Statutory public holidays in Mexico

There are currently ten statutory national holidays in Mexico; however, only nine are observed annually; the tenth one, on December 1, is only observed every six years—on the occasion of a Presidential inauguration.

Where a statutory holiday date falls on a weekend day in any given year, no additional compensation is given (by law) to employees, although companies may offer a day-off in lieu.

Long-weekend holiday dates

In 2006, Mexico’s Congress passed a new law creating ‘Bank Holiday Mondays’ —modeled on public holidays observed in the UK—whereby three of the ten existing holiday dates are observed on the nearest Monday, creating longer, three-day, weekends.

The move was particularly welcomed by Mexico’s tourism industry as well other retail and leisure businesses that have bolstered their trade through the advent of these long weekends.

Notwithstanding the three long weekends brought about by law, Mexicans have long been expert in creating so-called puentes (‘bridges’): the art of taking additional days either side of a holiday date to create a longer period of rest, usually involving a weekend.

Those who work get paid double-time

Official public holidays see banks, offices, and factories closing their doors.  However, leisure facilities, tourism services, and many shopping centers in bigger towns and cities remain open for business.  They must, however, pay their workers double-time for working on national holidays.  Many of the better employers pay double-time and, additionally, give their employees a day-off in lieu.

Civic holidays are different to national holidays

Mexico observes a good number of Civic Holidays, too.  These are not national holidays, although the law does allow for some states and municipalities to observe these Civic dates locally.  The Battle of Puebla, more commonly referred to as Cinco de Mayo, is a good example of a Civic Holiday that is observed in the state of Puebla, but nowhere else in Mexico.

Calendar of annual holiday events in Mexico

If you’re planning to visit Mexico, make a note of the public holidays as these dates often provide an opportunity to witness interesting cultural and historical events as well participate in lively parties and festivities.  It’s also essential to book ahead of time, as Mexicans often plan their own vacations around these dates: expect airplanes, buses, and hotel rooms to fill up.

You can find more detailed information about public and civic holidays on the Calendar of Festivals and Events in Mexico here on Mexperience.

It appears that many people in the U.S. think Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, the equivalent of the Fourth of July.  May 5 isn’t an official national holiday in Mexico.  Schools and some commercial office workers have the day off, but businesses open.

Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when the Mexican army led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French invaders.  The following year the Napoleonic troops, with reinforcements, were successful and later installed Austrian archduke Maximilian of Habsburg as emperor.

Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16, and that is a national holiday.  The date marks the call to arms in 1810 by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, which set off a long war for independence from Spain.  Independence was finally achieved in 1821.

Revolution Day, which marks the anniversary of the start of the 1910-1917 Revolution, is November 20.

Busy time for travel across Mexico

As with Thanksgiving in the United States, Easter is when Mexicans travel to be with their families, and it’s also the most popular time of year for family excursions.  School is out for two weeks and workers book time off and flock to Mexico’s beaches, or take vacations abroad.

If you travel to any of Mexico’s popular retreats or vacation spots during Easter, expect airports and bus stations to be hectic, interstate highways around principal cities to be busy, hotels to be heavily booked, and leisure attractions to be teeming with people.

Usually a first wave of holiday makers making their way out of major cities comes on the weekend ahead of Easter week, with a second wave leaving on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Find tips and advice for traveling in Mexico during the Easter holiday.

Mexico City’s quiet streets during Easter Week

From Mexico City, roads are often clogged for hours heading south to Cuernavaca and Acapulco, south-east towards Puebla and Veracruz, west to Guadalajara and Morelia or north towards Queretaro and the colonial heartland.

For chilangos staying home for the holidays, or visitors who appreciate a break from the madding crowds, this metropolitan exodus has advantages as the streets of the capital city empty out for a week. A journey that could take as long as two hours during a normal weekday is completed in 30 minutes. Parking spaces are easily found, restaurants and bars are far less crowded. Museums and parks are quieter, and lines to see special exhibitions are shorter.

Easter week is an ideal time to wander around the capital’s historic center, visit the famous Anthropology Museum on Reforma or take a leisurely strolls and a quiet lunch around the popular colonial enclaves of San Angel and Coyoacán.

