All Saints’ Day in Peru
Peru observes All Saints’ Day on November 1 as a national holiday. In the Andes, the date sits within a two-day period of remembrance whose customs vary by region, including food offerings and distinctive tanta wawa breads.[1][2][3]
A fixed national holiday
Peru’s labor law lists All Saints’ Day on November 1 among the national holidays that give workers in the private sector paid rest. The law says these national holidays are observed on their own dates; its Monday-shift rule applies to other local or occupational holidays. So when November 1 falls on a weekend, the national holiday itself does not move to Monday.[1][3]
If a private-sector worker works on the holiday and receives no substitute rest day, the law provides for payment for the work, with a 100% surcharge. The government also lists the date as a national holiday.[1][3]
Remembrance across two days
A Ministry of Culture-hosted study of tanta wawa describes November 1, All Saints’ Day, as a celebration of the living, followed on November 2 by the Day of the Dead, when attention turns to the deceased. The study presents these dates as a complement between life and death within Andean culture.[2]
The study connects the bread tradition with offerings for deceased relatives. It describes families bringing tanta wawa and foods a person enjoyed in life to the cemetery, where they may be shared in remembrance.[2]
Regional breads and customs
Tanta wawa is a festive bread made in varied shapes. The study describes figures including babies, horses, stars, llamas and pigeons, with regional differences in recipes and presentation. In Ancash, it records salty dough decorated with dark dough; in parts of southern Peru, it describes wawas given to visitors who pray for the dead.[2]
These examples are not a single nationwide ritual. The study emphasizes variation between regions, and its account focuses on Andean communities and the bread’s cultural meanings.[2]
Planning around the holiday
The holiday establishes workers’ rest entitlements, but the legal sources do not give a nationwide schedule for banks, shops, cemeteries or transport. If you need a particular service, check its hours directly before you go. The same applies to cemetery visits, since local customs and arrangements differ.[1][2][3]
Frequently asked questions
When is All Saints’ Day in Peru?
Is it a paid day off?
The law grants private-sector workers paid rest for the national holiday. If they work without a substitute rest day, the law provides for payment for the work plus a 100% surcharge.[1]
What are common traditions?
Customs vary by region. A Ministry-hosted study describes cemetery offerings of tanta wawa and foods associated with deceased relatives, as well as regional variations in the bread’s shapes and recipes.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for All Saints' Day in Peru:
- D.Leg. que consolida normas sobre descansos remunerados de los trabajadores de la actividad privada- Diario Oficial El Peruano
- El camino de la tanta wawa- Damacino Uldarico Ancco Condo and Olga Irene Gonzáles Gutiérrez; hosted by the Ministry of Culture
- Feriados 2026 - Día de Todos los Santos- Plataforma del Estado Peruano