Mexican Holidays, Celebrations and Important Historical Dates
| Date | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Año Nuevo | |
| January 6 | Día de los Reyes Magos | |
| February 2 | Segundo de febrero | Commemoration of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo |
| Día de la Candelaría | ||
| February 5 | Día de la Constitución | |
| February 24 | Día de la Bandera | |
| Late February or Early March | Carnaval | This is held the week or so before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent |
| March 21 | Día de nacimiento de Benito Juárez | |
| March or April | Semana Santa | The week before Easter is one of Mexico's biggest holiday periods, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter. Millions of Mexicans take the family on a "holiday" during this period. |
| End of April | Día de los Niños | |
| May 1 | Día del Trabajo | |
| May 5 | Cinco de Mayo | The celebration of Mexico's victory over the French army at Puebla in 1862. |
| May 10 | Día de la Madre | |
| September 16 | Día de la Independencia | Independence Day commemorating the beginning of Mexico's war of independence from Spain. |
| October 12 | Día de la Raza | This day celebrates the historical origins of the Mexican race. |
| November 1 | Informe Presidencial | The President's state of the nation address to the legislature, coinciding with the Catholic "Día de Todos Santos". |
| November 2 | Día de los Muertos | On this day the souls of the departed are believed to return to earth. Families visit graveyards on the preceding night and on the day itself. |
| November 20 | Día de la Revolución | Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. |
| December 12 | Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe | Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexico's national patroness. The Virgin Mary appeared to an Indian, Juan Diego on this date in 1531. |
| December 16 - 24 | Posadas | Posadas are literally "inns", but in this case they refer to parades that commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. |
| December 25 | Día de Navidad |
American Holidays
| January 1 | New Year's Day | |
| Third Monday in January | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
| Third Monday in February | President's Day | This date is close to George Washington's birthday, February 22nd. |
| Last Monday in May | Memorial Day | |
| July 4 | Independence Day | |
| First Monday in September | Labor Day | |
| Second Monday in November | Veteran's Day | |
| Fourth Thursday in November | Thanksgiving Day | |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