If you like to avoid the crowds and have a flexible schedule, visiting Mexico City during Easter and then heading out to Mexico’s beaches and colonial cities after the Easter holidays have passed will afford you the best of both situations: you’ll enjoy a tranquil capital and a quieter, off-peak, visit to a beach and/or colonial region afterwards.

Easter and economic activity in Mexico

The Easter holiday also has several effects on economic activity. Now, as in the weeks preceding the year-end holidays, costs of hotels and airfares rise with the added demand.

These prices usually come down again after the holidays, but of course by then most people have already traveled and vacationed at the higher prices. People with school-age children or who work in formal employment often have limited flexibility to choose to go on vacation off-season, but those who are retired or have flexible work styles can save money — and the travel crush — by avoiding flights and holiday resorts at this time of year.

As the Semana Santa week moves back and forth between April and March, it also has an effect on economic indicators. The holidays make for active sales at stores and supermarkets, hotels and travel services, while putting a damper on other activity such as factories and construction works—many of which shut down at least on Thursday and Friday of Easter week.

Those two days are official holidays in Mexico and banks and financial markets are also closed. If Easter falls in March one year and April the next, March will have better production numbers the second year and April the worse numbers. Retailers, however, will report better results for the month that had the holiday. It all balances out in the end.

Travel planning near the end of the holiday

At the end of the Easter week holiday, the traffic flows return to their usual congested states, only this time with thousands crawling along roads traveling back into the cities—especially Mexico City.  If you have to travel in Mexico City on the first Monday after the two-week Easter break, allow yourself plenty of time and patience for your journey across the city.

Find tips and advice for traveling in Mexico during the Easter holiday.

Families often take time away together at Easter causing beach destinations and some popular colonial cities become packed with visitors.  Flights and accommodations can be hard to find if not booked in advance, bus stations become remarkably crowded and interstate buses travel full, and delays can be expected when driving on Mexico’s highways, especially near and around major towns and cities.

Mexico’s roads and airports during Easter

Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays in Mexico, and congestion is almost guaranteed on main arterial routes in and out of large cities—especially Mexico City.

Additional care is needed when driving, as traffic snarls can appear around any bend, and there’s a tendency for some drivers to speed on highways expecting them to be quite clear.

Schools across Mexico break for Easter, and many offices and factories close, creating a space for families to take a pause and rest. As with Christmas and New Year, this mass-holiday creates a heavy demand for travel and leisure services within a concentrated period, pushing prices for transport and accommodations much higher than they typically are at other times of the year, with service often of a lower quality, too.

Avoiding the Easter crowds in Mexico

Those with flexible lifestyles and work schedules perhaps ought to consider avoiding travel during the Easter period and elect to take their leisure breaks during the low seasons when crowds are thin and prices lower.

For many, this isn’t possible and is particularly difficult for those whose offices close those weeks; or who have school-age children tied to scholastic calendars.  People with flexible lifestyles who want to visit their families with young children and/or less flexible work arrangements may also become corralled into the crush of the Easter holiday period.

Much is made of international tourism —and rightly so, as Mexico is the world’s 7th-ranked destination for number of international tourists and 17th in foreign tourism receipts— but domestic customers make up a larger portion of Mexico’s overall tourist economy, and this is particularly noticeable during Easter. (Tourism accounts for about 8.5% of the country’s gross domestic product, and three quarters of the value of tourism services is driven by domestic vacationers.)

Mexico City during Easter Week

If your work and lifestyle schedules don’t lend themselves to avoid traveling at Easter and you’d prefer to miss the crowds, consider a visit to the capital and a tour to (re)revisit its famed Anthropology Museum on Paseo de la Reforma, the Chapultepec Castle, or the Soumaya Museum in Polanco.

The exodus from large cities as domestic tourists head for the beach, or to quaint and picturesque colonial towns, makes Easter an ideal time to visit places like Mexico City, with its historic attractions, myriad of museums, and other entertainment venues. Traffic in the capital during Easter week is generally light, making travel around the metropolis quicker and less stressful.

