Shrove Monday in Bolivia

National holiday status

Bolivia’s Supreme Decree No. 2750 lists both Carnival Monday and Tuesday as national holidays with suspension of public and private activities throughout the country. The decree names the two days themselves, so the Monday holiday is not limited to a particular region or group of workers.[1]

The decree also sets a general rule for moving some holidays that fall on Sunday to the following Monday, but expressly excludes Carnival. It does not specify a separate substitute day for Carnival Monday or Tuesday.[1]

A holiday within Bolivia’s Carnival

Shrove Monday is the Monday of the two-day national Carnival holiday pair. The days form part of Bolivia’s Carnival celebrations, which government reporting describes as taking place across the country and reflecting different regional traditions.[1][4]

One Bolivian Carnival custom with particular significance is the ch’alla, an act of gratitude and a request for prosperity associated with Pachamama, or Mother Earth. The Martes de Ch’alla is especially associated with these observances, so Monday sits alongside a Tuesday that has its own strong cultural meaning.[3][4]

Customs and local observances

Reported ch’alla practices include gathering with family, preparing a k’oa, or ritual offering, and decorating homes, businesses and vehicles with items such as flowers, streamers and confetti. These observances express gratitude and hopes for wellbeing or prosperity. Customs differ by place and household, so they should not be taken as a single national script for how everyone spends Monday.[3]

Carnival also brings public celebrations, music and dance. Bolivia’s traditions vary across its departments; the national holiday gives people time away from ordinary public and private activities during this broader festive period.[1][4]

Oruro’s Carnival heritage

Oruro offers one well-documented example of Bolivia’s Carnival traditions. UNESCO describes the city as a former ceremonial site for the Uru people and explains that, after Spanish authorities banned their ceremonies in the seventeenth century, they continued under Christian forms. The festival of Ito was transformed into a Christian ritual, and the diablada, a dance associated with the Uru god Tiw, became the main dance of Oruro’s Carnival.[2]

UNESCO identifies the procession, or entrada, as the Carnival’s main event and describes its masks, textiles and embroidery. Oruro’s history helps explain the blend of Indigenous and Christian elements in this particular celebration; it should not be assumed to represent every region’s Carnival customs.[2]

Closures and getting around

Because the national decree calls for suspension of public and private activities, government offices and many ordinary workplaces close for Carnival Monday. The decree does not provide a service-by-service opening schedule, so check directly with any office, business or transport provider you need before travelling.[1]