.
Complete list of public holidays in Mexico
These are the official holidays when banks, most offices, and many stores will be closed. Keep in mind that many establishments will close (or close early) even for unofficial holidays!
- January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
- February 3: Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
- March 17: 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)
Here are other Mexican holidays that are also celebrated but many businesses don’t close. Some businesses do offer Good Friday and the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a paid holiday for their employees.
- January 6: Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day or Epiphany)
- February 2: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas)
- April 18: Viernes Santos (Good Friday, part of Semanta Santa or Holy Week)
- April 20: Pascua (Easter)
- November 1-2: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
- December 12: Día de la Virgen Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe)
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 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. Mexicans tend to take it easy visiting family on New Years Day.
January 6: Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day)
Though not an official holiday, Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day) is the day young children receive their Christmas presents, so it’s still an important day and usually the last day of the holiday vacation before returning to school. Adults and children get together to drink hot chocolate and eat a rosca de Reyes, a delicious pastry with a hidden figurine of Baby Jesus inside. If it’s hidden in your piece of bread, you’ll be expected to buy the tamales for Candelaria!
February 2: Candelaria (Candlemas)
While not an official holiday, Candelaria is a fun day when people dress up statues of baby Jesus 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. Candlemas is considered the last day of the Christmas season.
February 3: Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
February 3 marks the day to celebrate the Día de la Constitution, and it’s also the second official public holiday in Mexico. This Mexican holiday celebrating the constitution always falls on the first Monday of February. With only a few festivities, the biggest one usually being a parade, this is not a major holiday in Mexico though it’s typically a day off.
March 17: 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. As with most holidays in Mexico, you’ll see parades happening and ceremonies honoring the legacy of Mexico’s beloved leader. It’s common to also have tournaments like bull fighting or lucha libre. Children often have a school project learning about and honoring the former president before enjoying the day off of school.
April 13-April 19: Semana Santa (Holy Week)
Known as Semana Santa, Holy Week is widely celebrated among those of the Catholic faith in many countries. It always falls between Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and Pascua (Easter), which varies from year to year based on the lunar calendar. Christians of many denominations celebrate these dates to varying degrees as they all culminate with the notable resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter 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. A meal of salted cod fish or bacalao is common on Good Friday when it’s appropriate to abstain from meat. Though not official holidays, many businesses close on both of 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:
- April 13: Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)
- April 14: Lunes Santo (Holy Monday)
- April 15: Martes Santo (Holy Tuesday)
- April 16: Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday)
- April 17: Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday)
- April 18: Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
- April 19: Sábado Santo/Sábado de Gloria (Holy Saturday)
- April 20: Domingo de Resurrección/Pascua (Easter)
April 20: Pascua (Easter)
As a prominent Mexican holiday due to the prominence of the Catholic faith, Pascua (Easter) is widely celebrated religiously and secularly in Mexico. Churches hold a special mass that’s well attended, with bells ringing more often than usual. Most processions and parades have already happened during Semana Santa, but an important even is the reenactment of the Passion of the Christ on Sunday. If you go to a square, you’ll likely find an event happening.
Many homes will be decorated brightly with handmade decorations that celebrate the renewal of spring and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Mexican families often eat traditional dishes on Easter, such as chille rellenos, mole, or capirotada which is a cinnamon sugar bread pudding. Hunting for Easter eggs is more of a North American tradition, but many families have adopted this practice in Mexico, too.
May 1: Día del Trabajador (Labor Day)
Also known as International Workers Day, Día del Trabajador is always celebrated on May 1. It’s an official holiday in 80 countries around the world, and you might know it as May Day in France. You’ll find parades happening in major Mexican cities and even demonstrations by various labor groups advocating for rights or equality. Just as in many other countries, unions are a major part of the organization behind Labor Day celebrations in Mexico.
September 16: Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
Independence Day, or Día de la Independencia, happens on September 16. As one of the biggest Mexican holidays 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 on the official day, which is also a bank holiday.
November 1 and 2: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Though not an official holiday, Mexicans take two days to celebrate the famous Día de los Muertos, and it is common for all offices and banks to be closed on both days or just on November 2. Mexicans start preparing to set up their altars with flowers, food, and drink a few days before. You’ll see people visiting cemeteries to honor their deceased family and friends or participating in parades. Decorative skulls are a major part of this celebration, but you’ll also find some traditional Day of the Dead food and candies too.
November 17: Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day)
The traditional day for celebrating the Día de la Revolución is the third Monday of November. This is an official holiday commemorating an important historical moment—the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)—so you’ll find a variety of activities happening. Local festivals pop up alongside bazaars that sell food and specialty items. In the heart of Mexico City, a parade attracts crowds of people who shout “Viva la Revolución!” to celebrate.
December 12: Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe Day)
You can find plenty of Christmas traditions in Mexico, and some of them happen during this special Mexican holiday. 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, lighting fireworks, or watching bullfights. 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 occurs over the nine nights that lead up to Christmas day. If you’re in Mexico during this time, you’ll see processions happening and lots of gatherings with hot drinks and sweets. Best of all, Las Posadas is the holiday in Mexico where piñatas have the spotlight.
And if you’re thinking the weather will be cool like it is in North America, note that December is when Mexico’s dry season begins. That means you could enjoy some family beach time too!
December 24: Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
On Christmas Eve, some businesses and government offices may close early, so you’ll need to get your shopping done ahead of time! Nochebuena is actually more important than Christmas day in Mexico. On this holiday in Mexico, people attend evening or midnight mass and have a late night supper together to celebrate the arrival of baby Jesus. You’ll hear families singing villancicos or Mexican Christmas carols while enjoying a hot drink called Ponche Navideño made from cane sugar, spices, and abuela‘s love.
December 25: Navidad (Christmas)
Though many of Mexico’s celebrations happened the night before, there’s still food to be eaten on Christmas day. From oxtail soup to chili or pozole (slow-cooked stew), Christmas is the time to celebrate with family over delicious food. You’re sure to see a Nacimientos (nativity) set up in the house since December 16, and it can be elaborate or simple and handmade. And buñuelos (fried fritters with sugar or syrup) might be the sweet treat on the menu for dessert!
December 31: Víspera del Año Nuevo or Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve)
Nochevieja or Víspera del Año Nuevo is the night to party with friends or family at private events or in the streets. Many start the night with a family feast featuring bacalao (salted cod fish) and buñuelos (crispy fritters). Some traditions state you should break the ceramic dish the buñuelos are served on to bring good luck.
Another fun tradition in Mexico on New Year’s Eve is to each 12 grapes with each chime of the clock at the stroke of midnight. You might even see people throwing 12 coins into the street before sweeping them back into the house to encourage a prosperous new year. Young people tend to spend time dancing and watching fireworks with friends.
Get to know Mexican holidays and culture 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 one of the languages spoken in Mexico? It’s the best way to get to know the country, people, and culture that makes it so unique. Rosetta Stone integrates cultural and educational materials to help you learn Spanish in a way that immerses you more fully for lasting results.