The historical downtown district of Mexico City is particularly pleasant during Holy Week, as the crowds are manageable, and the weather is fine—warm, with not much rain likely. When Easter comes early, it’s even possible to catch the lilac splendor of the Jacaranda trees which may still be in flower.

Tips for traveling during Easter Week in Mexico

If you intend to travel during the Easter period in Mexico, here are some key tips to help with your planning.

Lodgings and accommodation

Whether you intend to stay at a BnB, a beach resort or other hotel, we recommend that you reserve your Easter holiday lodgings well ahead of time.  The best accommodations book up early during Easter Week, and advance bookings are essential to ensure that you can secure space at the accommodations of your choice, especially in Mexico’s most popular destinations. Expect rates during Easter Week to be materially higher by comparison to mid- and low-season prices.

Roads and highways

If you plan to drive your car in Mexico during Easter week, be mindful that congestion on roads will be noticeable, especially around the capital and other cities—places from which hoards of people take to the road just before Easter and then return to just before the holiday finishes. Lines of traffic leading up to toll booths on major highways can extend back for miles in some places at the start and end of the holiday period.  Exercise additional precautions when driving, allowing extra time and being patient on your journey.

• Be sure that your vehicle is properly insured if you intend to bring your US or Canadian-plated vehicle to Mexico
• Allow extra time for your journey, regulate your speed, and keep plenty of distance between your vehicle and others to avoid accidents typically caused by congestion
• Be extra vigilant regarding the security of your vehicle and its contents while you’re traveling
• Download our free eBook Guide to Driving and Road Trips in Mexico that’s packed with helpful and advice about tips for driving in Mexico, including security and dealing with accidents.

Airports and flights

Build-in additional time to get to and from the airports you are using, as well additional time to check-in and get through security and immigration. Crowds at airports swell noticeably during Easter Week and everything takes a little longer to accomplish. Be prepared for possible flight delays, too.

Bus stations and bus seats

During most of the year, you can turn up at a bus station in Mexico, and be almost guaranteed a seat on the next bus out to your intended destination.  During Easter Week, this is not so.  Advance seat booking is essential, and bus stations —especially so but not exclusively in Mexico City —become exceptionally crowded. If you intend to travel by bus during Easter, book your seats ahead of time, arrive at the bus station early, and be prepared to negotiate big crowds and deal with long lines as you make your way to the boarding platforms.

Be extra vigilant with your belongings

Crowded places during peak holiday periods provide ideal conditions for pickpockets, bag-snatchers, and car thieves to operate.  Be especially careful at bus stations and airports, and don’t leave your car unattended when you call-in at highway gas stations and to make convenience stops.  Download our free eBook guide to driving in Mexico for detailed information about security on your road trip.

When you’re traveling, keep your bags and personal belongings close, be especially mindful of your handbags, wallets, and technology devices; and dress down—leave your expensive jewelry at home.

Leaving your home in Mexico unattended at Easter

If you live in Mexico and intend to vacate your home during the Easter period, take appropriate measures to secure your vacant house, as burglars can be mindful that owners may leave for the holiday.

One of the best ways to secure your home when you’re away for an extended period is to have a friend or family member housesit while you’re gone.

A home insurance policy will cover you in the event of certain losses due to burglary and vandalism.  Read our article about preventing home burglaries in Mexico for more details and practical advice.

For many, the anniversary provides a day-off work; this national holiday is observed on the nearest Monday to the date, creating a long holiday weekend in March.  For the political classes, it’s an opportunity for speech-making and scoring election campaign points; for the intellectual, a chance to reinterpret history — again?— or at least run some new or resuscitated ideas by the readers of opinion journals.

Benito Juárez was born on March 21, 1806 in San Pablo Guelatao, in the southern state of Oaxaca.  Around age 12, orphaned and knowing no Spanish, he went to the state capital, Oaxaca City, to live.  He studied at the Santa Cruz seminary, but abandoned the idea of the priesthood for a career in law.  After becoming a lawyer, he entered politics, first in his home state and then nationally.

Juárez is best known for the the Reform Laws of 1859, which established the separation of Church and State, expropriated church properties, and introduced civil weddings.  He led the liberals in the Reform War of 1858-1861, which pitted them against the conservatives.  The conservative forces were defeated, and Juárez called elections, which he won, assuming the presidency in 1861.

