Traveling in Nicaragua, knowing the holidays can make all the difference. A sleepy dusty backwater town can be transformed into a lively, festive place. Also, almost everything may be closed. In many towns they have yearly patron saint parties and events. There are also many Catholic church parades and various school and other organization’s parades and events. These can be a lot of fun to watch. This is when they get out the costumes, masks, horses, musical instruments, etc. Don’t pay attention to the fireworks though, Nicaraguans will set off fireworks for any type of occasion or for no reason at all, it doesn’t have to be anything special.
January
- New Year’s Day
- Air Force Day – 1st of February in honor of the nation’s air force
April
- Holy Thursday – The first Thursday of April
- Good Friday – The Friday following Holy Thursday
May
- Labor Day – The 1st of May
- Army Day – held on May 27th in honor of the nation’s army
July
- Liberation Day/Sandinista Revolution Day – the 19th of July on a national level. It marks the day that the National Liberation Army (FSLN) defeated the Somoze dictatorship
- Fiesta de Santiago – the 25th of July in Boaco, Somoto and Managua
- Fiesta de Santa Ana – the 26th of July in Nandaime, Niquinohomo, Moyogalpa and Ometepe
August
- Fiesta de Santo Domingo – 1st of August in Managua
- Fiesta de San Roque – 8th to the 16th of August in Chinandega
- Fiesta de Asuncion – 14th and 15th of August in Masaya, Granada, Juigalpa, Ocotal
September
- Battle of San Jacinto – 14th of September, the anniversary of the battle which took place in 1856
- Independence Day – September 15th to celebrate Central America’s declaration of Independence in 1821
- Fiesta de San Jeronimo – Masaya and Leon on the 20th of September
- Virgen de Mercedes – September 24th in Leon and Chinandega
- Fiesta de San Miguel – 29th of September in Masaya
October
- Mes del Rosario – Granada on all Saturdays in October
- Festividades de San Jeronimo – Sundays during October in Masaya
- Fiesta de San Rafael – celebrated on October 29th in Pueblo Nuevo
November
- Fiesta de San Diego – Altagracia and Ometepe during November
- All Soul’s Day – November 2nd – This is not a big holiday, people visit the cemetery
December
- Immaculate Conception – Nationally on December 8th and in Leon on December 7th
- Pase de la Virgen – Granada on December 8th
- Procesion de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Masaya on December 12th
- Fiesta de Santa Lucia – Leon on the 13th of December
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – the 24th and 25th
- Dia del Nino Dios – Masaya and Esteli on December 25th
- Fiesta de San Silvestre – Catarina on December 31st
- New Years Eve