Guatemala has 10 official public holidays when banks and government offices close, plus two half-days (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). But the real calendar is bigger than that. Semana Santa shuts the country down for most of a week. Mother’s Day empties offices. Quema del Diablo fills the streets with smoke every December 7. And every town has its own feria patronal that can last anywhere from three days to two weeks.

If you are planning a trip, running a business, or just trying to get something done at a government office, you need to know this calendar. Below is every major date in 2026 — what closes, what stays open, and what you should not miss.

2026 National Holidays (Banks and Offices Closed)

These are the days established by the Guatemalan Labor Code (Codigo de Trabajo, Decree 1441) when banks, government offices, and most private businesses close. Workers are entitled to full pay.

Date Holiday Impact
January 1 (Thu) New Year’s Day (Ano Nuevo) Everything closed
April 2 (Thu) Holy Thursday (Jueves Santo) Everything closed
April 3 (Fri) Good Friday (Viernes Santo) Everything closed
April 4 (Sat) Holy Saturday (Sabado de Gloria) Everything closed
May 1 (Fri) Labor Day (Dia del Trabajo) Everything closed
June 30 (Tue) Army Day (Dia del Ejercito) Everything closed
September 15 (Tue) Independence Day Everything closed
October 20 (Tue) Revolution Day (Revolucion de 1944) Everything closed
November 1 (Sat) All Saints’ Day (Todos los Santos) Everything closed
December 24 (Thu) Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) Half day — closes at noon
December 25 (Fri) Christmas Day (Navidad) Everything closed
December 31 (Thu) New Year’s Eve (Fin de Ano) Half day — closes at noon

Total bank closure days in 2026: 10 full days + 2 half days.

ATMs remain operational on all holidays. Some bank branches inside shopping malls (Oakland Mall, Miraflores, Pradera) may keep limited hours, but do not count on it. Handle any banking business at least one business day before any holiday.

Month-by-Month Calendar

January

January 1 — New Year’s Day. Public holiday. The celebration really starts the night before: Guatemalan New Year’s Eve is one of the loudest nights of the year. Fireworks — and I mean serious fireworks, not sparklers — go off from about 11 PM to well past midnight in every neighborhood. Families gather for dinner, tamales, and ponche de frutas. January 1 itself is quiet. Most businesses reopen January 2.

February

February 14 — Valentine’s Day (Dia del Carino). Not a public holiday. Businesses operate normally, but restaurants — especially in Antigua and Zona Viva — book up fast. Flower vendors appear on every corner. If you need a restaurant reservation, make it at least a week in advance.

March–April: Semana Santa

Semana Santa 2026: March 29 – April 5

This is the biggest holiday period in Guatemala. Bigger than Christmas. If you take one thing from this page, it is this: plan around Semana Santa, not through it.

  • March 29 (Sun) — Palm Sunday. Semana Santa officially begins. Not a public holiday, but hotel prices in Antigua have already been at peak rates for weeks. Palm leaf processions in every town.
  • March 30–April 1 (Mon–Wed) — Many businesses close or reduce hours even though these are not official holidays. Schools are out. Government offices increasingly empty. Processions build daily.
  • April 2 (Thu) — Holy Thursday. Official holiday. Banks closed. The first of the massive processions. Alfombras (elaborate sawdust carpets) are created overnight on the streets, only to be walked over by procession participants the next morning.
  • April 3 (Fri) — Good Friday. Official holiday. The most important day of the year. Antigua’s main procession lasts 12+ hours. Thousands of cucuruchos (men in purple robes) carry enormous andas (carved wooden floats) through streets lined with alfombras. Hundreds of thousands of people pack the colonial streets. If you want to see this, arrive by 6 AM.
  • April 4 (Sat) — Holy Saturday. Official holiday. Quieter than Friday. Many families head to the Pacific coast beaches or Lake Atitlan. Expect heavy traffic on the highways.
  • April 5 (Sun) — Easter Sunday. Not an official holiday, but most businesses stay closed. Church celebrations in the morning. Heavy return traffic Sunday evening as families head back to the city.

Semana Santa practical tips:

  • Antigua hotels book 2–3 months in advance. Prices triple or more.
  • The Pacific coast (Monterrico, Iztapa, Hawaii) gets extremely crowded Thursday through Sunday.
  • Lake Atitlan fills up, especially San Pedro and Panajachel.
  • If you are driving, leave Guatemala City for the coast by Wednesday afternoon at the latest. Return Monday.
  • Many restaurants close Thursday through Sunday, even in the capital. Stock up on groceries.
  • ATMs run out of cash in small towns. Withdraw money before Wednesday.