When the French took the city of Puebla in 1863 and installed Maximilian of Habsburg as emperor, Juárez moved north, organizing an offensive from Paso del Norte which was later renamed Ciudad Juárez.  With the defeat of Maximilian in 1867, Juarez returned to the capital, where his government embarked on programs of economic and educational development.  He was elected again in 1871, and died before completing his term.

His most famous saying is that “among individuals as among nations, the respect for the rights of others is peace.”  Many plaques and statues —including the one pictured above— quote this famous line.

A fair historical comparison for Juárez might be Thomas Jefferson or William Pitt, but in the popular mind’s eye Mexico’s only indigenous president is more spectacular—an Abraham Lincoln or a Lord Horatio Nelson.

In his bicentennial year in 2006, it was again fashionable to be critical, to uncover the man behind the myth, to question the political assumptions of the victory of the 19th century liberals over their conservative rivals.  Wasn’t Juárez perhaps more like a modern-day conservative?  As a full-blooded Zapotec Indian, didn’t Juárez do less for the indigenous of Mexico than might have been expected of such a one? Isn’t he wrongly portrayed as a ‘demigod’ when in fact he was just as human as the next person with his good points and his faults?

One would not be thought ignorant by one’s peers, but faced with such an array of polemical possibilities, and armed only with a smattering of history from the handiest sources, one often can’t help but suspect, nay hope, that ‘the real Juárez’ is the one of official textbooks—the Nelson who saw no ships, the Lincoln of “fourscore and seven years ago.”

In making the changes, legislators thought the May 1 Labor Day holiday too important to be moved, since it’s also observed internationally; and the September 16 Independence Day holiday was never even considered a candidate.

Three dates were chosen for long-weekend holidays in Mexico

The three dates chosen by legislators for commemoration with long-weekend holidays are:

• the February 5th holiday, commemorating the 1917 Constitution, moved to the first Monday in the month—which is usually the day after the Super Bowl in the U.S., thus convenient for American Football fans, of which there are many in Mexico;
• the March 21st holiday, marking the birth of 19th century president Benito Juárez shifted to the third Monday in March; and
• the November 20th holiday, marking the start of the 1910-1917 Revolution which is now observed on the third Monday in November.

The ‘bank holiday Monday’ concept has advantages and disadvantages

On the one hand, it guarantees at least three long weekends each year even if the historical dates fall on a weekend or in the middle of the week, increasing the practicalities for travel and stimulating domestic tourism.

Colonial towns and cities within an easy drive of the capital have been notable beneficiaries of this, as chilangos like to use the long weekends to escape from their frenetic routines to take some fresh air, country food, and enjoy a change of scenery.

Hotels like the long weekends as it helps them to sell more rooms, and those running AirBnBs from their home also get a fillip.

Bridges to cross

On the other hand, the long weekends have reduced the possibilities for creating “puentes,” or bridges which, for many years before the long-weekend holidays came to be, were an informal tradition linking the holiday date to the nearest weekend: the previous weekend if the holiday is on a Tuesday, and the following weekend if it’s on a Thursday. (Wednesdays were a bit more complicated.)

That literal “puente” —or bridge— to the weekend has fallen away somewhat in these modern days where time is money and squeezing an extra day’s leisure from the daily grind has a habit of showing up as a minus in the month’s high-frequency economic indicators. In response, people have taken to calling the three-day weekend bank holiday a “puente.”

From a practical perspective, Mexico’s long-weekend holidays offer an opportunity for residents to explore a new colonial town or revisit an old favorite, or take a well-earned break to the coast for some sea air and a swim in the ocean.  You’ll need to plan ahead as bus stations and airports get busy, driving on Mexico’s roads requires extra diligence (and patience), and the best accommodations tend to sell-out ahead of time at the most popular destinations.

Revolution Day and Mexico’s ‘Black Friday’ shopping event

Since 2011, the November Revolution Day long holiday weekend has been tied-in with El Buen Fin, “The Good Weekend,” a commercial endeavor set up to emulate Black Friday in the US and in the process, drive the local economy through consumption.

