Most of Guatemala’s holidays for 2027 are already established by law. Article 127 of the Código de Trabajo (Labor Code) sets out the recurring asuetos (paid holidays) for private-sector workers. This page separates those legal provisions from the school and banking calendars issued by the relevant institutions.
Quick summary: The Labor Code lists January 1; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; May 1; June 30; September 15; October 20; November 1; December 24 and December 31 from midday; and December 25, plus the local feast day. Decreto 19-2018 sets out a Monday-shift rule that includes June 30. May 1 and October 20 are exceptions under the court ruling reported by La Hora.
The 2027 holidays established by law
The list comes from Article 127 of the Código de Trabajo, in the CENADOJ edition published by the Organismo Judicial. It establishes paid holidays for private-sector workers, including the local feast day and the midday starts for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
| Holiday under Article 127 | Date 2027 | Weekday (calendar calculation) | Monday-shift treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day — January 1 | January 1 | Friday | Exempt under Decreto 19-2018 |
| Maundy Thursday | March 25 | Thursday | Exempt |
| Good Friday | March 26 | Friday | Exempt |
| Holy Saturday | March 27 | Saturday | Not named among the original decree’s exceptions |
| Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) — May 1 | May 1 | Saturday | Exempt under the court ruling reported in 2020 |
| June 30 | June 30 | Wednesday | Included in the Monday-shift rule |
| Independence Day — September 15 | September 15 | Wednesday | Exempt |
| Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) — October 20 | October 20 | Wednesday | Exempt under the court ruling reported in 2020 |
| All Saints’ Day — November 1 | November 1 | Monday | Exempt |
| Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) — December 24, from midday | December 24, from midday | Friday | Exempt |
| Christmas Day — December 25 | December 25 | Saturday | Exempt |
| New Year’s Eve — December 31, from midday | December 31, from midday | Friday | Exempt |
| Local feast day | Varies by locality | Varies by locality | Exempt |
Weekdays and Semana Santa dates are calendar calculations. The recurring holiday list and the rules for moving holidays are separate legal provisions. For the current year and the countdown to the next holiday, see Guatemala holidays 2026.
June 30, 2027: the rule for moving the holiday to Monday
Decreto 19-2018 amended the Ley que Promueve el Turismo Interno (Domestic Tourism Promotion Law) to move certain holidays to Monday. The text published by Congress says that a covered holiday falling on Tuesday or Wednesday is observed on the immediately preceding Monday. If it falls on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it is observed on the immediately following Monday.
The original decree named May 1, June 30 and October 20, as well as rest days established in other laws. Its exceptions were January 1; the Holy Wednesday half-day; Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; May 10; September 15; November 1; the December 24 half-day; December 25; the December 31 half-day; and the local feast day. The later court ruling concerning May 1 and October 20 is explained below.
In 2027 June 30 falls on a Wednesday, so applying the decree’s rule points to Monday, June 28 (calendar calculation). This is an application of the statutory rule, not an announced 2027 calendar. No official 2027 calendar applying it was available to cite as of October 23, 2026.
May 1 and October 20 do not move
The original reform also included May 1 and October 20, but that part did not survive. La Hora reported in April 2020 that the Corte de Constitucionalidad (Constitutional Court) upheld a partial constitutional challenge against the provisions naming those holidays in Decreto 19-2018.
According to the ruling quoted in that report, May 1 and October 20 must also be understood as exceptions under the third paragraph of Article 2 of Decreto 42-2010. They therefore remain on their own dates rather than moving under that rule.
When 2027 holidays fall on a weekend
By calendar calculation, these holidays fall on Saturdays in 2027:
- Saturday, March 27 — Holy Saturday
- Saturday, May 1 — Día del Trabajo (Labor Day)
- Saturday, December 25 — Christmas Day
Does a holiday disappear when it coincides with a weekly rest day? Article 127 requires the employer to pay the weekly rest day, including when paid holidays occur in the same week and when a paid holiday coincides with that rest day. That provision does not itself transfer the holiday to another date.
Article 128 addresses holiday or weekly-rest-day work in businesses carrying out work of a very special or continuous nature, as determined by regulation, or in specific, highly exceptional cases determined by the Inspección General de Trabajo (General Labor Inspectorate). In those circumstances, the worker is entitled to payment for the time worked, calculated as overtime, in addition to the pay due for the holiday or weekly rest day.
