Beyond serving as a practical reference, this calendar also reveals lesser-known traditions and contrasts throughout the region. For instance, Argentina commemorates the May Revolution as well as Independence Day tied to the declaration of Independence, while Mexico marks the Cry of Dolores as Independence Day and also observes Revolution Day as a national holiday. In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic celebrates Restoration Day, marking the beginning of the restoration war against Spain in 1863. Several countries honor educators with a national Teachers’ Day observed as a school holiday on different dates– for instance Brazil in October and Argentina in September with school closures  - underscoring the regional importance of education..

Unique observances include Brazil’s Black Awareness Day, Costa Rica’s Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture and Bolivia’s Plurinational State Day. Widely shared holidays across the region include Independence celebrations (on varying dates), Holy Week observances, Christmas and Labor Day, though each country infuses these occasions with its own historical meaning and cultural traditions.

The year 2026 will also witness important political developments: presidential elections will take place in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Haiti. Other major international events include the FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, and the CAF International Economic Forum (“Latin American Davos”), to be hosted by Panama in January. 

 

January

1^st: New Year’s Day, National Holiday in all countries (celebrated as Liberation Day/Triumph of the Revolution Day in Cuba)

6^th: Epiphany/Three Kings Day, in most Hispanic America and the U.S. (also designated Children’s Day in Uruguay)

9^th: Martyr’s Day, Panama

12^th: Epiphany Holiday, Colombia

15th: George Price Day, Belize

19^th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, U.S., Puerto Rico

19^Th: Day of Divina Pastora, Venezuela

21^st: Our Lady of Altagracia Day, Dominican Republic

22^nd: Plurinational State Foundation Day, Bolivia 

26^th: Juan Pablo Duarte Day, Dominican Republic

February

1^st: Presidential Elections in Costa Rica

5^th: Constitution Day, Mexico

16^th-17^th: Carnival, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela

16^th: President’s Day, U.S., Puerto Rico (Also National Heroes’ Day in Puerto Rico)

27^th: Independence Day, Dominican Republic

March

1^st: National Heroes Day, Paraguay

2^nd: American Citizenship Day, Puerto Rico

9^th: National Heroes and Benefactors Day, Belize

16^th: Benito Juarez’ Birthday, Mexico       

22^nd: Emancipation Day, Puerto Rico

23^rd: St Joseph's Day, Colombia

23^rd-24^th: Memorial Day/Truth and Justice Day, Argentina

April

2^nd: Presidential Elections in Peru.

2^nd: Day of the Veterans/Malvinas Day, Argentina

2^nd: Maundy/Good Thursday (National Holiday  in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; a widely-observed Bank Holiday in Mexico and Panama)

3^rd: Good Friday (National Holiday  in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico)

4^th: Holy Saturday (National/Public Holiday in Belize, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras)

5^th: Easter Sunday (National Holiday in all countries)

11^th: Juan Santamaria Day/Battle of Rivas, Costa Rica

14^th: Americas' Day/Panamerican Day, Honduras

19^th: Declaration of Independence, Venezuela

19^th: Landing of the 33 Patriots Day, Uruguay

21^st: Tiradentes Day, Brazil

May

1^st: Labor Day (National/Public Holiday in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba)

5^th: Battle of Puebla/Cinco de Mayo, Mexico (local public holiday, widely observed)

10^th: Mother’s Day, El Salvador and Guatemala (in Guatemala, only working mothers get a day off) 