The Buen Fin event officially starts on the Friday and ends on the bank holiday Monday, but in practice most retailers begin to promote their sales in early November, typically after the Day of the Dead holiday.

The sales tend to lack the spectacular throwaway prices seen in the US, and many of the promotions are offered in the form of interest-free payments in partnership with Mexican credit card companies.

Nonetheless, widespread discounts on goods and services are offered, and some people here use the weekend to buy big-ticket items for their home like furniture and appliances at a worthwhile discount.

It’s also an opportunity for retailers to unload stale inventory ahead of the Christmas shopping season, which emerges in October and begins in earnest across Mexico as soon as the Halloween costumes have been packed away.

Mexico’s 1917 Constitution

Mexico’s Constitution was drafted in the colonial city of Queretaro, north of Mexico City.   It was legalized on February 5th, 1917, by the country’s Constitutional Congress. Venustiano Carranza was the first President to serve under the terms of the new constitution.

In years past, Mexico would have marked this holiday on February 5th but, in 2006, Congress approved an initiative whereby a number of official holiday dates would be observed on the nearest Monday to the official date, thus creating long holiday weekends.

100th Anniversary

2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Constitution and to commemorate the centenary, the Bank of Mexico issued a limited edition 20-peso coin and a limited edition 100-peso banknote which are introduced here.

On the centenary of the revolution in 2010, the bank issued a 100-peso commemorative banknote for that occasion: although they remain legal tender, they are rarely if ever seen in trade now, and have become a collector’s item.

The Mexican Constitution was drafted following the Mexican Revolution, led by Francisco Madero against the dictatorial regime of Porfirio Diaz (an era known in Mexico as “El Porfiriato”), in pursuit of political and agrarian reforms, and social justice.

Although it took several years for Mexico’s political upheaval to settle-down following the revolution —and subsequent enactment of the Constitution— to this day, the document continues to influence and shape Mexico’s social, political, and economic landscape.

Land ownership in Mexico

One of the key Articles of the Mexican Constitution to come to light in recent years is Article 27—which deals with the ownership of land in Mexico. Specifically, it states, foreigners may not own land within 100 km of a land border or 50 km of a sea border.

In a bid to open up land development to foreign direct investment the administration of President Carlos Salinas de Gortari introduced ‘Land Trusts’ (fideicomisos) in the 1990s; administered by banks, they provide foreigners with title of the land in all but name.  You can learn more about property ownership in Mexico in our free eBook about real estate in Mexico.

Before this law came to pass, foreigners who bought land near the border in Mexico used a ‘presta nombre’ (borrowed name)—a Mexican national whom the buyer could trust to hold title of the land, with a gentleman’s agreement existing between the buyer and the title holder.

Most Mexicans spend the eve of the New Year at a private party hosted in their home with close friends and family gathered near; younger people may attend dinner parties at hotels or other events hosted in public plazas; and some families who live in cooler climates may repair to the one of Mexico’s coastal resorts for some winter warmth and a party at a privately-rented house, or attend a dinner party at their hotel.

New Year celebrations at family homes

Families tend to pass New Year’s Eve at their homes in Mexico—either at their own, or at a nearby friend’s house, where a party may be organized, or a more simple gathering with a supper and drinks prepared.  The celebrations might later spill-out onto the local street, where an impromptu and convivial congregation with the neighbors could take place.

New Year dinner parties

Young adults usually ring-in the New Year with their friends and cohorts at locally-arranged parties or public plazas.  In urban centers —and especially in Mexico’s three big cities— fashionable ‘chic’ hotels arrange a New Year’s Eve dinner and a party for a fixed price.  Revelers at these events will usually repair to one of the hotel’s rooms, with late check-out arrangements in place allowing guests to sleep-off the party.

Popular oceanside resorts like Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and the Riviera Maya fill-up for New Year’s Eve, and you can expect to pay a premium for experiencing celebrations at these places—whether you stay at a hotel, or rent a private home.

Some hotels and resorts host dinner parties with dancing, live music or other entertainments for guests who want to participate, and some also welcome guests who are not staying at the hotel/resort—check locally for details.

