Festive Moods: 11 U.S. Holidays in 2024 Versus Latin America, A Cultural Calendar Contrast

As 2024 starts to pick up steam and the holidays get further away in the rearview mirror, many are already starting to look at their calendars for the next moment of respite.

The United States will have 11 national holidays in 2024, one of them being already behind us (New Year's Day, on January 1). The next one is not far away, though: Martin Luther King Day will take place in less than two weeks, on January 15.

Presidents' Day will come roughly a month later, on February 19. But national holidays will then be more spaced out throughout the year, with a more than three-month period until Memorial Day, on May 27.

As established by federal law, if a public holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday and the next Monday if it falls on a Sunday.

The U.S. is among the countries with the least amount of public holidays when compared with Latin American countries, only above Mexico (7) Nicaragua (9) and Bolivia (10). Ecuador and Honduras have the same amount, the rest enjoying more days off. Northern neighbor Canada will have one more than the U.S., with 12 national holidays.

The country with the most holidays in Latin America in 2024 is Venezuela, with 21. It is closely followed by Chile, with 20, and Colombia, with 18. Argentina will have 15, El Salvador 14 and Brazil 12.

However, none of the countries in the region is among the ones with the most national holidays at a global level. According to World Population Review, the list is topped by Nepal, with 39. It is followed by Myanmar, with 32 and Iran with 26. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Malaysia and Cambodia also have more than 20 national holidays in 2024.