There’s a fiesta, fair or major happening going on somewhere in Mexico every day of the year. The Reporter has compiled a month-by-month run down of major dates our readers may want to mark on their 2015 calendars.
National public holidays (highlighted below in bold type) are commemorated on January 1 (New Year’s Day), the first Monday of February (Constitution Day), the third Monday in March (Birth of Benito Juarez), May 1 (Labor Day), September 16 (Independence Day), the third Monday in November (Mexican Revolution Day) and December 25 (Christmas Day). Under Federal Labor Laws, public and private salaried workers are granted a day off with regular pay on all official Días de Asueto (statutory holidays). Employees who are scheduled to work on these dates are entitled to their full daily wages plus double time for the hours worked. Banks and financial companies, schools, government offices, major corporations and some other businesses shut down operations on these occasions. They may also close for some major local celebrations. The remaining calendar listings indicate important civic commemorations, religious celebrations and special events that will be observed in the Guadalajara metro area or nationwide over the next 12 months.
January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
January 6: Día de los Santos Reyes (Three Kings Day-Epiphany)
January 17: San Antonio Abad (blessing of farm animals)
February 2: Conmemoración Aniversario de la Constitucion (Constitution Day)*
February 2: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas)
February 10: Día de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (Air Force Day)
February 14: Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day)
February 14: Aniversario de la Ciudad (Anniversary of the Foundation of Guadalajara. 1542) – special events held around the city.
February 17: Martes de Carnaval (Mardi Gras)*
February 18: Miércoles de Ceniza (Ash Wednesday)*
February 19: Día del Ejercito Mexicano (Mexican Army Day)
February 24: Día de la Bandera (Flag Day)
March 6-15: 30th annual Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG)*
March 16: Conmemoración del Natalicio de Juarez (Birth of Benito Juarez)*
March 18: Aniversario de la Expropiación Petrolero (Anniversary of Oil Expropriation, 1938)
March 19: San José (Saint Joseph)
March 22: Día Mundial del Agua (World Water Day)
March 27: Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows)*
March 27-April 12: Schools closed for Easter vacation break
March 29: Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)*
April 2: Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday)*
April 3: Viernes Santo (Good Friday)*
April 4. Sábado Santo (Holy Saturday)*
April 5: Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday)*
April 5: Horario de Verano (Daylight Saving Time begins) – move clocks forward 1 hour*
April 22: Día Mundial de la Tierra (Earth Day)
April 23: Día Mundial del Libro y del Derecho de Autor (World Book and Copyright Day)
Aptil 29: Día Internacional de la Danza (International Dance Day)
April 30: Día del Niño (Children’s Day)
May 1: Día del Trabajo (Labor Day)
May 3: Día Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa (World Press Freedom Day)
May 5: Cinco de Mayo (Commemoration Battle of Puebla, 1862)
May 8: Día Internacional de la Cruz Roja (World Red Cross – Red Crescent Day)
May 10: Día de las Madres (Mother’s Day, Mexico)
May 15: Día del Maestro (Teacher’s Day)
May 23: Día del Estudiante (Student’s Day)
May 31: Día Mundial Sin Tabaco (World No Tobacco Day)
June 1: Día de la Marina Nacional (Mexico Navy Day)
June 5: Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente (World Environment Day)
June 7: Comicios Electorales (Election Day)*
June 21: Día del Padre (Father’s Day)*
June 24: San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist)
June 29: San Pedro y San Pablo (St. Peter and St. Paul)
June 26: Día Mundial Contra el Uso y el Tráfico de Drogas (International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking)
July 14-August 16: Schools closed for Summer vacation break
July 15: Día de la Secretaria (Secretary’s Day)*
July 25: Santo Santiago (St. James the Great)
August 15: Fiesta de la Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
August 22: Dia del Bombero (Fireman’s Day)
August 27-September 6: Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi (Guadalajara’s International Mariachi Festival)*
August 28: Día del Adulto Mayor (Senior Citizen’s Day)
September 13: Día de los Niños Héroes (Heroic Defense of Chapultepec, 1847)
September 14: Día del Charro (Horseman’s Day)
September 15: Grito de Dolores (Commemoration of the Cry of Independence, 1810)
September 16: Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
September 28: Día del Servidor Público (Jalisco Bureaucrats Day), government offices and public institutions close.
September 27: Día Mundial del Turismo (World Tourism Day)
October, all month: Fiestas de Octubre (Guadalajara Oktoberfest) & Expo Ganadera (Livestock Fair)
October 12: Día de la Raza (Columbus Day)
October 12: Romería de la Virgen de Zapopan (Guadalajara-Zapopan Pilgrimage)
October 25: Horario de Invierno (Daylight Saving Time ends) - move clocks back one hour*
November 1: Día de Todos Santos (All Saints’ Day)
November 2: Día de los Muertos (All Souls’ Day)
November 12: Día del Cartero (Mailman’s Day)
November 16: Conmemoración del Día de la Revolución Mexicana (Commemoration Revolution Day)
November 28-December 6: Guadalajara’s International Book Fair (FIL)*
December 12: Virgen de Guadalupe Day (Patroness of Mexico)
December 12: Día del Empleado Bancario (Bank Employees’s Day) – banks, financial institutions and Mexico´s stock market closed
December 16-24: Las Posadas (Christmas season festivities)
December 19-January 7: Schools closed for Christmas vacation break
December 24: Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)
December 25: Navidad (Christmas Day)
December 28: Día de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Holy Innocents)
December 31: Año Viejo (New Year’s Eve)
Holidays and events marked with an asterisk (*) change dates from year to year.