Information Sheet Last Updated: June 2004

Holidays and Festivals

Bolivia’s main holidays:
January 1: New Year’s Day
Carnival Week: Monday, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday
Holy Week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday
May 1: Labor Day
Corpus Christi varies
July 16: La Paz Municipal Holiday
August 5-7: Independence Day
October 12: Columbus Day
November 2: Day of the Dead
December 25: Christmas Day

Bolivia’s main festival dates:
January 1: Año Nuevo.
Rural communities on the Altiplano, in Cochabamba and in the Chiquitano area of Santa Cruz hold a celebration to give their thanks to the outgoing civil authorities and welcome their replacements.

January 6: Reyes Magos.
Celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings in various provinces of the Beni, Oruro, Surce and Tarija. In the rural areas of Cochabamba and Potosí there are ceremonies for the changing of authorities.

January 24: Alasitas.
Festival of Ekeko which is celebrated over six days in La Paz.

February 2: Virgen de la Candelaria.
One of the most important festivals. It is celebrated in Copacabana, Samaipata, Aiquile, and Colomi in Cochabamba, Tarija and Challapampa near Oruro.

February/March: Carnival.
Many towns and rural communities have their Carnival, but there are no fixed dates.

March 8: San Juan de Dios.
This festival is celebrated in Tarija and is also around the Celebration of the Grape.

Second Sunday in March: Phujllay.
This festival is celebrated in Tarabuco near Surce and is one of the largest festivals in Bolivia.

March 19: San José.
San José is the patron saint of carpenters and is honored in the Cochabamba and Potosí.

March/April: Semana Santa.
Easter is celebrated nationally but varies according to location. The Jesuit missions near Santa Cruz have more solemn festivities. Tarija celebrates more enthusiastically.

April 15-16: Anniversary.
This is the celebration time for the anniversary of Tarija.

May 3: Fiesta de la Cruz.
This is celebrated throughout the country. In the Andean rural communities they are more pre-Columbian than Christian. In Potosí, the ritual Tinkus are carried out.

June: Santísima Trinidad.
This is the most important festival in the Beni. There is not fixed date but it is usually around the start of the month.

June: Corpus Cristi
Held in Potosí, Surce and Copacabana.

June: Gran Poder.
The largest party in La Paz. Held at the beginning of June.

June 13: San Antonio de Padua
Celebrated in small towns in the departments of La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Tarija.

June 24: San Juan.
Celebrations take place in rural provinces throughout Bolivia and in Tarija and Santa Cruz. Also at this time is the traditional burning of woods and fields.

June 29: San Pedro and San Pablo.
Fiestas are held throughout the country.

First Sunday in July: Pentecost.
In the Cochabamba countryside offerings are made to Pachamama.

July 16: Virgen del Carmen.
La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, the Yungas and Surce have festivals on this day.

July 25: Apostle Santiago.
Held throughout the Andes and in Tarija, which has Santiago as its patron saint.

July 31: San Ignacio de Moxos.
This is one of the most important festivals in the Beni

August 2: Día del Indio.
In Iturralde province in La Paz.

August 5: La Virgen de las Nieves.
In Italque and Copacabana.

August 6: San Salvador
Celebrated in Oruro.

August 10: San Lorenzo.
Celebrated in Tarija and Santa Cruz.

August 15: Virgen de Urkupiña.
This is the greatest religious celebration in Cochabamba. It is held in Quillacollo. Hundreds of other festivals are held across the country on the same day. Tarija, La Paz, Surce and Oruro also celebrate on this day.

August 24: San Bartolomé de Huayco.
Also known as the festival of the Chutillos and is held in Potosí.

August 28: San Agustín.
This eight-day festival is held in Toledo, located 40 km from Oruro.

First Sunday in September: San Roque.
A major eight-day party in Tarija.

September 8: Virgen de Guadalupe.
Celebrated in Santa Cruz and Surce. Also known as the Fiesta of Viacha near La Paz.

September 14: Lord of the Exhaltation.
Celebrated in Potosí, Cochabamba, Sorata and over a marathon of 15 days in Oruro.

September 21: Spring Equinox.
Celebrated at Tiahuanaco.

September 29: San Miguel.
Held in Potosí and featuring Tinkus.

First Sunday in October: Virgen de Guadalupe.
Held in Entre Ríos in Tarija.

October 1-2: Virgen de La Merced and Virgen del Rosario.
A sacred procesión in Potosí.

October 7: Vrigen del Rosario.
Held in Oruro where it is also know as Huayllas, Warnes in Santa Cruz, Surce and Cochabamba. Also in Cochabamba is the Luzmilla Patiño Folklore Festival, held every two years (in 2004 then 2006).

Second Sunday in October: Virgen de Guadalupe
It is held in the city of Tarija.

October 24: San Rafael.
A popular four-day festival in Santa Fe, near Oruro.

First Sunday in November: Virgen de Socavón.
The first training parade for the Oruro Carnival three months later.

November 1-2: Todos Santos and Difuntos.
All Saints and Day of the Dead are celebrated in cemeteries throughout the Andean world. Said to be interesting in Potosí.

November 10: Santo Domingo.
Celebrated in Oruro.

November 18: Anniversary
Anniversary of the foundation of Beni Department. Festivities in Trinidad are recommended.

November 30: San Andrés
Celebrations in Santa Cruz and Taquiri in Cochabamba.

December 3: San Francisco Javier.
Celebrated in the various Jesuit mission towns in Santa Cruz.

December 8: Día de la Inmaculada Concepción.
Held in towns in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba departments.

December 14: Santa Bárbara.
Seven-day festival in Oruro.

December 21: Virgin of Lourdes.
Held in Oruro.

December 24: Navidad.
Celebrated throughout Bolivia. Some of the best are Villa Serrano (Chuquisaca), Vallegrande (Santa Cruz), San Ignacio de Moxos (Beni) and Tarija where celebrations continue until the end of January.