Some of the more elegant hotels in Mexico’s provincial cities may host a gala dinner and dance event; room rates are in-line with their high-season prices and there is an additional cover charge to attend the dinner and cocktail party.

Civic events and local markets

In larger towns and cities, you’ll find civic events taking place in and around the zocalo (central plaza), which usually includes market stalls, food and drink stands, live music, dance groups, as well as other forms of street entertainment.  Street and public festivities vary by town and city—check locally for details and arrangements.

Elegant firework displays

Fireworks are tremendously popular for all types of celebrations in Mexico, and New Year firework displays tend to be among the most elegant.

In smaller towns and villages locals usually set-off private displays in their gardens, at local neighborhood town squares, or on their street. Formal displays arranged by local governments or hotels & resorts can offer extravagant displays which feature a wide assortment of pyrotechnics and create spectacular shows of light and sound for anyone in the vicinity to witness and enjoy.

Grapes and other traditions

In addition to the demand for fireworks, markets undertake a brisk trade in grapes on the run-up to New Year, as well as red and yellow-colored underwear.

These satisfy a demand to uphold Mexican traditions which include eating twelve grapes at midnight —one grape to be taken on each strike of the midnight toll— and, for the superstitious, wearing red underwear to draw luck in matters of love, and yellow underwear to draw luck in matters relating to money during the coming year.

Another tradition practiced by some with plans to travel in the New Year is to carry an empty suitcase around the block, so as to attract good fortune in one’s future expeditions.  Some parties also celebrate the New Year by breaking open a piñata.

An older tradition, not witnessed frequently these days, is one where a well-heeled member of the local community throws coins —traditionally silver troy ounces, although today Mexican legal tender is more common— from a high balcony or a rooftop to children who gather below and retrieve the falling coins for spending in the New Year.

Traditional Mexican food for New Year’s Eve

The traditional foods taken on the eve of the New Year include bacalao, a salted dried codfish re-hydrated and prepared in a stew with fresh chiles and green olives; tamales, natural corn-paste flavored using sweet or savory ingredients, wrapped in corn leaves and steamed; and bañuelos, light and crisp Mexican wafers drizzled with a sweet syrup made using piloncillo.

Traditional seasonal tipples include ponche, a fruit-punch spiked with rum; and rompope—eggnog.  Tequila and mezcal, champagne, and sparkling cider (sidra) are also firm favorites for New Year celebrations here.

The Guadalupe-Reyes festive period continues

With party-goers well-fed and properly watered, and grapes scoffed at the stroke of midnight, a ritual of hugs and kisses begins, in line with Mexican social etiquette, before dancing and music continues into the early hours and, for some, through to daybreak on January 1st.

Following the year-end climax celebrations, Mexico’s festivities continue into the New Year: the Guadalupe-Reyes festive period that begins with Día de Guadalupe on December 12th, continues until January 6th, King’s Day, or Epiphany.

Christmas and New Year traditions in Mexico

Mexperience helps you to discover Christmas traditions in Mexico and enjoy all the country offers during this important festive period:

• Learn about preparing for Christmas and New Year in Mexico
• The story of Juan Diego and Guadalupe
• Christmas party Piñatas
• The Christmas Aguinaldo
• Learn about Mexican party foods at Christmastime
• Enjoying Mexico’s traditional Christmas Posadas
• December Festivities and the Christmas Experience
• New Year Celebrations in Mexico
• Kings’ Day gifts and Rosca de Reyes
• Articles about Christmas and New Year in Mexico

The pilgrimages to the Basilica de Guadalupe

Some people begin walking to the basilica —in some cases from towns and villages many miles away— hours or days before December the 12th.  Many of the pilgrims crawl the last few hundred yards of the journey, from the gates of the basilica to the church itself on their knees: a symbolic, painful experience.  The pilgrims will arrive late on the eve of the day or in the early hours of the morning to ensure that they are at or near the shrine at sunrise.

A history that dates back to the colonial era

The history which led up to this occasion goes back to the time of the Spanish conquest.  When the Spaniards arrived, they found indigenous peoples with strong, deeply-rooted belief systems of their own.