Semana Santa 2027
The Labor Code distinguishes the paid holidays during Semana Santa (Holy Week) from other days in that week.
| Day | Date 2027 (calendar calculation) | Statutory paid holiday under Article 127? |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Wednesday | March 24 | Not listed |
| Maundy Thursday | March 25 | Yes |
| Good Friday | March 26 | Yes |
| Holy Saturday | March 27 | Yes |
| Easter Sunday | March 28 | Not listed separately |
MINEDUC’s calendar index lists Acuerdo Ministerial 3149-2026 for private schools following an international plan. School holidays are a separate schedule from the Labor Code’s paid holidays. For processions and alfombras (decorative street carpets), see our guide to Semana Santa in Guatemala.
A note about Wednesday: Decreto 19-2018 names the Holy Wednesday half-day among its exceptions to the Monday-shift rule. Holy Wednesday is not included in Article 127’s list of paid holidays for private-sector workers.
Official calendars for 2027
| Calendar | Official reference |
|---|---|
| Private schools following an international plan | Acuerdo Ministerial 3149-2026, listed on MINEDUC’s school-calendar index |
| Local feast days | Article 127 includes the local feast day; see the feria calendar |
On October 23, 2026, the MINEDUC school-calendar index listed the 2026 calendars for public and private schools (Acuerdos Ministeriales 4817-2025 and 4818-2025) and Acuerdo Ministerial 3149-2026 for the 2026-2027 international-plan cycle, but no 2027 public-school calendar.
See our MINEDUC school calendar guide for school schedules and bank holiday hours for banking information.
Your municipality’s feast day
The final holiday in Article 127 has no single national date: it is «el día de la festividad de la localidad» [the local feast day]. Our local guides include the Jalapa feria (Spanish), Santa Cruz del Quiché feria, Escuintla feria (Spanish), Zacapa feria (Spanish), Salamá feria (Spanish), Sololá feria and San Marcos feria (Spanish). Find more in the feria calendar by department.
Related
- Guatemala holidays 2026 — the current year and the countdown to the next holiday
- MINEDUC school calendar — school calendar information
- Semana Santa in Guatemala — processions, alfombras and closures
- Independence Day — September 15
- Día de los Santos — November 1
- Guatemala ferias — the local feast day
Sources
- Organismo Judicial / CENADOJ: Código de Trabajo, updated April 30, 2014
- Congreso de la República: Decreto 19-2018, 2018
- MINEDUC: school-calendar index
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Guatemala's public holidays in 2027?
Article 127 of the Código de Trabajo (Labor Code) lists January 1; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; May 1; June 30; September 15; October 20; November 1; December 24 from midday; December 25; December 31 from midday; and the local feast day. The Monday-shift rules are separate from this list.
When is Semana Santa 2027?
By calendar calculation, Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027. The statutory paid holidays under Article 127 are Maundy Thursday, March 25; Good Friday, March 26; and Holy Saturday, March 27. School calendars are separate instruments.
Does the June 30 holiday move to Monday in 2027?
By calendar calculation, June 30, 2027 is Wednesday, so applying Decreto 19-2018’s rule points to Monday, June 28. This is an application of the statutory rule, not an announced 2027 calendar.
Do May 1 and October 20 also move to Monday?
No, according to the court ruling reported by La Hora in April 2020. Although the original 2018 reform included them, the Corte de Constitucionalidad ruled against the provisions naming those holidays and required them to be treated as exceptions to the Monday-shift rule.
What happens when a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday?
Article 127 requires the employer to pay the weekly rest day even when it coincides with a paid holiday, or when paid holidays occur in the same week. That provision does not itself move the holiday to another date. By calendar calculation, Holy Saturday (March 27), May 1 and December 25 fall on Saturdays in 2027.
Has the official 2027 calendar been released?
As of October 23, 2026, MINEDUC’s school-calendar index listed the 2026 calendars for public and private schools (Acuerdos Ministeriales 4817-2025 and 4818-2025) and Acuerdo Ministerial 3149-2026 for the 2026-2027 international-plan cycle, but no 2027 public-school calendar. A 2027 banking calendar was not available to cite.
