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Mexico city - National and local holidays

- January 1st: New Year's Day
- January 5th: Three Wise Men
- February 5th: Mexican Constitution Day
- February 14: St. Valentine's Day
- March 21: Benito Juarez’s birthday (ex-President)
- March-April: Catholic Holy Week
- May 1st: Labor Day
- May 5th: Cinco de Mayo. Puebla Battle against the French
- May 10: Mother’s Day
- September 16: Independence Day
- October 12: La Raza (Columbus Day)
- October 31st: Halloween
- November 1st: All Saints (Catholic festivity)
- November 2nd: Festivity of the Death
- November 20: Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution
- December 24: Christmas Eve
- December 25: Christmas

Mexican holidays

  • January 5th: Three Wise Men. A Catholic Holiday. Mexican families gather to have dinner at night, usually consisting of tamales, hot cocoa, and a "rosca", which is a ring-shaped, sweet pastry with sugar-coated fruit on top. This "rosca" contains two or more small plastic children, hidden inside. Each member of the family slices the pastry and if his/her slice has the plastic child, then he/she has to throw a small party on February 2nd ("La Candelaria" day). Additionally, children receive toys from the "Santos Reyes" (Three Wise Men), just like St. Nicholas  in other countries.
  • February 5th: Constitution Day (No school, banks close)
  • March 21: Benito Juarez’s birthday (ex-President)
    March-April: Catholic Holy Week (Thursday through Easter Sunday). No school, most offices close.
  • May 1st: Labor Day. School and offices close.
  • May 5th: Cinco de Mayo. Puebla Battle against the French. Schools and banks close.
  • May 10: Mother’s Day. Don’t even try to go to a restaurant without a reservation! Prepare for expensive flower arrangements being sold everywhere.
  • September 16: Independence Day. Schools, offices and banks close. If you get invited to a Mexican party for "El Grito", by all means, attend. Great Mexican food will be served -not to mention tequila- and you'll see a group of enthusiastic Mexicans yelling "VIVA MEXICO!!!".
  • October 12: La Raza (Races Day). No school (usually).
  • November 1st: All Saints (Catholic festivity).
  • November 2nd: the festivity of the Death. Mexicans remember their death loved ones by visiting cemeteries and leaving food offerings at altars they set up at home, for their spirits to "visit" them. In the Mexican culture, bonds between loved ones continue beyond death. Nothing to do with ghosts, witches, and the like!
  • November 20: Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. School and banks close.
  • December 25: Christmas. Schools close for two weeks, restarting the first weekday after New Year‘s Day. Banks and offices close for the day, mostly. Try to attend a Posada, or look for a typical Pastorela in the theater section of your newspaper. A Pastorela is a theatrical representation (comedy) of the journey made by the shepherds to visit baby Jesus after the
    Angel announces his birth. But the -hillarious- devil will try to tempt them and prevent them from going to the manger.
    In general, malls, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, and public transport are open for business, except on May 1st, in which they operate partially.
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