Public holidays in El Salvador
11 days in 2026 · 11 in 2027
Back to El SalvadorNext public holiday
All Souls' Day
Día de los Fieles Difuntos
After it: Christmas Day, Friday 25 December
Monday, 2 November 2026
El Salvador has 11 public holidays with a day off in 2026 and 11 again in 2027. Holy Week accounts for three of them, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and both Mother's Day on 10 May and Father's Day on 17 June stop work across the country.
August is the month of the Fiestas de agosto, the celebrations of San Salvador. 6 August is a day off nationwide; 3 and 5 August are days off in the capital only, which is why the regional calendar for San Salvador runs longer than the national one.
Two days are kept by halves. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve stop work from noon, and Holy Wednesday closes the banks without being a general day off.
- Days off in 2026
- 11Nationwide public holidays
- On a weekday
- 9Monday to Friday
- On a weekend
- 2Saturday or Sunday
- Long weekends
- 4and 3 with one day of leave
2026
Public holidays in El Salvador in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayAño NuevoThe first day of the Gregorian year.Thursday
- 2 April: Maundy ThursdayJueves SantoMaundy Thursday opens the three days off of Holy Week, Semana Santa. Its date follows Easter, so it falls in March or April.ThursdayDate moves
- 3 April: Good FridayViernes SantoGood Friday, the middle day of the Holy Week break.FridayDate moves
- 4 April: Holy SaturdaySábado SantoHoly Saturday, the last of the three Holy Week days off. It falls on a Saturday every year, so it never shortens a working week.SaturdayDate moves
- 1 May: Labour DayDía del TrabajoLabour Day, also known as International Workers' Day.Friday
- 10 May: Mother's DayDía de las MadresMother's Day, on 10 May whatever the weekday. A day off in its own right, not a Sunday celebration.Sunday
- 17 June: Father's DayDía del PadreFather's Day, on 17 June, and a paid day off like Mother's Day.Wednesday
- 6 August: Celebrations of San SalvadorFiestas de agostoThe celebrations of San Salvador. 6 August is a day off nationwide, while 3 and 5 August are days off in the capital only.Thursday
- 15 September: Independence DayDía de la IndependenciaThe Act of Independence of Central America, signed in 1821.Tuesday
- 2 November: All Souls' DayDía de los Fieles DifuntosAll Souls' Day, the Day of the Faithful Departed.Monday
- 25 December: Christmas DayNavidadChristmas Day, a full day off.Friday
Long weekends
Long weekends in El Salvador in 2026
Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.
- 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
- 4daysThu 2 Apr to Sun 5 AprMaundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday
- 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
- 4daysThu 6 Aug to Sun 9 AugWith Fri 7 Aug taken as leave · Celebrations of San Salvador
- 4daysSat 12 Sept to Tue 15 SeptWith Mon 14 Sept taken as leave · Independence Day
- 3daysSat 31 Oct to Mon 2 NovAll Souls' Day
- 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day
2027
Public holidays in El Salvador in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayAño NuevoFriday
- 25 March: Maundy ThursdayJueves SantoThursdayDate moves
- 26 March: Good FridayViernes SantoFridayDate moves
- 27 March: Holy SaturdaySábado SantoSaturdayDate moves
- 1 May: Labour DayDía del TrabajoSaturday
- 10 May: Mother's DayDía de las MadresMonday
- 17 June: Father's DayDía del PadreThursday
- 6 August: Celebrations of San SalvadorFiestas de agostoFriday
- 15 September: Independence DayDía de la IndependenciaWednesday
- 2 November: All Souls' DayDía de los Fieles DifuntosTuesday
- 25 December: Christmas DayNavidadSaturday
Regional
Holidays kept in parts of El Salvador
Public holidays in 2026 that are days off only in the regions listed, by their ISO 3166-2 codes.
- 3 August: Celebrations of San SalvadorFiestas de agostoSV-SSThe celebrations of San Salvador. 6 August is a day off nationwide, while 3 and 5 August are days off in the capital only.Monday
- 5 August: Celebrations of San SalvadorFiestas de agostoSV-SSThe celebrations of San Salvador. 6 August is a day off nationwide, while 3 and 5 August are days off in the capital only.Wednesday
Observances
Days marked in El Salvador that are not days off
- 3 May: The Day of the CrossDía de la CruzThe Day of the Cross, marked on 3 May. A working day.Sunday
- 7 May: Soldiers' DayDía del SoldadoSoldiers' Day, a working day.Thursday
- 1 October: Children's DayDía del niñoChildren's Day, 1 October. A working day.Thursday
- 24 December: Christmas EveNoche BuenaChristmas Eve. Work stops at noon.Thursday
- 31 December: New Year's EveFin de añoNew Year's Eve. As on Christmas Eve, work stops at noon.Thursday
Easter Sunday is counted among the official Holy Week holidays by Wikipedia and listed as an observance by timeanddate. Either way it falls on a Sunday, after the three days off from Thursday to Saturday.
Several dates are marked without a day off: the Day of the Victims of the Armed Conflict on 16 January, Women's Day on 8 March, the Day of the Cross on 3 May, Soldiers' Day on 7 May and Children's Day on 1 October. Teachers' Day, on Monday 22 June in 2026, is an optional holiday.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in El Salvador
How many public holidays does El Salvador have in 2026?
Eleven nationwide days off. Two of them fall on a weekend: Holy Saturday on 4 April and Mother's Day, which is a Sunday in 2026. In 2027 the count is again eleven, but three land on a Saturday: Holy Saturday on 27 March, Labour Day on 1 May and Christmas Day on 25 December. Workers in San Salvador add 3 and 5 August to either total.
When is Holy Week in El Salvador in 2026?
The three days off run from Thursday 2 April to Saturday 4 April, and Easter Sunday follows on 5 April, so Semana Santa gives four days in a row. In 2027 the break comes earlier, from Thursday 25 March to Saturday 27 March, with Easter Sunday on 28 March. Banks also close on Holy Wednesday, the day before.
Is Father's Day a public holiday in El Salvador?
Yes. 17 June is a paid day off, on a Wednesday in 2026 and a Thursday in 2027. Mother's Day, 10 May, is one as well; it is a Sunday in 2026 and Monday 10 May in 2027, when it makes a three-day weekend.
Are the August festivals a day off in El Salvador?
One of the three days is. 6 August, the main day of the celebrations of San Salvador, is a day off across the country. 3 and 5 August are days off in San Salvador only. In 2026 the three fall on Monday 3, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 August. In 2027 they fall on Tuesday 3, Thursday 5 and Friday 6 August, so the nationwide day joins the weekend.
What are the long weekends in El Salvador in 2026?
Four come without leave. Holy Week runs from Thursday 2 April to Sunday 5 April, Labour Day on Friday 1 May starts three days off, All Souls' Day on Monday 2 November ends one, and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December starts another. A single day of leave on Friday 2 January or Friday 7 August stretches New Year or the August holiday to four days.
Is Christmas Eve a day off in El Salvador?
Half of it. Work stops at noon on 24 December, and the same applies on New Year's Eve, 31 December. Christmas Day itself is a full day off, a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027. New Year's Day falls on a Thursday in 2026 and a Friday in 2027.
What does Independence Day on 15 September mark?
The Act of Independence of Central America, signed in 1821, when El Salvador was part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. The day off falls on Tuesday 15 September in 2026 and Wednesday 15 September in 2027, so neither year gives a long weekend from it without leave.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-10-04. The page counts from Sunday, 4 October 2026, the day it was built.