The Guadalajara Reporter

Mexico Fiestas Calendar 2014

As you hang up your spanking new 2014 calendar and begin inking in birthdays and other special occasions to be remembered, you may also want to make note of the Mexican civic holidays, traditional festivities and special events that will come up over the next 12 months.

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, salaried workers, both public and private, are granted a day off with regular pay on all of these Dias 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.

Banking institutions, 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. Holidays and events marked with an asterisk (*) change dates from year to year.

January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day)

January 6: Dia de los Santos Reyes  (Three Kings Day-Epiphany)

January 17: San Antonio Abad  (St. Anthony the Abbot) - blessing of farm animals

February 2: Dia de la Candelaria  (Candlemas)

February 3: Conmemoracion del Aniversario de la Constitucion (Constitution Day)*

February 14: Dia 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 19: Día del Ejercito Mexicano (Mexican Army Day)

February 24: Dia de la Bandera  (Flag Day)

March 4: Martes de Carnaval  (Mardi Gras)*

March 5: Miercoles de Ceniza  (Ash Wednesday)*

March 17: Conmemoracion del Natalicio de Juarez (Birth of Benito Juarez)*

March 21-30: Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG)*

April 6: Horario de Verano (Daylight Saving Time begins) – move clocks forward one hour)*

April 11: Viernes de Dolores  (Friday of Sorrows)*

April 13: Domingo de Ramos  (Palm Sunday)*

April 17: Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday)*

April 18: Viernes Santo (Good Friday)*

April 20: Domingo de Resurreccion (Easter Sunday)*

April 30: Dia del Niño (Children’s Day)

May 1: Dia del Trabajo (Labor Day)

May 5: Cinco de Mayo (Commemoration Battle of Puebla, 1862)

May 10: Dia de las Madres  (Mother’s Day-Mexico)

May 15: Dia del Maestro (Teacher’s Day)

May 23: Día del Estudiante (Student’s Day)

June 1: Día de la Marina Nacional (Mexico Navy Day)

June 15: Dia 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)

August 22: Dia del Bombero (Fireman’s Day)

August 27-September 7: Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi (Guadalajara Mariachi Fest) – tentative dates*

August 28: Día del Adulto Mayor (Senior Citizen’s Day)

September 13: Dia de los Niños Heroes (Heroic Defense of Chapultepec, Castle 1847)

September 14: Dia del Charro (Horseman’s Day)

September 15: Grito de Dolores  (Cry of Independence, 1810)

September 16: Dia de la Independencia (Independence Day)

September 28: Dia del Servidor Publico (Jalisco Bureaucrats Day, may be observed this year on the previous Friday) – government offices and public institutions close.

October, all month: Guadalajara’s annual Fiestas de Octubre (Oktoberfest) & Expo Ganadera  (Livestock Fair)

October 12: Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day)

October 12:  Romeria de la Virgen de Zapopan  (Guadalajara-Zapopan Pilgrimage)

October 26: Horario de Invierno (Daylight Saving Time ends) – move clocks back one hour*

November 1: Dia de todos Santos  (All Saints’ Day)

November 2: Dia de los Muertos  (All Souls’ Day)

November 12: Dia del Cartero (Mailman’s Day)

November 17: Conmemoracion del Dia de la Revolucion Mexicana (Revolution Day) – parades in some places held on November 20*

November 23: Día de la Armada de México (Mexico Armed Forces Day)

November 29-December 7: FIL, Guadalajara’s International Book Fair*

December 12: Virgen de Guadalupe (Patroness of Mexico)

December 16-24: Las Posadas  (Christmas season festivities)

December 24: Noche Buena  (Christmas Eve)

December 25: Navidad  (Christmas Day)

December 28: Dia de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day), Mexico’s equivalent to April Fools.

December 31: Año Viejo  (New Year’s Eve)