For the complete Semana Santa experience, read our guide to Semana Santa in Guatemala. Tambien disponible en espanol: Semana Santa Guatemala 2026 – Guia Completa.

May

May 1 — Labor Day (Dia del Trabajo). Public holiday. Banks and offices closed. Workers’ marches and union demonstrations proceed along 6a Avenida in downtown Guatemala City. Avoid driving through Zona 1 during the march (typically 8 AM – 2 PM). The rest of the city is quiet.

May 10 — Mother’s Day (Dia de la Madre). Not an official holiday, but many offices close early or give the full day off. Guatemala celebrates Mother’s Day on May 10 every year — a fixed date, not a floating Sunday like in the United States. Restaurants are completely booked for family lunches. Plan ahead or cook at home.

June

June 17 — Father’s Day (Dia del Padre). Not a public holiday. Businesses open normally. Less commercially intense than Mother’s Day, but restaurants still fill up for family lunches. Guatemala’s Father’s Day is June 17 every year (fixed date).

June 30 — Army Day (Dia del Ejercito). Public holiday. Commemorates the Liberal Revolution of 1871. Banks and offices closed. Military parades in the capital. A controversial holiday for many Guatemalans given the country’s military history during the civil war (1960–1996), but it remains in the labor code.

July–August

No national holidays, but this is feria season in several major cities:

  • Late July – early August: Rabin Ajau festival in Coban (Alta Verapaz). National folklore festival featuring traditional Maya dances and the selection of indigenous queen representatives.
  • July 25: Antigua’s patron saint festival (Fiesta de Santiago Apostol). Processions, dances, and cultural events in the colonial center.
  • Around August 15: Guatemala City’s Feria de Jocotenango / Feria de la Asuncion. The capital’s patron saint festival includes carnival rides, food stalls, and concerts. August 15 is a holiday for Guatemala City only — other departments operate normally.

September

September 15 — Independence Day (Dia de la Independencia). Public holiday and one of the most patriotic days of the year. The celebration begins at 6 AM when the Antorcha de la Independencia (Independence Torch) relay starts at the Mexican border and is carried through the entire country by runners. School marching bands parade through every city and town. Blue and white decorations appear on every building, car, and street corner. Banks and offices closed.

Mid-September: Quetzaltenango’s Feria Centroamericana de Independencia runs for about two weeks around September 15. It is one of the largest ferias in Central America — concerts, bull-riding, cultural exhibitions, and commercial fairs. Xela’s hotels book up and prices rise.

October

October 20 — Revolution Day (Dia de la Revolucion de 1944). Public holiday commemorating the popular uprising that overthrew dictator Jorge Ubico and inaugurated Guatemala’s brief democratic spring (1944–1954). Banks and offices closed. Some civic commemorations and cultural events.

November

November 1 — All Saints’ Day / Day of the Dead (Dia de Todos los Santos). Public holiday. Families visit cemeteries to honor deceased relatives, decorating graves with flowers and sharing fiambre — a massive cold salad with 50+ ingredients that is unique to Guatemala and made only on this day. The iconic event is the giant kite festival (barriletes gigantes) in Santiago Sacatepequez and Sumpango (both in Sacatepequez department, about 30 minutes from Antigua). The kites can reach 12+ meters in diameter and are displayed as works of art. UNESCO has recognized this as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Plan to arrive early — the roads to Santiago and Sumpango are packed by 8 AM.

November 2 — Day of the Dead (Dia de los Difuntos). Not an official holiday but widely observed as a continuation of November 1. Some businesses remain closed. More fiambre is eaten. Cemetery visits continue.

For a deeper dive into activities and events across the country, check out our Activities & Events guide.

December

December 7 — Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil). Not an official holiday. Businesses open during the day. At 6 PM, Guatemalans burn devil effigies and old belongings in bonfires outside their homes. The tradition symbolizes cleansing bad spirits and old baggage before the Christmas season. Every neighborhood participates. Streets fill with smoke — air quality drops noticeably, especially in Guatemala City, Antigua, and Quetzaltenango. If you have respiratory issues, stay indoors with windows closed that evening.

