As you hang up your 2024 calendar, you may want to mark dates of civic holidays, major religious and social festivities and special events coming up in Mexico and Jalisco over the next 12 months.
National public holidays are highlighted in bold type. Salaried workers are entitled to a day off with full pay of daily wages plus double time for the hours worked on these Dias de Asueto (statutory holidays). Government offices, banks and financial institutions, schools and some businesses close on these occasions.
Dates marked with an asterisk (*) are moveable feasts that change from year to year.
Note: The switch to Daylight Savings Time has been abolished in most of Mexico, except for Baja California and border municipalities in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
January 6: Día de los Santos Reyes (Three Kings Day-Epiphany).
January 8: End of winter break, public and private schools K-9.
February 2: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas-Christmas season ends)
February 5: Conmemoración del Aniversario de la Constitución (Constitution Day)*
February 13: Martes de Carnaval (Mardi Gras)*
February 14: Miércoles de Ceniza (Ash Wednesday)*
February 14: Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day)
February 14: Aniversario de la Ciudad (anniversary of Guadalajara foundation, 1542)
February 24: Día de la Bandera (Mexican Flag Day)
March 18: Conmemoración del Natalicio de Juárez (Birth of Benito Juárez, March 21, 1806)*
March 19: Equinoccio de Primavera (Vernal Equinox), first day of Spring.*
March 22: Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows)*
March 24: Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)*
March 24-March 30: Semana Santa (Holy Week)*
March 25-April 7: Easter Break, public and private schools K-9.
March 31 Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday)*
April 30: Día del Niño (Children’s Day)
May, all month: Festival Cultural de Mayo (Jalisco cultural festival events)
May 1: Dia del Trabajo (Labor Day)
May 3: Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross)
May 5: Cinco de Mayo (Commemoration Battle of Puebla, 1862)
May 10: Día de las Madres (Mother’s Day in Mexico)
May 15: Día del Maestro (Teacher’s Day)
May 23: Día del Estudiante (Student’s Day)
June 2: Jornada Electoral (Mexican Elections) Registered voters will elect a new president, 128 federal senators, 500 federal deputies, and many other state and municipal officials. Jalisco will vote in a new governor, 38 state legislators, 125 mayors and city councils.
June 7-15: FICG (Guadalajara International Film Festival)*
June 16: Día del Padre (Father’s Day)*
June 20: Solsticio de Verano (Summer Solstice), first day of Summer*
July 22-August 25: Summer break, public and private schools K-9
August 22: Día del Bombero (Fireman’s Day)
August 22-September 1: Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charrería (Guadalajara Mariachi & Charrería Fest)
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 (Cry of Independence, 1810)
September 16: Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
September 22: Equinoccio de Otoño (Autumn Equinox), first day of Fall*
September 28: Día del Servidor Público (Jalisco Bureaucrats Day) Government offices and public institutions close.
October, all month: Guadalajara’s annual Fiestas de Octubre (State Fair or Oktoberfest) & Expo Ganadera (Livestock Fair)
October 1: Cambio de Gobierno (Federal government change of powers)
October 12: Día de la Raza (Columbus Day)
October 12: Romería de la Virgen de Zapopan (Guadalajara-Zapopan Pilgrimage)
November 1: Día de Todos Santos (All Saints’ Day)
November 2: Día de los Muertos (All Souls’ Day)
November 18: Conmemoración del Día de la Revolución Mexicana (Revolution Day)
November 30-December 8: FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair)*
December 12: Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Feast of Mexico’s spiritual patroness)
December 16: Beginning winter break, public and private schools K-9.
December 16-24: Las Posadas (Christmas season festivities)
December 21: Solsticio de Invierno (Winter Solstice), first day of Winter*
December 24: Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)
December 25: Navidad (Christmas Day)
December 28: Día de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day) Mexico’s equivalent to April Fools
December 31: Año Viejo (New Year’s Eve)