As previously stated in a recent Nica-Biz article on Nicaragua’s Mother’s Day, the proposed Mother’s Day statutory holiday legislation, making Mother’s Day (Día de las Madres) an official “Feriado” was being reviewed by the National Assembly of Nicaragua.
The new law, originally presented by the Gustavo Porras (President of the National Assembly) was unanimously approved on Wednesday the 18th of May 2022.
All 91 Diputados (Deputies) present at a special session called as a dedication to the 127th Anniversary of the birth of General Augusto C. Sandino on May 18th in 1895 voted to approve the new Mother’s Day statutory holiday law.
The new law will be in force as soon as it’s published in La Gaceta, the Official Gazette of Nicaragua which is printed every few days and therefore will be law for the next Mother’s Day on Monday, May 30th, 2022.
UPDATE: The new law; Ley No. 1118 – The Law that declares Mother’s Day, a National Holiday has now been published in La Gaceta (Nº 92, Friday May 20th 2022) and is therefore now in effect.
Prior to this new law, the “fixed date” nature of Mother’s Day of May 30th often had mother and her family all working on her special day.
Also, it has become normal for state workers to receive certain days off with pay that are not statutory holidays. For instance, last year, state workers received a day off with pay for Mother’s Day yet it wasn’t an official statutory holiday.
Private businesses would often have an arrangement with their employees to enable them to have half a day off or to go home early. These annual favors became traditions, but there was nothing formal.
The addition of the Mother’s Day Statutory Holiday makes an even total of ten (10) statutory holidays per year for Nicaragua where workers will be entitled to “The right to rest and salary”.
The other nine being; 1st January – New Year’s Day, Thursday and Friday of Easter Week, May 1st – International Workers’ Day, July 19th – Day of the Revolution, September 14th – Battle of San Jacinto, September 15th – Independence Day, December 8th – La Purísima and 25th December – Christmas Day.
