Dominican holidays
Official holidays 2008 [2007]
- Tuesday, 1 January: New Year’s Day.
- Monday, 21 January: Our Lady of Altagracia Day.
- Saturday, 26 January: Duarte Day.
- Wednesday, 27 February: Independence Day.
- Friday, 16 May: Presidential Election Day.
- Saturday, 16 August: Restoration Day.
- Wednesday, 24 September: Our Lady of Mercedes Day.
- Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day.
The following holidays are being celebrated on the closest Monday to the actual date:
- Thursday, 1 May: Labor Day. To be celebrated on Monday, 5 May.
- Thursday, 6 November: Constitution Day. To be celebrated on Monday, 10 November.
Rotating days as per the Roman Catholic Church calendar:
- Friday, 21 March: Good Friday.
- Thursday, 22 May: Corpus Christi Day.
Not a holiday, but observed by many:
- 19 and 20 March. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday before Good Friday that falls on 21 March.
- 25-26 April. National Secretary Day. Since this year it falls on a Saturday, it is likely to be celebrated on the previous Friday, 25 April.
- Sunday, 25 May. Mother’s Day. Last Sunday in May.
- Sunday, 27 July. Father’s Day. Last Sunday in July.
- Wednesday, 24 December. Christmas Eve Day.
- Wednesday, 31 December. New Year’s Eve.
Note that December is for Dominicans, what August is for Europeans. Do not expect to get anything major done in December. Too many parties going on.
Long weekends in 2008 (with Monday’s falling on a holiday):
- Friday, 28 December 2007 through Tuesday, 1 January 2008: New Year’s Eve long weekend.
- Friday, 18 January through Monday, 21 January. Our Lady of Altagracia long weekend. Wednesday, 19 March through Sunday, 23 March. Easter long weekend. School is out from Monday, 17 March.
- Friday, 3 May through Monday, 5 May. Labor Day long weekend.
- Friday, 16 May through Sunday, 18 May. Presidential Election Day long weekend.
- Thursday, 22 May through Sunday, 25 May. Corpus Christi Day long weekend. Friday is a working day, but many schools will give it off turning it into a long weekend.
- Wednesday, 24 December through Sunday, 28 December. Christmas long weekend.
- Wednesday, 31 December 2008 through Thursday, 1 January 2009. New Year long weekend.