December 13–21 — Fiesta de Santo Tomas (Chichicastenango). The famous patron saint festival culminates on December 21 with the Palo Volador (flying pole dance), traditional dances, massive fireworks, and an enormous market that makes the regular Thursday/Sunday market look small. Chichicastenango is standing-room-only. Book accommodation early.

December 24 — Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Half-day public holiday. Banks and offices close at noon. This is the main event — in Guatemala, Christmas Eve is far more important than Christmas Day. Families gather for dinner: tamales (wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks), ponche de frutas (hot fruit punch), and often roasted chicken or pork. Gifts are opened at midnight. And then the fireworks start. Midnight fireworks on December 24 rival or exceed New Year’s Eve in volume. Be prepared for an extremely loud night from 11 PM to 1 AM.

December 25 — Christmas Day (Navidad). Public holiday. Everything closed. A quiet day. Families rest, eat leftover tamales, and visit relatives. Some malls and restaurants open with reduced hours in the afternoon, but do not count on it.

December 31 — New Year’s Eve (Fin de Ano). Half-day public holiday. Banks close at noon. The evening brings massive fireworks at midnight — arguably the loudest night of the year, even more than December 24. Families gather for dinner. Some people burn old clothes or effigies at midnight. Streets are extremely loud from 11 PM to past 1 AM.

Tips for Tourists and Expats

Banking: Handle all banking before a holiday. ATMs work on holidays but can run out of cash in smaller towns. During Semana Santa, withdraw enough cash to last Thursday through Monday.

Government offices (SAT, RENAP, IGSS, Migración): Closed on all national holidays. The days before a long weekend (especially Semana Santa and Christmas) see long lines as people rush to get things done. Go early in the week.

Supermarkets and malls: Major chains (Walmart, PriceSmart, La Torre) usually open on cultural holidays but close on national holidays. During December, malls stay open late for holiday shopping. During Semana Santa, even supermarkets close Thursday and Friday.

Restaurants: In Guatemala City’s Zona 10/14/15, some restaurants stay open on most holidays. In smaller cities, expect closures. During Semana Santa, even chain restaurants close.

Uber and taxis: Uber works on holidays but with surge pricing, especially on New Year’s Eve and during Semana Santa. Some drivers take holidays off, so wait times are longer.

Travel planning: Book Antigua hotels at least 2–3 months before Semana Santa. Book Pacific coast hotels 1 month ahead for Semana Santa and Christmas/New Year. Book Chichicastenango for December 21 at least 2 months ahead.

Noise: Guatemala celebrates with fireworks — real ones, not just firecrackers. Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Semana Santa nights in Antigua are extremely loud. If you are sensitive to noise or have pets, plan accordingly.

For current weather conditions and best travel times, check our Weather & Climate guide.

Standard Business Hours in Guatemala

Knowing when things are open is just as important as knowing when they are closed. Here are the standard operating hours by sector in Guatemala.

Banks

Day Hours
Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (some branches 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM)
Saturday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (select branches)
Sunday Closed (ATMs available 24/7)

Most banks have extended hours at branches inside shopping malls (Oakland Mall, Miraflores, Pradera Concepcion) – these often stay open until 7:00 or 8:00 PM. ATMs operate 24/7 every day of the year, including holidays.

Government Offices

Office Hours
SAT (Tax) 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Mon-Fri
RENAP (IDs) 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Mon-Fri
IGSS (Social Security) 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Mon-Fri
Migracion (Immigration) 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Mon-Fri
Municipalidad 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Mon-Fri

Pro tip: Government offices are least crowded on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Monday mornings and Friday afternoons are worst. Many offices stop accepting new cases 1 hour before closing.

Supermarkets & Stores

Type Hours
Supermarkets (La Torre, Walmart, PriceSmart) 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily
Shopping malls 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Sun 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM)
Tiendas de barrio (corner stores) 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily
Pharmacies (chain) 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM (some 24hr)
Hardware stores (Cemaco, EPA) 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Restaurants

Type Hours
Breakfast spots 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Lunch restaurants (almuerzos) 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Dinner restaurants (Zona 10/14) 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fast food chains 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Street food vendors 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Schools

Level Calendar
Public schools Jan – Oct (vacation Nov-Dec)
Private schools Jan – Oct (vacation Nov-Dec)
Universities Feb – Nov (varies by institution)
School day 7:00 AM – 12:30 PM (morning shift) / 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (afternoon shift)

School vacation 2026: October 31 – January 11, 2027. Expect more traffic during school year mornings (6:30-8:00 AM).

