Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead (celebrated on November 2), falls on a Monday this year, and you’ll see the signs everywhere: marigold petals on sidewalks, sugar skulls in shop windows, and altars going up in plazas across Los Cabos. But if you assume it’s a day off work like Christmas or Independence Day, you may be in for a surprise. Banks and schools treat it as a holiday. Most employers do not.
The confusion is understandable, especially if you’re new to Baja Sur or have been away for a season. Mexico actually runs two separate holiday calendars, and they don’t always line up.
What’s Actually Closed
Banks follow a calendar set by Mexico’s banking regulator, and Día de los Muertos is on it — branches close on November 2, though ATMs and online banking keep working. Schools follow the calendar issued by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), Mexico’s federal education department, which also marks November 2 as a non-school day. Many government offices scale back services or close entirely as well, so don’t expect to renew a permit or pick up paperwork at city hall that day.
Why Most Businesses Stay Open
Mexico’s federal labor law, the Ley Federal del Trabajo, spells out a short list of official paid holidays that private employers are required to observe — New Year’s Day, the first Monday of February for Constitution Day, the third Monday of March, May 1, September 16, the third Monday of November, and December 25, among a few others tied to elections. Día de los Muertos simply isn’t on that list, which is why restaurants, hotels, tour operators, grocery stores and most offices operate on a normal schedule. If you’ve read our past coverage of Constitution Day or other mandatory dates, you’ve seen this list before — Day of the Dead is the exception that trips people up.
Some companies do give staff the day off, particularly if they have strong ties to central Mexico, where the tradition runs deepest, but it’s a policy choice rather than a legal requirement here in Baja Sur.
What It Means for Your Plans
If you need to do any banking, do it before November 2. Government paperwork, vehicle permits and similar errands should also wait until November 3. Parents with kids in local schools already have the day blocked off, and many families use it to visit cemeteries, build home altars, or attend community events.
For visitors wondering about the deeper meaning behind the marigolds and candles, our earlier piece on what the Day of the Dead altars mean breaks down the symbolism. Downtown Cabo San Lucas typically hosts a well-attended display, and our coverage of Cabo’s Sea of Offerings gives a sense of what to expect this year.
Bottom line: expect banks shuttered, kids home from school, and otherwise business as usual across most of Los Cabos. Restaurants, shops and tour operators will be running normal hours on November 2, so there’s no need to reschedule a dinner reservation or a fishing trip around the holiday — just maybe skip the bank run.