The story of Juan Diego takes place on December 12th, 1531.  According to narratives, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to him when he was walking on a hill named Tepeyac. The apparition is described as a young woman with black hair and darkened skin, which is why the Virgin Guadalupe is sometimes referred to as “la virgen morena” (the brown-skinned virgin).

The virgin told Juan Diego to go and tell the local Bishop to build a church on this hill, and Juan Diego did as he was told.  However, the Bishop was left unconvinced by the story and gave the boy short shrift.

So the virgin appeared once more, and on the second occasion told Juan Diego to collect flowers from the top of the hill.  Being December, Juan did not expect to find any but upon his arrival there, he found the hill covered with beautiful flowers.  As instructed, he collected some and, using his overcoat to carry them, returned to see the Bishop.

The Bishop, seeing the unseasonable flowers, also saw an image of the Virgin Guadalupe imprinted onto to the coat.  Convinced it was a miracle, he ordered the building of the church on the hill of Tepeyac—at the precise location where the current-day basilica is situated in Mexico City.

La Virgen de Guadalupe in modern times

Today, Catholic Mexicans bring gifts and offerings to the virgin, petitioning her for help and good providence; for example, when a family member is ill, when there is conflict in their life, or when they are to embark upon some personal or business endeavor.

For those who cannot make it to the basilica in the country’s capital, private vigils are held at homes and churches across the nation.  Fire crackers are often let-off, filling the night sky with lights and resonating sounds; celebrations also include fiestas with processions in the virgin’s honor.

The Virgin Guadalupe is omnipresent in modern-day Mexican culture.  Images of the virgin may be seen everywhere: at churches, at street shrines, in taxis and buses, in homes, stores, bus stations and airports; in people’s cars, in offices, and even as tattoos. Nearly five hundred years later, the Virgin Guadalupe continues to be adored and revered as a guardian, minder, and savior by millions of Catholic Mexicans.

Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002, at which time the Pope said, “Christ’s message, through his mother, took up the central elements of indigenous culture, purified them, and gave them a definitive sense of salvation … facilitating the fruitful meeting of two worlds and becoming the catalyst for a new Mexican identity.”

The start of the Guadalupe-Reyes holiday season

December 12 also marks the beginning of the Christmas Holiday season in Mexico, colloquially known as Guadalupe-Reyes, referring to the period between December 12th, and January 6th—Kings’ Day.

Learn more about Christmas traditions in Mexico

Mexperience helps you to discover Christmas traditions in Mexico and enjoy all the country offers during this important festive period.

• Learn about preparing for Christmas and New Year in Mexico
• Posadas Navideñas are an integral and essential part of Christmas traditions in Mexico.
• Colorful piñatas are an essential component of every Christmas party in Mexico.
• Discover the Mexican Christmas experience and festivities
• How the New Year is traditionally welcomed in Mexico.
• Kings’ Day gifts, delicious loaf, and the baby doll that determines who hosts the tamales party in February.
• Learn all about Christmas in Mexico on our feature section.

2010 marked the centenary of the episode, during which time a number of special events were held, and a limited edition commemorative $100 peso banknote (now a collector’s item) was produced.

Low-key by comparison to Independence Day

While Mexico’s annual Independence Day is celebrated with vigor on September 16th each year, featuring parties, fireworks, gatherings of family and friends to eat traditional dishes such as pozole and tostadas, and the 11 p.m. “grito,” either watched on television or attended at the local zócalo, Día de la Revolución is little more than another día festivo —a day off school or work— and the reflections and orations on the achievements of those years of turmoil are left almost exclusively to the political classes.

Now part of Mexico’s long-weekend holiday dates

Mexico’s Revolution Day is one of the public holidays which was folded into a selection of designated “long weekends,” introduced in 2006, and is observed on the third Monday in November regardless of what day the 20th falls on.

The Revolution Day holiday weekend is also tied to an event known as “El Buen Fin” (“the good weekend”)—where retailers and travel companies across the country join in a promotional extravaganza offering discounts and other savings, emulating the US tradition of Black Friday, when stores begin their holiday season sales.  The initiative, which was first introduced in 2011, has become a de-facto annual shopping event in Mexico.