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2026 Long Weekends & Bridge Days (Puentes)

These are the dates where holidays fall near weekends, creating potential 3-4 day breaks. Guatemalans take advantage of these for beach trips and family visits – expect heavier traffic on highways.

Holiday Day of Week Long Weekend Notes
New Year’s Day (Jan 1) Thursday Thu–Sun (4 days) Most take Friday off
Semana Santa (Apr 2–4) Thu–Sat Wed-Sun (5+ days) Many take full week
Labor Day (May 1) Friday Fri–Sun (3 days) Perfect long weekend
Army Day (Jun 30) Tuesday Sat–Tue (4 days) Mon is a common bridge day
Independence Day (Sep 15) Tuesday Sat–Tue (4 days) Mon bridge + Xela feria week
Revolution Day (Oct 20) Tuesday Sat–Tue (4 days) Mon bridge day common
All Saints (Nov 1) Saturday Sat–Sun (2 days) Kite festival in Sumpango
Christmas (Dec 24–25) Thu–Fri Thu–Sun (4 days) Full closure period
New Year (Dec 31) Thursday Thu–Sun (4 days) Heavy fireworks Wed night

2026 is a good year for long weekends. Labor Day falls on a Friday, and several holidays fall on Tuesdays creating natural 4-day weekends. The Semana Santa break and Christmas/New Year periods align well for extended travel.

Major City Ferias 2026

Every municipality in Guatemala has a feria patronal (patron saint festival), but these are the largest ones that draw visitors from across the country:

City Feria Dates Highlights
Guatemala City Feria de Jocotenango ~2 weeks around Aug 15 Carnival, concerts, food stalls
Quetzaltenango Feria Centroamericana ~2 weeks around Sep 15 Largest in Central America, bull-riding
Coban Rabin Ajau Late Jul – early Aug National folklore, Maya culture
Antigua Santiago Apostol ~1 week around Jul 25 Colonial city celebrations
Chichicastenango Santo Tomas Dec 13–21 Palo Volador, massive market

Check our interactive map for festivals and events by department, or browse our Activities & Events page for the full listing.

421 Patron Saint Ferias: Every Town Celebrates

Beyond the 5 major city ferias above, Guatemala has 421 patron saint festivals across its municipalities. Every town celebrates its patron saint with anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks of processions, markets, carnival rides, traditional dances, and fireworks.

Upcoming Ferias

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How Ferias Affect Travelers

Positive: Ferias are the best time to visit a town — authentic culture, amazing food, traditional dances (baile de moros, palo volador), and genuine local hospitality. Prices at food stalls are local, not tourist.

Practical: Hotels in the feria town and surrounding area book up. Roads get congested. Bus schedules may change. Local businesses close for the main feria days (usually 1-3 days at the peak). Banks and government offices in the municipality may close.

Find any feria: Our data covers all 421 municipal ferias. Check your destination on the interactive map or browse departments to see when each municipality celebrates.

Transport During Holidays

Public transportation changes significantly on holidays — here is what to expect.

Transmetro (Guatemala City BRT)

Holiday Type Service
Regular national holidays Reduced service — runs but with longer intervals (15-20 min vs normal 5-8 min)
Semana Santa (Thu-Sat) Suspended — no Transmetro service
December 24-25, Dec 31-Jan 1 Suspended — no service
Sundays Regular Sunday schedule (reduced frequency)

Uber / InDriver

Available on all holidays with surge pricing — expect 1.5-3x normal fares on New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, and Semana Santa evenings. Fewer drivers are available, so wait times increase. Book 15-20 minutes ahead of when you need the ride.

Intercity Buses

Pullman buses (Litegua, Linea Dorada, ADN) run on most holidays with modified schedules — check directly with the operator. Chicken buses are unpredictable on holidays. Shuttle services to Antigua and Lake Atitlan run on all holidays (advance booking required during Semana Santa and Christmas).

Key Highway Warning

The CA-9 (Guatemala City to Atlantic coast), CA-2 (to Pacific coast), and the Interamericana (to Antigua/Xela) see massive traffic surges on:

  • Wednesday before Semana Santa (outbound)
  • Easter Monday (return)
  • December 23-24 (outbound)
  • January 1-2 (return)

A normally 1-hour drive to Antigua can take 3-4 hours during peak holiday exodus. Leave before 6 AM or after 8 PM to avoid the worst traffic.