El Salvador : public and bank holidays, closure of banks, stock exchanges, school vacations

cards/flowers : Introduced by Pope Gelasus in 498, perhaps in response to a local Roman tradition of lovers writing their names on an urn in February

cards/flowers : 'Día Nacional por la Paz, la Vida y la Justicia' is an appeal to Salvadorian society to favour life, peace and security and to repudiate the violent and criminal actions.

School holidays :

Secular holiday :

Secular holiday :

Secular holiday :

Catholic or protestant : Maundy Thursday: Commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist (Lord's Supper).

Catholic or protestant : The First Council of Nicaea (a gathering of bishops in the early days of Christianity) wanted to find a day to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. This commemoration had to be linked to Jewish holiday traditions, since the last supper of Christ was believed to be a Jewish Passover meal. But the Jewish calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles, so the Easter celebration had to follow the same calendar.

Catholic : Paid holiday

School holidays :

Secular holiday : Chicago, Saturday May 1st, 1886: 350,000 workers go on strike to call for an 8-hour working day. Industries are paralyzed nationwide. On Monday, as demonstrations go on, the police open fire. On Tuesday, Chicago is again on strike. Following a bomb launched against them, the police shoot again. 12 dead, of which 7 policemen. 8 anarchists will be condemned and executed. In 1889, the Socialist International Movement met in Paris and declared this day international workers' day . The Soviets will follow suit, just as the Nazis. In France, under the Vichy regime (1940-1944), the celebration is renamed Labour Day .

Secular holiday :

Secular holiday : paid holiday when falling on Saturday or Sunday

School holidays :

Special Events :