For Antigua Guatemala in December 2026, plan around recurring celebrations on December 7 and 8, and private-sector paid leave from noon on December 24 and 31, with a full holiday on December 25. No 2026 Antigua programme was found in the sources checked on 25 October 2026, so recurring dates and last season’s announcements remain separate from confirmed arrangements for your visit.
Quick summary:
- December 7: the recurring Quema del Diablo date; the Antigua venue and time available here belong to the previous edition.
- December 8: Ciudad Vieja’s municipal website lists its patronal feria on this date, without a current annual programme.
- December 12: Guadalupe’s recurring observance; the source describes Guatemala City, not an Antigua event.
- Posadas: December 16–24 appears in a 2025 account, not a current Antigua parish timetable.
- Holiday afternoons: December 24 and 31 from noon for private-sector workers; December 25 is a full paid holiday.
- Evening temperature context: a December mean daily low of 13.8°C (57°F) in our Open-Meteo historical analysis, not official station normals or a forecast.
December calendar: dates versus confirmed plans
This calendar lists the dates supported by the sources, rather than assigning activities to every day of your stay. Posadas entries retain the date range from the previous edition; none establishes a procession you can join in Antigua in December 2026. Days omitted have no dated event established here.
| December date | Event or planning point | What the source establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Quema del Diablo | CONRED gives the recurring date. La Hora’s 2025 report places that edition in Barrio La Concepción at 18:00; this is not a confirmed 2026 appointment. |
| 8 | Ciudad Vieja patronal feria / Inmaculada Concepción | The municipality lists the patronal feria on this date; no current programme was found on the municipal pages checked. |
| 12 | Virgen de Guadalupe | Centro Histórico gives the recurring observance date for Guatemala City; it does not establish an Antigua programme. |
| 16 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 17 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 18 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 19 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 20 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 21 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 22 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 23 | Posadas date in the 2025 account | Historical date range only; no current Antigua route or departure time verified. |
| 24 | Nochebuena; end of the posadas range in the 2025 account | Private-sector paid leave from noon under Article 127; AGN lists Thursday December 24 in its 2026 calendar. |
| 25 | Christmas Day | Full private-sector paid holiday under Article 127; AGN lists Friday December 25 in its 2026 calendar. |
| 31 | New Year’s Eve | Private-sector paid leave from noon under Article 127; AGN lists Thursday December 31 as a half-day in its 2026 calendar. |
The recurring dates are useful for choosing which part of the month to visit. They do not establish performance times, transport services or permission to light a bonfire.
Early December: Antigua and Ciudad Vieja
For December 7, Barrio La Concepción is the Antigua location named in La Hora’s previous-edition report. Its 18:00 time belongs to 2025. Use our Quema del Diablo guide for the event’s context, and obtain the current arrangements before treating the historical time as a meeting point.
For December 8, the Municipalidad de Ciudad Vieja explicitly lists its patronal feria. Its municipal pages checked on 25 October 2026 did not establish this year’s programme or public-transport arrangements. The Ciudad Vieja feria guide covers the event separately; historical parade hours are not a substitute for a current announcement.
The December 12 Guadalupe date comes from Centro Histórico’s description of the sanctuary in Guatemala City. It supports the observance date, without establishing a venue or procession in Antigua. The Guadalupe guide provides the wider event context.
Posadas and the nativity listing: check the season
Prensa Libre’s 2025 account gives December 16–24 for posadas. That is the historical date range used in the calendar above. Antigua parish routes and departure times for the coming season were not verified from the sources checked. Our Las Posadas guide explains the tradition; a local parish’s current announcement is still needed to plan attendance.
There is a similar date trap with Banco Industrial’s El Nacimiento El Santo Hermano Pedro listing. It names Iglesia Belén on Calle del Hermano Pedro, Antigua Guatemala, but its dates are December 5, 2025 to January 6, 2026. That season has ended. The listing does not establish an opening date or visiting hours for December 2026.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve: what paid leave means
Article 127 of the Labor Code applies to private-sector workers: December 24 and December 31 bring paid leave from 12:00, while December 25 is a full paid holiday. It also includes the day of the local festivity. AGN’s 2026 holiday calendar identifies December 24 and 31 as half-days and December 25 as Christmas Day.
These are worker entitlements. They do not prove that a restaurant, tour, shuttle or other business closes at the same time. Obtain the operator’s actual holiday hours and your return arrangements when booking. Our Christmas in Guatemala guide covers the celebrations; this page keeps the dates together for an Antigua stay.
