Public holidays in Venezuela

The table below shows a list of the most notable holidays in Venezuela. Popular and public holidays are included in the list.

Date Local Name English Name Remarks
January 1 Día de Año Nuevo New Year's Day Beginning of the Civil Year
January 6 Día de Reyes Epiphany Christian feast honoring the visit of the three Magi to Jesus. Also Sports day
January 14 Día de la Divina Pastora Feast of the Divina Pastora Celebrates the Virgin Patroness of the State of Lara and its capital city of Barquisimeto, and also of the Venezuelan National Militia
January 15 Día del Maestro Teacher's Day Honors all teachers in public and private kindergartens and pre-schools, elementary, middle and high schools
February 12 Día de la Juventud Youth Day Commemorates the patriotic victory in the 1814 Battle of La Victoria led by rebel youth militias and patriots under Jose Felix Ribas
February 20 Dia de la Federacion Federation Day Marks the start of the 4 year long Federal War in 1859
Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday Carnaval Carnival -
March 8 Dia Internacional de la Mujer International Women's Day -
From Palm Sunday to Easter (movable) Semana Santa Holy Week Religious holiday marking the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
March 19 Día de San José St Joseph's Day In honor of Saint Joseph
March 21 Día del abolición de la esclavitud Slavery Abolition Anniversary Honors the 1854 decision of the Government of Venezuela to abolish all forms of slavery
March 28 Día Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural National Cultural Patrimonies Day In honor of the cultural legacies of the Venezuelan nation, new holiday established in 2014 (but not a public holiday)
March 31 Aniversario del fundacion del San Cristóbal Foundation anniversary Day of San Cristóbal, Táchira Honors the 1561 founding of the capital city of Táchira State, one of Venezuela's oldest cities
April 19 Diez y nueve de abril Beginning of the Independence Movement, 19th April Day Declaration of a local junta in Caracas on 19 April 1810, launching the road towards the First Republic of Venezuela and the start of the independence struggle, the first Junta in Latin America as a whole, and the achievement of home rule
May 1 Día del Trabajador Labor Day
May 3 Día del Cruz del Mayo Fiesta de las Cruces Honors the Holy Cross of May in the states of Miranda and Aragua as its patrons
Second Sunday of May (movable) Dia de las Madres Mother's Day Honors all mothers
May 25 Dia del Himno Nacional National Anthem Day Not a public holiday. Honors the Venezuelan National Anthem, Gloria al Bravo Pueblo, on the day of the 1881 presidential decree conferring its official status as the national anthem.
Third Sunday of June (movable) Dia de las Padres Father's Day Honors all fathers
June 24 Dia de San Juan Bautista y aniversario de la Batalla de Carabobo Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist, Battle of Carabobo Honors both the birth of John the Baptist and the key 1821 battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence; tagged also as Army Day
June 27 Dia del Periodista y anniversario de la instauración del Decreto de Instrucción pública gratuita y obligatoria Journalists' Day and anniversary of the 1872 Public Education Decree Celebrates all those in the journalism and public education sectors
July 5 Cinco de julio Independence Day Signing of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence marking the birth of the first independent nation of South America, also Armed Forces Day
Third Sunday of July (movable) Dia del niño Children's Day Honors all children
July 24 Natalicio del Libertador,
Dia de la Armada Nacional		 Birth of Simón Bolívar,
Navy Day		 This day honors the 1783 birth of Simon Bolivar, also tagged as Navy Day honoring the victory in the Battle of Lake Maracaibo of 1823.
July 25 Aniversario del fundacion del Caracas Caracas City Foundation Day Honors the 1567 foundation of the national capital
August 3 Día de la Bandera Flag Day Previously, in Venezuela the Flag Day was celebrated on March 12. In 2006, it was designated August 3 in honor of the disembarkment of Francisco de Miranda in La Vela de Coro, 1806.
August 4 Dia de la Guardia Nacional National Guard Day Celebrates the 1937 founding of the Venezuelan National Guard, not a public holiday
September 8 Dia del Virgen del Valle, aparicion del Virgen del Coromoto Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary and feasts of the Virgen del Valle and Our Lady of Coromoto Honors the birth of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, and who, as Our Lady of Coromoto, whose picture was first seen on this day in 1562 after a second apparition, is since 1942, Patroness of Venezuela. Also the feast of the Patroness of the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela, the Virgin of the Valley (Virgen del Valle), venerated and honored in the state of Nueva Esparta.
September 24 Dia del Virgen dela Mercedes Feast of the Our Lady of Mercy Celebrated in selected townships in Venezuela where the Lady of Mercy is Patroness
October 12 Día de la Resistencia Indígena Day of Indigenous Resistance Previously, in Venezuela the holiday was called Día de la Raza, commemorating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. Now honors the heroes of the anti-Spanish resistance of the indigenous peoples of Venezuela, also feast of Our Lady of the Pillar
November 1 Día de Todos los Santos All Saints' Day -
November 2 Día de los fieles difuntos All Souls' Day -
November 17 to November 19 Feria de la Chinita Feria of La Chinita Only in the state of Zulia; celebrating the miracle of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá.
November 21 Día del estudiante universitario University Students Day Celebrated in all colleges and universities honoring the day of the 1957 student demonstrations against General Marcos Perez Jimenez
December 8 Inmaculada Concepción, Dia de la Lealtad Immaculate Conception, Loyalty Day Catholic holiday celebrating the preservance of Mary, the mother of Jesus from the original sin by the Grace of God. From 2013, it's also Loyalty Day in honor of Hugo Chávez's final address to the nation on that day in 2012.
December 10 Dia de la Aviacion Militar Venezuelan Air Force Day Air Force Day honoring the founding of the Venezuelan Air Force and its Air Force Academy in Maracay on this day in 1920, not a public holiday
December 17 Aniversario de la muerte de Libertador Simon Bolivar Simon Bolivar Memorial Day Honoring Simon Bolivar's demise on this day in 1830. As the nation's liberator died that day, the Flag of Venezuela is flown half mast nationwide in his honor and a moment of silence observed in commemorative events held that very day in honor of his untimely death.
December 24 Nochebuena Christmas Eve The eve of the birth of Jesus (Divino Niño).
December 25 Navidad Christmas The day of the birth of Jesus (Divino Niño), commemorated by all Venezuelans.
December 31 Nochevieja New Year's Eve Final day of the Civil Year, celebrated by all Venezuelans nationwide.
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