Corpus Christi (Corpus Cristi) is a religious celebration in Mexico to honor the body and blood of Jesus, which is symbolized by bread and wine offered at church services on the day.
Is Corpus Christi a Public Holiday?
Corpus Christi is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.
Celebrate Corpus Christi
Mexicans attending church services receive communion wafers and wine or grape juice in honor of Jesus’ body and blood. It is also celebrated in Catholic and some Protestant churches worldwide. Mules’ Day (Día de las Mulas) is also celebrated on the same day, where people buy figures of mules made of dried corn leaves. Some of these are stuffed with candy.
Public Life
Corpus Christi is a religious observance and not a federal public holiday in Mexico.
About Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is normally celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. A procession is usually led by the pope of the Catholic Church in Rome every year. It is a mixed day for some Mexicans who also remember the infamous massacre of student demonstrators in Mexico City on the day of the Corpus Christi festival, on June 10, 1971. More than 100 people died that day, including a 14-year-old boy.
The Day of the Mules, which falls on Corpus Christi, is associated with pre-Hispanic rituals in which people gave thanks to deities of Gods through offerings. It is also believed that a mule knelt in reverence of God on the day of Corpus Christi.
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.