No current Antigua New Year’s Eve programme or closure plan was found in the municipal source checked on 25 October 2026. A previous year’s party does not establish a celebration, venue or start time for the coming New Year’s Eve.
Practical planning: evening layers and fire safety
Our Open-Meteo historical analysis, retrieved 24 September 2026, uses daily data for 1996–2025. For Antigua it gives a December mean daily high of 24.2°C (75°F) and mean daily low of 13.8°C (57°F). Those are model reanalysis averages: they are neither measured station normals nor the coldest temperature you might encounter. The difference between daytime and overnight averages makes an evening layer useful when planning time outdoors.
The INSIVUMEH pages checked did not provide verified December station normals with a reference period. The model values above must not be attributed to INSIVUMEH or treated as a forecast for your dates.
Current Antigua municipal bonfire and fireworks authorizations or prohibitions were not established from the municipal and CONRED pages checked. CONRED’s 2015 safety advice calls for children to have supervision when handling fireworks and warns against burning tyres and plastic containers with flammable residue. That historical advice does not establish a current municipal permit or ban. Confirm the current event arrangements and any restrictions before participating.
Before committing to an event-based itinerary, obtain the dated programme, the actual meeting location, and outward and return transport details. For accommodation, obtain the property’s holiday terms directly; the historical event announcements above do not establish room availability or prices.
Where to stay in Antigua Guatemala
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Related
- Quema del Diablo
- Ciudad Vieja feria and Inmaculada Concepción
- Christmas in Guatemala
- Antigua festivals through the year
- Virgen de Guadalupe
- Las Posadas
Sources
- CONRED: Quema del Diablo safety recommendations — dated 9 December 2015; checked 25 October 2026.
- Municipalidad de Ciudad Vieja: Mi Ciudad and programmes page — checked 25 October 2026.
- Centro Histórico: Santuario Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe — Guatemala City context; checked 25 October 2026.
- Ministry of Culture and Sports: Labor Code PDF — Article 127; checked 25 October 2026.
- AGN: holidays in Guatemala for 2026 — checked 25 October 2026.
- Municipalidad de Antigua Guatemala — checked 25 October 2026.
- INSIVUMEH station page and INSIVUMEH climate page — checked 25 October 2026; December station normals with a reference period were not verified.
- La Hora, Antigua Quema del Diablo report dated 7 December 2025 — checked 25 October 2026. Source:
https://lahora.gt/nacionales/jveliz/2025/12/07/antigua-guatemala-se-prepara-para-la-tradicional-quema-del-diablo/. - Prensa Libre, posadas account for 2025 — checked 25 October 2026. Source:
https://www.prensalibre.com/vida/escenario/posadas-navidenas-2025-que-son-cual-es-su-significado-y-cuando-inician-en-guatemala/. - Banco Industrial, El Nacimiento El Santo Hermano Pedro event listing for the past season — checked 25 October 2026. Source:
https://www.corporacionbi.com/gt/bancoindustrial/evento/el-nacimiento-el-santo-hermano-pedro/. - Guatemala Life calculation from Open-Meteo historical reanalysis, 1996–2025 — retrieved 24 September 2026; local data checked 25 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which December dates matter for an Antigua trip?
Quema del Diablo has its recurring date on December 7, and Ciudad Vieja’s municipality lists its patronal feria on December 8. The Guadalupe observance is December 12, although the source describes Guatemala City. The posadas dates available here, December 16–24, belong to a 2025 account. No 2026 Antigua programme was found in the sources checked on 25 October 2026.
Is December 24, 2026 a full public holiday?
For private-sector workers, Article 127 of the Labor Code provides paid leave from noon on December 24. December 25 is a full paid holiday. These entitlements do not establish opening hours for individual businesses.
Is December 31, 2026 a full holiday?
The Labor Code provides private-sector paid leave from noon on December 31. AGN’s 2026 calendar also identifies it as a half-day. No current Antigua celebration programme or closure plan was found in the sources checked on 25 October 2026.
How cold are December nights in Antigua?
Our Open-Meteo historical analysis gives a December mean daily low of 13.8°C (57°F) for 1996–2025. This is model reanalysis, not an INSIVUMEH station normal, an extreme minimum or a forecast for your stay. Official December station normals with a reference period were not verified from the INSIVUMEH pages checked.
Can I use last season's Iglesia Belén schedule for December 2026?
No. Banco Industrial’s El Nacimiento El Santo Hermano Pedro listing runs from December 5, 2025 to January 6, 2026 at Iglesia Belén on Calle del Hermano Pedro in Antigua Guatemala. That season has ended; the listing does not establish December 2026 opening dates or hours.