10^th: Mother’s Day, Puerto Rico

14^th: Independence Day, Paraguay

15^th: Mother’s Day, Paraguay

18^th: Ascension Day, Colombia 

18^th: Battle of Las Piedras Holiday, Uruguay

21^st: Navy Day, Chile

24^th: Battle of Pichincha Holiday, Ecuador

25^th: May 1810 Revolution Day, Argentina

25^th: Memorial Day, USA and Puerto Rico

30^th: Mother’s Day, Nicaragua

31^st: Presidential Elections in Colombia

June

4^th: Corpus Christi, Bolivia, Dominican Republic

7^th: Battle of Arica and Flag Day, Peru

8^th: Corpus Christi, Brazil, Colombia

12^th: Chaco Armistice Day, Paraguay

15^th: Sacred Heart Day, Colombia

15^th: In lieu of Martín Miguel de Guemes Day (17^th), Argentina

17^th: Father’s Day, El Salvador

19^th: José Artigas' Birthday, Uruguay

19^th: Juneteenth National Independence Day, Puerto Rico

20^th: Flag Day, Argentina

21^st: National Day of Indigenous Peoples, Chile

21^st: Aymara/Andean New Year, Bolivia

24^th: Battle of Carabobo, Venezuela

29^th: St Peter and St Paul Day, Peru, Chile, Colombia

29^th: Army Day, Guatemala

July

4^th: Independence Day, USA and Puerto Rico

5^th: Independence Day, Venezuela

9^th: Independence Day, Argentina

16^th: Our Lady of Carmen, Chile

18^th: Constitution Day, Uruguay

20^th: Liberation Day/Sandinista Revolution Day, Nicaragua

20^th: Independence Day, Colombia

23^rd: Air Force Day, Peru

24^th: Simon Bolivar's Birthday, Venezuela

25^th: Guanacaste Day, Costa Rica

25^th: Constitution Day, Puerto Rico

25^th: Revolution Anniversary, Cuba

26^th: National Revolution Day, Cuba

27^th: Revolution Anniversary Celebration, Cuba

28^th – 29^th: Independence Day and Extended Holiday, Peru

August

1^st: Emancipation Day, Belize

6^th: Independence Day, Bolivia

6^th: Feast of San Salvador, El Salvador

6^th: Battle of Junín, Peru

7^th: Battle of Boyacá Day, Colombia

10^th: Independence Day, Ecuador

15^th: Asunción Founding Day, Paraguay

15^th: Assumption Day, Chile

15^th: Mother’s Day, Costa Rica

16^th: Mother’s Day/Assumption Day, Chile, Costa Rica

16^th: Restoration Day, Dominican Republic

17^th: Anniversary of San Martin’s Death, Argentina

17^th: Assumption Day, Colombia

25^th: Independence Day, Uruguay

30^th: Santa Rosa de Lima Day, Peru

30^th: Presidential Elections in Haiti

31^st: Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture, Costa Rica

September

7^th: Labor Day, U.S. and Puerto Rico

7^th: Independence Day, Brazil

10^th: Saint George's Caye Day, Belize

11^th: Teacher’s Day, Argentina

14^th: Battle of San Jacinto, Nicaragua

15^th: Independence Day, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

16^th: Independence Day, Mexico

18^th: Independence Day, Chile

19^th: Army Day and Extended Holiday, Chile

21^st: Independence Day, Belize 

24^th: Our Lady of Mercy Day, Dominican Republic

29^th: Boquerón Battle Victory Day, might be moved to 28^th, Paraguay

October 

3^rd: Francisco Morazan's Birthday, Honduras

4^th: Presidential Elections in Brazil

8^th: Battle of Angamos, Peru

9^th: Independence of Guayaquil Holiday, Ecuador

10^th: Independence Day, Cuba

12^th: Our Lady of Aparecida/Children’s Day, Brazil

12^th: Day of Meeting of Two Worlds/Dia de la Raza, Chile, Colombia; Day of the Pluricultural Nation/Dia de la Raza, Mexico; Day of Cultural Diversity/Dia de la Raza, Uruguay; Indigenous Resistance Day, Venezuela. Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity, Argentina; Indigenous Peoples' Resistance Day/Dia de la Raza, Belize; Columbus Day/Dia de la Raza, Colombia, Honduras; Columbus Day/US Indigenous Peoples’ Day, U.S.; Dia de la Raza, Puerto Rico

15^th: Teacher’s Day, Brazil

20^th: Revolution Day, Guatemala

21^st: Army Day, Honduras

28^th: Public Service Day, Brazil

31^st: Reformation Day, Chile

November

1^st: All Saints Day (National/Public Holiday in Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela)

2^nd: All Souls’ Day (National/Public Holiday in Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Uruguay; known as Day of the Dead in Mexico)

3^rd: Cuenca Independence Day, Ecuador

3^rd: Midterm elections, U.S.

3^rd – 5^th: Independence Day/National Symbols Day/ Colón Day, Panama

6^th: Constitution Day, Dominican Republic

10^th: Uprising of Los Santos and Extended Holiday, Panama

11^th: Veterans Day, U.S. and Puerto Rico

15^th: Republic Proclamation Day, Brazil

16^th: Independence of Cartagena Holiday, Colombia

16^th: Day of the Revolution, Mexico

19^th: Garifuna Settlement Day, Belize

19^th: Discovery Day, Puerto Rico

20^th: Black Consciousness Day, Brazil (Regional Holiday across most of the country)

23^rd: National Sovereignty Day, Argentina

26^th: Thanksgiving Day, U.S. and Puerto Rico

28^th: Independence Day from Spain, Panama

December

1^st: Abolition of the Army Day, Costa Rica

8^th: Immaculate Conception (National/Public Holiday in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru)

8^th: Mother’s Day, Panama

8^th: Virgin of Caacupé Day, Paraguay

9^th: Battle of Ayacucho, Peru

12^th: Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico (Bank Holiday, widely observed)

20^th: National Mourning Day, Panama

24^th: Christmas Eve  (Half-day Government Holiday in Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala; Bank Holiday in Panama; Full day holiday in Venezuela)

25^th: Christmas Day (National/Public Holiday in all countries; also called Day of the Family in Uruguay)

26^th: Boxing Day, Belize 

31^st: New Year’s Eve – (Half-day Government Holiday in Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala; Bank Holiday in Panama, Paraguay; full day holiday in Venezuela, Cuba)

 

Sources

-2026 Presidential Elections in Latin America: A Preview, at https://www.as-coa.org/articles/2026-presidential-elections-latin-america-preview
-Panama to host the 2^nd “Latin American Davos” in January 2026, at https://www.casasolution.com/panama-to-host-second-latin-american-davos-in-january-2026/

-https://www.qppstudio.net/public-holidays/south-america.htm

-Time and Date Holidays, at https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/