The calendar
The Dominican Republic moves several holidays to the nearest Monday by law, filling the year with long weekends, while keeping the main patriotic and religious dates fixed.
Country view
Dominican Republic · 2026
13 recorded days · 13 public · 0 bank · 0 school · 0 regional
SponsoredYour ad here · 728 × 90
24In 8 days
Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes
Thursday · 24 Sep 2026 · Public
DateHolidayTypeShops shut?
01JanDía de Año Nuevo
New Year's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de Reyes
Day of Kings · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
Our Lady of Altagracia · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día del Natalicio de Juan Pablo Duarte
Duarte's Birthday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de la Independencia de la República Dominicana
Independence Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Good Friday
Nationwide
PublicShut
Día del Trabajador
Labour Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de las Madres
Mother's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Corpus Christi
Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de la Restauración Dominicana
Restoration Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes
Our Lady of Mercy · Nationwide
PublicShut
Día de la Constitución
Constitution Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Navidad
Christmas Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates
Bridge days worth booking
One day of leave, four days off. These are the 2026 dates where the maths works.
Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes
Thursday · 24 Sep 2026
Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.
Book off: 25 Sep 2026
How the holiday year works in Dominican Republic
How people take the days
February's carnival and Holy Week are when the whole country moves; over Holy Week many businesses close Thursday to Sunday.
If you're visiting
Banks and offices close; hotels and restaurants run flat out. Roads to the north coast and the east saturate on every long weekend.
If you live here
The law distinguishes holidays that shift to Monday from those that never move — Independence, Good Friday and Christmas are always on the date.
What these days actually mean
Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.
Our Lady of Mercy
24 Sep 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Constitution Day
6 Nov 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Christmas Day
25 Dec 2026
- Observance
- The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
- Business
- Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
- Transport
- Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.