Colombia will observe a new national holiday on Monday, 13 July 2026, honouring Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, after the Congress moved the 9 July religious feast to the following Monday under the so-called Emiliani Law. The holiday remains in full force despite a citizen’s petition before the Constitutional Court arguing that a state-sponsored Marian devotion violates the secular principles of the 1991 Constitution and imposes extra costs on small businesses. Colombian legal experts note that the court has issued neither a ruling nor an interim suspension, meaning employers and public institutions are legally bound to treat the day as a mandatory rest day.

For businesses that operate on the holiday, the financial implications are immediate. Labour lawyers in Bogotá explain that since 1 July 2026 the surcharge for work on Sundays and public holidays rose from 80 to 90 percent of the ordinary hourly wage, a rate that will climb to 100 percent in July 2027. Employees who work the holiday occasionally may choose between the surcharge and a paid compensatory day off; those who work three or more holidays in a month are entitled to both. Non-compliance can trigger fines of up to 5,000 minimum monthly wages and back-pay claims. The Federation of Private Security Companies (Fedeseguridad) calculates that cumulative labour changes—including the holiday surcharge, a reduction of the maximum workweek from 44 to 42 hours effective 15 July 2026, and earlier adjustments to night-shift premiums—have raised the cost of a typical security contract by 32 percent between August 2025 and August 2026, squeezing margins in a sector where labour accounts for up to 90 percent of operating costs.

The holiday is also expected to shift domestic mobility. Colombian transport authorities recorded over 3.5 million vehicle movements during the last peak vacation period, and tourism industry figures point to Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena as top destinations. Mercedes-Benz’s local distributor has advised drivers to inspect tyres, suspension and cooling systems before tackling mountain roads, unpaved tracks or humid coastal routes. That advice echoes guidance from Abu Dhabi Police, who, as part of a “Safe Summer” campaign, are urging motorists to check tyres, coolant levels and engine oil before long journeys. Lebanese travel-medicine specialists, meanwhile, recommend that travellers consult a doctor eight weeks before departure, update vaccines, and pack insect repellent and oral rehydration solutions, particularly for tropical destinations.

Viewed from the government, the labour adjustments represent a deliberate effort to improve the incomes of roughly 962,000 workers who regularly toil on Sundays and holidays, according to Vice Minister of Labour Iván Jaramillo. Business associations counter that the cumulative burden is forcing a reorganisation of shifts and, in some cases, additional hiring. The Constitutional Court is expected to rule on the holiday’s constitutionality in the coming months, but any decision would take effect only from 2027, leaving the 13 July 2026 bridge weekend intact. For now, schools, public offices and most private enterprises will close, while the tourism sector prepares for a mid-winter long weekend that tests both the new labour framework and the country’s travel infrastructure.