📅 holiday

Carnival

Monday, February 16, 2026

— days to go

The Carnival holiday in Uruguay comes each year in February or March, as in many other significantly Roman Catholic countries. The date varies, but it always immediately precedes Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of a 40-day Lenten fast leading up to Easter. In Uruguay, Carnival has as many African roots as European so that song and dance styles like “candombre” tend to dominate the contests and fill the streets of Montevideo for weeks on end. There are numerous parades, focused especially in the capital and largest city of Montevideo. Dancers and singers perform in the streets as well as in the Summer Theatre. Artists also compete, and there are makeshift stages called “tablados” in the streets where plays are performed. Uruguay’s Carnival has a very different “flavour” than that in Rio. It is focused more on culture and art than on mere entertainment, though of course there is plenty of both!

History

How It's Celebrated

The Carnival holiday in Uruguay comes each year in February or March, as in many other significantly Roman Catholic countries. In Uruguay, Carnival has as many African roots as European so that song and dance styles like “candombre” tend to dominate the contests and fill the streets of Montevideo fo

Other Years

2024 Mon

12 Feb

2025 Mon

3 Mar

2025 Tue

4 Mar

2026 Mon

16 Feb

2026 Tue

17 Feb

2027 Mon

8 Feb

2028 Mon

28 Feb

2028 Tue

29 Feb

Countries

🇺🇾 UY 🇦🇴 AO 🇧🇴 BO 🇭🇹 HT 🇪🇨 EC AD 🇦🇷 AR

View all →

🌍 observance Jan 9

National Apricot

In 3000, BC. Origins of the Apricot. Apricots are believed to have originated in Armenia as early as 3000 BC

📅 holiday Feb 10

Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck

The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is a holiday unique to Malta because it was on Malta that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked around the year A.D. 60. In 2027, Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck falls on Wednesday 10 February. The holiday will be on Thursday 10 February in 2028. The feast is kept on February 10th each year, and as Paul is the patron saint of Malta, it is a much-anticipated event. Out of dozens of “saint days” on the church calendar in Malta, the Feast of Saint Paul is one of only a handful that have the status of a national holiday. The account of Paul’s shipwreck and three-month, wintertime stay on Malta is found in the Bible’s Acts 27:27 through 28:11. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner to eventually stand trial before Caesar. God let him know in advance he would be shipwrecked but would spare the lives of all on board, which promise was later kept and in answer to Paul’s prayers for their lives. The Bible says the storm was in the Adriatic Sea, though Malta borders the Ionian Sea, because in ancient times, the Adriatic’s boundaries were considered to extend much farther south. The ship broke up on the rocks near the shores of Malta, and all swam ashore. The local population greeted them, but thought he might be a murderer whom the “goddess of justice” had finally caught up with after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. After he lived, however, they supposed him to be, perhaps, a god. Paul, however, soon showed them it was God’s power at work in a mere man by healing the governor of the island, Publius, and many others who were sick or disabled among the island’s population. No doubt, Paul preached the Gospel to them as well, and when he left Malta, the inhabitants gave him all necessary supplies out of gratitude. The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is kept at the “Parish Church of Saint Paul Shipwrecked” in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. It is also a day of processions and family get-togethers. Three things to do should you visit Malta, though hopefully not be shipwrecked there, on February 10th are:

🎉 festival Feb 16

Argentina Carnival

Argentina Carnival is celebrated in February with colorful parades, water fights, and street festivals across the country. The most famous celebrations take place in the northern provinces of Corrientes, Jujuy, and Salta, where Carnival traditions blend indigenous, African, and European influences. The Gualeguaychú Carnival in Entre Ríos province features elaborate costumes, samba music, and parade floats.

ARUS