Historical viewpoints vary

While few Mexicans question the importance of the birth of an independent nation after three centuries of colonial rule, the 1910-1917 period of conflict that led to the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution was far more complex, and to a certain extent inconclusive. A number of the better-known heroes of the Revolution were themselves killed in acts of treachery well after 1917. Emiliano Zapata in 1919, Venustiano Carranza in 1920, Francisco Villa in 1923, and Álvaro Obregón in 1928.

Disagreements continue to this day on the significance of the events that made up the revolution, with ideas usually influenced by political views. The revolution is not the same thing seen from the left as from the right, and its success or failure from either of those viewpoints is not something that can be easily settled. The Wikipedia article (Spanish) shows how complicated a matter it was.

Each year since its inception in 2011, more retailers and service providers have joined in the event, which is coordinated by the federal government and various business associations.

The past decade has coincided with a rapid increase in the number of people in Mexico buying goods online, and surveys carried out by the Mexican online sales association (AMVO), show a steady increase in the popularity and volume of online shopping in Mexico.  This willingness to acquire goods through electronic means reflects increasing trust in online markets and the ever-improving network of delivery systems that get goods to customers more quickly and make returns straightforward, and convenient.

Most of Mexico’s large retail chains have online shopping options, although the efficiency of their delivery services varies considerably. The best way to find out is to ask a frequent online buyer, preferably a millennial, as they just know these things. They also have an additional advantage in that they will probably also look up and compare Black Friday offers on sites like Amazon and Mercado Libre.

As usual, the most popular articles for online shoppers —according to the same surveys— are likely to be clothing, electronic goods, home appliances and cell phones, followed by personal care items, booking travel, and toys.

El Buen Fin has been criticized in the past for the lack of giveaway prices like the ones that lead shoppers to line up overnight in the US and make a mad rush when the doors open. A typical complaint of people surveyed in Mexico is that the offers aren’t all that attractive, or that they’re often restricted to interest-free months of credit if they use certain banks’ credit cards for the purchase.

Nevertheless, people do find worthwhile discounts, and some people will delay the purchase of big-ticket items including domestic appliances and home improvement materials like tiles and blinds as well as bathrooms and kitchens to see what offers are presented during El Buen Fin.

The actual date marks the call to arms by Francisco I. Madero in 1910, as he sought the removal of dictator Porfirio Diaz through elections, with the slogan “effective suffrage, no re-election.” Although Diaz didn’t last much longer in power, and Madero briefly reached the presidency, the next decade was one of great upheaval and confusion. A number of the heroes of the revolution — Madero, Francisco Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Venustiano Carranza, Alvaro Obregon — were at times rivals in the fighting, and all of them ended up being killed by enemies.

To keep it simple, the rogues were Diaz and Victoriano Huerta, the general who overthrew Madero and is widely blamed with having Madero killed. The others were heroes.

For a blow-by-blow account of the shifts in power, the battles and betrayals during this period, there are plenty of history books to be found in both Spanish and English. For a portrayal of what it was like among the ragtag armies of rebels during the turbulent period, the novel Los de Abajo by Mariano Azuela is the book to read.

The book tells the tale of Demetrio Macias, who leads a marauding band of rebel fighters moving across the Mexican countryside. Received at first as heroes, the rebels soon become as resented as the federal army as they go from town to town pillaging “advances” on their non-existent wages.

The short work makes only a passing mention of the renowned revolutionary leaders, focusing more on a handful of fictional characters typical of the time. From the idealistic, and at first naïve, student Luis Cervantes, to the murdering güero Margarito and La Pintada, the author shows the light and the dark sides of the insurgents.

A few military successes are sufficient for Macias to rise through the rebel ranks, but as the sides change (as they often did during the Revolution) it becomes apparent that Macias doesn’t care who he’s fighting against. The book has been translated into English as “The Underdogs,” which makes a better book title than “those at the bottom,” or “the lower classes,”—but doesn’t quite capture the meaning.

Mariano Azuela, a Jalisco native, was a writer and doctor who served in the ranks under Francisco Villa.

Article Image: Night view looking up at the illuminated Monument to the Mexican Revolution, situated in Mexico City.