November the 2nd is All Soul’s Day, also known as “Day of the Dead” (Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos) and will be a vacation day for state workers.
Day of the Dead in Nicaragua
Although inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations and linked to the Catholic celebrations of All Souls and All Saints Days, here in Nicaragua they are quite a bit more subdued.
Typically, the day is celebrated by taking the afternoon off and joining other family members at the cemetery. It’s often also the annual clean-up of the burial site which may get a fresh coat of paint and some new flowers.
Traditionally, November 1st honors deceased children and infants and November 2nd, “Día de los Muertos” is for the adults.
This is one of the times of the year you will see a lot of fresh flowers on sale in the towns as well as at the cemeteries.
State Workers
The Ministry of Labor (MITRAB) has announced that next Wednesday the 2nd of November 2022 will be a vacation day for all “state workers, employers of the public sector, decentralized entities and those ascribed to them”.
The announcement was made by José León Argüello, the General Secretary of MITRAB who read the decree signed by the Minister of Labor; Alba Luz Torres Briones and issued under the provisions of Article 66 of the Nicaragua Labor Code (Ley No. 185; Código del Trabajo).
The decree states that the reason for the holiday is “So that Nicaraguan families can visit their departed in the cemeteries”.
In relation to the public sector outlined above, the decree makes the usual exemption for jobs that due to their nature of being essential services, any interruption may affect the economic, social and security activities of the country.
Last year, the public employees enjoyed a four day long weekend; Saturday 30th October to Tuesday 2nd November 2021.
Private Sector
It should be noted that private sector employers and employees will be governed by “customs or agreements made between the parties”.
