In Mexico, there are three major kinds of public holidays:
Statutory holiday: holidays observed all around Mexico. Employees are entitled to a day off with regular pay and schools (public and private) are closed for the day of the holiday. Civic holiday: These holidays are observed nationwide, but employees are not entitled to the day off with pay, and schools (public and private) still continue. Festivities: These are traditional holidays to honor religious events, such as Carnival, Holy Week, Easter, etc. or public celebrations, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, etc.
Dia de la Independencia or Anniversario de la Independencia, September 16, commemorates Mexico's independence from Spain and is the most important patriotic statutory holiday. Parades are held and many schools are closed.
Statutory holidays Statutory holidays (referred as "feriados" or "días de asueto" in Mexico) are legislated through the federal government and ruled by the Federal Labor Law (Ley Federal del Trabajo). Most workers, public and private, are entitled to take the day off with regular pay. However, some employers may require employees to work on such a holiday, but the employee must be paid:
the regular pay for the statutory holiday if no work is performed by the employee, and the regular pay and two additional daily salary rates if work is performed by the employee, for a total of triple the usual rate.
When a statutory holiday falls on a Sunday, Monday is considered a statutory holiday; if a statutory holiday falls on Saturday, Friday will be considered a statutory holiday.
DateEnglish nameSpanish nameObservanceRemarksJanuary 1New Year's DayAño NuevoOn dateFirst day of the year. February 5Constitution DayDía de la ConstituciónFirst Monday of FebruaryMarch 21Benito Juárez's BirthdayNatalicio de Benito JuárezThird Monday of MarchMay 1Labour DayDía del TrabajoOn dateEstablished in 1923, Labor Day commemorates the Mexican workers' union movements. (See also Patriotic holidays in Mexico).September 16 Independence DayDía de la IndependenciaOn dateCommemorates the start of the Independence War by Priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1810. Festivities begin the evening of September 15 and culminate with a military parade on September 16. (See also Patriotic holidays in Mexico).November 20Revolution DayDía de la RevoluciónThird Monday of NovemberDecember 25Christmas DayNavidadOn dateChristmas celebration; secular and religious holiday.
In addition to these dates, election days designated by federal and local electoral laws are also statutory holidays.
Civic holidays Date English name Spanish name Remarks February 19 Mexican Army DayDía del EjércitoCelebrates the Mexican Army on the date of its 1913 foundation and honor of the 1911 Loyalty March ("Marcha de la Lealtad"), when President Madero was escorted by the Cadets of the Military College to the National Palace.February 24Flag DayDía de la BanderaCelebrates the current Flag of Mexico and honors the previous ones. Flag Day was implemented by President Lázaro Cárdenas in 1937.March 18Anniversary of the Oil ExpropriationAniversario de la Expropiación petroleraCelebrates the Oil Expropriation by President General Lázaro Cárdenas in 1938.April 21Heroic Defense of VeracruzHeroica Defensa de VeracruzCommemorates the defense against the United States occupation of Veracruz in 1914 by cadets, staff and faculty of the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar and personnel of the Mexican Navy.May 5Fifth of MayCinco de MayoCelebrates the victory of the Mexican Army, led by Gral. Ignacio Zaragoza against French forces in the city of Puebla, on May 5, 1862. Also widely celebrated in the United States.May 8Miguel Hidalgo's birthdayNatalicio de Miguel HidalgoCommemorates the birth in 1753 of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the initiator of the Mexican Independence War.June 1National Maritime DayDía de la MarinaHonors the merchant marines, which began on June 1, 1917 with the Tabasco. The holiday was first celebrated in 1942 to honor the crews of the Potrero del Llano and Faja de Oro, whose ships were sunk by Nazi submarines in May 1942.September 13Anniversary of the "Boy Heroes" or "Heroic Cadets"Día de los Niños Héroes Celebrates the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican–American War of 1847 and the heroic and ultimate sacrifice that the Niños Héroes gave for the nation.September 16Cry of DoloresGrito de Dolores Celebrates the Grito de Dolores, an event that marked the start of the independence war against Spain on the eve of September 16, 1810. It took place at a church chapel in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, led by a Creole Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Families and friends gather the evening of September 15 for a Noche Mexicana, dressing in traditional clothes and consuming traditional foods and drinks such as pozole, mole, birria, beer, tequila, and/or mezcal. The President rings the bell of Hidalgo and crowds gather in the Zócalo of Mexico City to shout ¡Viva México! (Long live Mexico!). Similar ceremonies are held in every state and municipality across the country. A military parade is held in Mexico City on September 16. See also Fiestas Patrias (Mexico). September 27Culmination of the Mexican War of IndependenceConsumación de la IndependenciaCelebrates the end of the Mexican Independence War in 1821, 11 years after Father Hidalgo started it, with the victory of the Army of the Three Guarantees, led by Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero.September 30Morelos' birthdayNatalicio de José Mª Morelos y PavónCommemorates the birth in 1765 of Father José María Morelos y Pavón, one of the founding fathers of the Mexican nation.October 12Day of the Pluricultural NationDía de la Nación PluriculturalCommemorates and promotes the many coexisting cultures, languages, and ethnicities in Mexico.November 23Mexican Navy DayDia de la Armada de MexicoCelebrating the 1825 capture of the San Juan de Ulúa Fortress in Veracruz led by a joint force of Mexican Army and Navy units (the capture of the fortress is the Navy's baptism of fire, on which its first fleet under Captain Pedro Sainz de Baranda served with distinction).
Festivities