Mexico has fewer statutory holidays than most visitors expect, but the unofficial calendar is much busier. Banks and government offices close on seven fixed days a year, while religious weeks, patron saint festivals and school holidays can fill buses, beaches and hotels with Mexican families for ten days at a time. This guide gives exact 2026 and 2027 dates, what closes, and which periods are worth planning around.
Official public holidays 2026 and 2027
Under Article 74 of the Federal Labour Law, three holidays are “moved” to a Monday so workers get a long weekend. The dates below follow that rule.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo) | Thursday 1 January | Friday 1 January |
| Constitution Day (first Monday of February) | Monday 2 February | Monday 1 February |
| Benito Juarez’s Birthday (third Monday of March) | Monday 16 March | Monday 15 March |
| Labour Day (Dia del Trabajo) | Friday 1 May | Saturday 1 May |
| Independence Day | Wednesday 16 September | Thursday 16 September |
| Revolution Day (third Monday of November) | Monday 16 November | Monday 15 November |
| Christmas Day (Navidad) | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 December |
Every six years, 1 October (presidential inauguration) is also a rest day. The last was in 2024 and the next is 2030, so it does not apply to 2026 or 2027. The Diario Oficial publishes any change, and federal election days are also treated as rest days, so check dates around the mid-2027 federal elections.
Semana Santa and Easter (moveable dates)
Holy Week is the one moveable period that matters most for travel. Dates for the next two years:
- 2026: Palm Sunday 29 March, Holy Thursday 2 April, Good Friday 3 April, Easter Sunday 5 April
- 2027: Palm Sunday 21 March, Holy Thursday 25 March, Good Friday 26 March, Easter Sunday 28 March
Holy Thursday and Good Friday are not statutory rest days, yet banks, government offices and schools largely close, and many private employers give both days off. The following week, Semana de Pascua, is also a school holiday, so the combined fortnight is Mexico’s biggest domestic travel period alongside Christmas.
What closes and what stays open
Banks and government offices: closed on all seven statutory days and mostly closed on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Bank cash machines still work, but plan to have pesos in hand. See our Mexico currency guide for card and ATM advice.
Shops and supermarkets: large supermarkets, malls and convenience stores (OXXO) are open on most holidays, often on reduced hours on 1 January and 25 December. Small family businesses and market stalls often close on those two days.
Restaurants: tourist-zone restaurants in Cancun, Tulum, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta open year-round. In inland towns, expect many to close on 1 January, Good Friday and 25 December. Book ahead for Christmas Eve dinner (cena de Nochebuena) and for Mother’s Day on 10 May, which is not a holiday but is the busiest restaurant day of the year.
Archaeological sites and museums: most INAH sites and major museums stay open on holidays, but several close on Mondays, which catches the three Monday holidays. Free-entry Sundays for Mexican residents make Sundays crowded. Confirm opening hours the week you travel.
Transport: intercity buses (ADO, ETN, Primera Plus) and domestic flights keep running but sell out before long weekends. Local buses and colectivos run reduced timetables on 25 December and 1 January. Our getting around Mexico guide covers booking long-distance buses.
Alcohol: on federal election weekends a “ley seca” (dry law) normally bans alcohol sales from the day before voting. Hotels and some resorts are sometimes exempt, but shops and bars are not.
Most disruptive periods for travellers
- Semana Santa and Semana de Pascua: the highest-impact period for beaches, Mexico City exits and colonial towns. Beach hotels in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco sell out and rates rise sharply. Book flights and rooms two to three months ahead.
- Christmas to New Year (about 20 December to 6 January): prices peak, and domestic travel is heaviest on 23-24 December and 2 January. Las Posadas run from 16 to 24 December. See Mexico in December.
- Day of the Dead (31 October to 2 November): not a statutory holiday, but Oaxaca, Patzcuaro and Mexico City are fully booked months in advance. Read our Day of the Dead guide before choosing a base.
- Independence weekend (15-16 September): the Grito ceremony on the evening of 15 September fills every plaza and the Zocalo in Mexico City. Expect road closures and sold-out hotels near the main square.
- Monday long weekends in February, March and November: moderate impact. Weekend buses and nearby destinations such as Valle de Bravo, Tepoztlan and Puebla get busy from Mexico City.
- Summer school holidays (mid-July to mid-August): not a holiday, but family travel peaks across all beach destinations.
Dates that are not holidays but affect plans
- Candlemas (2 February): observed with tamales, and many towns hold local festivals.
- Cinco de Mayo (5 May): celebrated mainly in Puebla, with normal business elsewhere.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 December): not a statutory day, but millions make pilgrimages to the Basilica in Mexico City and surrounding roads close.
- Local patron saint days and fiestas: most towns have one, often with closures and processions. Guelaguetza in Oaxaca takes place in July and is covered in our festivals and events guide.
Planning tips
Book transport and hotels early for Semana Santa, Christmas and Day of the Dead. Withdraw cash a day before any long weekend, since ATMs in smaller towns can empty. If you want quieter sites, schedule museum and ruin visits for midweek days that are not holidays. To make the most of a busy period, reserve a guided tour in Mexico City in advance, since popular experiences sell out on holiday weekends. For timing the rest of your trip, our best time to visit Mexico guide shows weather and crowd patterns month by month.
Dates and opening hours are accurate as of 2026. The government publishes the official rest-day calendar for the following year in December, so verify the 2027 Monday dates against it before you book anything non-refundable.