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All Saints' Day 2024 in Mexico

All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos), on November 1, and All Souls’ Day (Los Fieles Difuntos), on November 2, are celebrated hand in hand – firstly to honor the saints and then to remember the dead.

Is All Saints' Day a Public Holiday?

All Saints' Day is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.

Altars are set up for souls of the dead to return home and visit loved ones.

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Celebrate All Saints’ Day

It is believed that the souls of children return to the world of the living on November 1, followed by adult spirits on the Day of the Dead ( Día de los Muertos) on November 2. The children are known as little angels (angelitos), so November 1 is often called the Day of Little Angels (El Día de los Angelitos). The graves of children are cleaned and decorated with candles, paper streamers, and seasonal flowers such as marigolds (cempazuchiles).

In the lead up to All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, markets and shops throughout Mexico sell toys and candy in the form of macabre symbols such as skeletons, coffins, and the personification of death (La Muerta). Many families have special gatherings at cemeteries to honor dead relatives on November 1 and 2.

Altars are set up in homes to honor dead relatives. These are adorned with favorite meals as offerings (ofrendas), photos, candles, flowers, and candy skulls inscribed with the name of the deceased. Incense sticks are lit to help souls find their way.

Public Life

All Saints’ Day is an observance and not a federal public holiday in Mexico. Streets and roads around cemeteries may be particularly busy in some towns and cities.

About All Saints’ Day

All Saints’ Day is the day after Halloween. It is dedicated to remembering all the saints and martyrs throughout Christian history. It falls close to the Celtic holiday of Samhain, which has a theme similar to the Roman festival of Lemuria. The day is observed in many countries, although some customs may vary.

Did You Know?

Candy skulls that are sold in Mexico for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days are not seen as morbidly ghoulish. Death is viewed as a natural part of life. In fact, in the days of pre-Columbian Mexico some groups believed the skull was a symbol of life.

About All Saints' Day in Other Countries

Read more about All Saints' Day.

All Saints' Day Observances

YearWeekdayDateNameHoliday Type
2019FriNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2020SunNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2021MonNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2022TueNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2023WedNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2024FriNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2025SatNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2026SunNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2027MonNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2028WedNov 1All Saints' DayObservance
2029ThuNov 1All Saints' DayObservance

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.