Lake Chapala area residents and visitors can look forward to experiencing dozens of national holidays and traditional local festivities during 2023.
Dates to remember include Dias de Asueto (statutory holidays are italicized in the list below) when government offices, schools, financial institutions and some businesses shut down. Employees who work on these occasions are entitled to full daily wages plus double time for the hours worked.
This bare bones list gives extended dates for Fiestas Patronales celebrated to honor the patron saints of the area’s main towns. More explicit details about these festivities and similar ones held in different neighborhoods will appear in future Guadalajara news stories.
Moveable feasts that change dates year to year are indicated with an asterisk (*).
January 1: Año Nuevo - New Year’s Day.
January 1-15*: Fiestas Patronales del Señor del Monte in Jocotepec.
January 6: Día de Reyes—Epiphany or Three Kings Day.
February 2: Día de la Candelaria—Candlemas.
February 5*: Aniversario de la Constitución Mexicana—Constitution Day commemoration.
February 24: Día de la Bandera—Mexican Flag Day.
February 5-21*: Carnaval—Mardi Gras festivities in Ajijic and Chapala.
February 22*: Miércoles de Cenizas—Ash Wednesday beginning of Lent.
March 20*: Natalicio de Juárez—1806 birth of Benito Juárez commemoration.
April 2*: Domingo de Ramos—Palm Sunday.
April 3-8*: Semana Santa—Holy Week.
April 9*: Domingo de Resurrección—Easter Sunday.
April 25-May 3: Fiestas Patronales in Santa Cruz de la Soledad.
April 29-May 7*: El Señor del Guaje—Novena in Jocotepec.
May 1: Día del Trabajo—Labor Day.
May 3: Día de la Santa Cruz—Day of the Holy Cross.
May 5: Cinco de Mayo—1862 Battle of Puebla commemoration.
May 10: Día de las Madres—Mexico’s Mothers Day.
June 19: Día del Padre—Fathers Day.
June 1: Día de la Marina—Navy Day commemoration in Chapala.
June 5-13: Fiestas Patronales de San Antonio de Padua in San Antonio Tlayacapan.
June 16-24: Fiestas Patronales de San Juan Bautista in San Juan Cosalá and San Juan Tecomatlan.
July 17-25: Fiestas Patronales Santo Santiago in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos.
August 7-15: Fiestas Patronales de la Virgen de la Asunción in Mezcala.
September 9*: Regata de Globos—paper hot air balloon exhibition in Ajijic.
September 13: Día de los Niños Héroes—1847 Defense of Chapultepec commemoration.
September 14: Día del Charro—Mexican Equestrians Day
September 15: Grito de Dolores—1810 Cry of Independence commemoration.
September 16: Día de la Independencia—Mexican Independence Day.
September 26-October 4: Fiestas Patronales de San Francisco de Asís in Chapala.
October 1-31: Fiestas de la Virgen del Rosario—month of devotions in Ajijic.
November 1-2: Día de Todos Santos & Día de los Fieles Difuntos—All Saints and All Souls Days.
November 20*: Día de la Revolución Mexicana—1910 Mexican Revolution Anniversary.
November 21-30: Fiestas Patronales de San Andrés Apostal in Ajijic.
November 25: Defensa Heroica de la Isla de Mezcala—1812-1816 Defense of Mezcala Island commemoration.
November 28-December 6: Fiestas Patronales de San Nicolas de Bari in San Nicolás de Ibarra.
December 4-12: Novenario de la Virgen de Guadalupe—Feast of Guadalupe Novena.
December 16-24: Las Posadas—Christmas Novena celebrations.
December 24: Noche Buena—Christmas Eve.
December 25: Navidad—Christmas Day.
December 31: Año Viejo—New Year’s Eve.