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Events Calendar of Oaxaca

Below is a list of the most important holidays and festivals celebrated in Oaxaca. If you are in the area, just drop in and enjoy.

Note: Events in yellow are major state-wide events. All other are locals.

 

January 1: Happy New Year!, “Feliz Ano Nuevo“ , is not as much celebrated as expected, probably because of the proximity of several religious events. Teotitlan del Valle has the reputation of hosting the wildest new year eve party.

 

January 6: Day of the Kings, “Día de los Reyes Magos”. Marks the end of Christmas. A traditional cake called “roscas de reyes” is specially made for this occasion, with a characteristic donuts shape decorated with candied fruit. Whoever gets the slice with a doll has to throw in a party on February 2nd. Traditional gift exchange and dances take place across the state.

 

January 13-17: Festival of the Sweet Name of Jesus, “Fiesta del Duice Nombre de Jesus“, in Santa Ana del Valle and Tlacolula. Troupes perform many traditional dances like the Dance of the Feathers.

 

January 20-21: San Sebastian Party, especially in San Pedro y San Pablo Tequixtepec, Pinotepa Don Luis, and Jalapa de Diaz.

 

January 25: Festival of Apostle St. Paul, Fiesta del Apostol de San Pablo, in Mitia, with city-wide masses, processions, feast, fireworks, bull-riding, and traditional dances.

 

February 2: Candlemas, “la Candelaria”. Parties are given by finders of the “rosca” dolls, and families have their infants dressed up like Jesus Chris. Many stalls in the Abastos market sell the costumes and accessories. Procession and bullfights held throughout town.

 

February: Oaxaca's Carnival takes place on the last Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It is also the last day before the beginning of Lent (flexible date). This is a Mardi Gras-style extravaganzas, with dances and other festivities; the best Carnival celebration is at Pinotepa de Don Luis, on the Pacific coast.

 

February-March: Celebrations continue during Lent, or “Paseos de los Viernes de Cuaresma”. Most noteworthy, every Friday morning, university students at El Llano Park, accompanied by a band, choose a beauty queen and offer flowers to their favorites.

 

Holy Week or “Semana Santa”, starting on Palm Sunday when woven crosses to protect homes and belongings are sold in the markets, plazas and in front of churches. On Holy Thursday, families visit “the seven houses” or churches, with altars set up for “La Dolorosa”, (Our Lady of Sorrows) with "chía" seeds sprouting green out of clay animals (symbolizing the Resurrection) and flowers and leaves of the maguey plant. Semana Santa is the second busiest season for Oaxacan hotels, after DÌa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in the fall. At the luxurious Hotel Camino Real, each of the 91 rooms was reserved between 2- 6 months in advance and the small bed and breakfast Casa Las Bugambilias, with only 9 rooms, was booked a year ago.

 

On Easter Sunday the Resurrection is celebrated with masses at midnight Saturday and at six A.M on Sunday morning. At ten on Sunday the church bells ring to celebrate the “Misa de Gloria”. In villages such as Zimatlán and Huixtepec the churches are filled with hundreds of vases of flowers and life-sized statues of the risen Christ.

 

March 21: Birthday of Benito Juárez, the first indigeneous President of Mexico, was born in Guelatao, a national holiday.

 

March 21-31: Flower Games, "Juegos Florales", in Oaxaca City.

 

On Good Friday the Passion and Crucifixion are acted out with holy images or live actors. Also, in Huatulco, Festival of the Holy Cross of Huatulco.

 

April 26-29: Fiesta de San Pedro Martir de Verona, in San Pedro Yucunama.

 

May 1: Labor Day (national holiday)

 

May 3: Day of the Holy Cross, “Día de la Santa Cruz” or Day of the Masons, “Día del Albañil”. Students from the university of Oaxaca dress up and play tricks as they dance through the streets, and generally making merry with harmless tricks such as breaking egg shells filled with flour or confetti on the heads of bystanders. Small crosses are placed on buildings under construction. Celebrations are also active in Tehuantepec.

 

May 5: Cinco de Mayo. National holiday in memory of the Mexican victory over invading French troops in the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Banks and government offices closed.

 

May 10: Mothers' Day (national holiday)

 

May 10: Isthmus of Tehuantepec week celebrations, “Vela Ismeña” (Isthmus Gathering), starting around May 10. A week when people from the isthmus of Tehuantepec residing in the city of Oaxaca come together for a series of public and cultural events, ending with a Mass in Santo Domingo church. Dances, parties, processions of Tehuantepec ladies and girls in gala costumes take place in the City of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca’s very own festival brings folkloric dances from all over the state.

July: Guelaguetza or “Lunes del Cerro”, (Monday on the Hill) takes place on the 2 Mondays following the birthday of Benito Juárez, in late July. Starting in 1932, as Oaxaca celebrated its 400th anniversary, groups from many regions of the state have performed native dances in traditional costumes. The original event, of pre-Hispanic origin, enacted reciprocal gift-giving and ceremonies in honor of the Corn Goddess. Reservations for the program must be made months in advance as it is one of the most well-attended events of the year. In 2004, the festival will take place on July 19th and 26th.

 

August 13-18: Fiesta del Barrio de Santa Maria Relatoca, in Tehuantepec

 

August 26 - September 2: Fiesta de Santa Rosa de Lima in Salina Cruz

 

September 7-9: Festival of the Lord of the Nativity, "Fiesta del Senor de La Natividad", in Teotitlan del Valle.

 

September 14: Cowboy Day, "Charro Day", with rodeos all over Mexico.

 

September 15 & 16: Independence Day, “Día de la Independencia”. Military parades and reenactment of the “Grito de Dolores”, by mayors on the balconies of cityhalls everywhere and by the president in Mexico city.

 

September 23-30: Festival of the Precious Blood of Christ, "Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo", in TIacochahuaya. Eight days of processions, dances, fireworks, and traditional food

 

Second week of October: Food of the Gods Festival, celebrating Oaxaca's traditional cuisines.

 

October 18: Day of the Virgin of the Rosary, “Día del Rosario” Processions, masses.

 

November 1 - 2: Day of the Dead, “Día de los Muertos”. A typically Mexican tradition with its roots in Aztec legends, the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Deads) is a two-day festivity when families celebrate their dead relatives. During the first two days of November, family pay a visit to the graves of their lost one, decorating it with flowers, primarily large, bright flowers such as marigolds and crysanthemums, and with religious amulets. more info

 

November: November Party, "Fiestas de Noviembre", in Puerto Escondido, featuring the big folk dance festival.

 

December 12: Guadalupe Day. An important national holiday dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, who appeared to the Indian Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in the early 16th century and became the beloved saint of the Indians all over Mexico. El Marques del Valle, Hernán Cortés, was especially devoted to her; the Emperor Maximilian built an altar for La Guadalupe in a church in his native Vienna.

 

December 18: Virgin of Solitude, “Virgin de la Soledad”. One of the most elaborate religious festivals in Oaxaca City, held in celebration of the cult of the patron saint of the city. The church is filled with flowers, banners, candles and worshipers who come from all over the area. It is a glorious spectacle of profound religious sentiment, light and beauty. There are processions, fireworks and a big markets in the Alameda and plaza by the Soledad Church.

 

December 23: Night of the Radishes or “Noche de los Rábanos”, are unique to Oaxaca. On the Zocalo is held a horticulture’s exhibition whose highlight are small figures carved form radishes.There are contests and prizes for the most original arrangements.

 

December 25: Christmas Day ("Feliz Navidad"). Christmas trees and gift exchange.