When traveling anywhere it is always a good idea to know the local festivities, both to know if the museums and monuments will be closed, and to enjoy the holidays.

Public holidays in Miami
Public holidays in Miami

Holidays

  1. New Year’s Day: January 1.
  2. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday: Third Monday in January. Honorary day of the Nobel Peace Prize that defended racial equality.
  3. Presidents Day: Third Monday in February. It honors all who were presidents of the country, especially Washington and Lincoln.
  4. Memorial Day: Last Monday in May. A tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the service of the nation.
  5. Independence Day: July 4. On July 4, 1776, thirteen colonies declared themselves free from English rule and formed the first states of the country.
  6. Labor Day: First Monday in September.
  7. American Discovery Day: Second Monday in October. They celebrate the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
  8. Veterans Day: November 11. Day of celebration of the end of World War I and in honor of veterans.
  9. Thanksgiving: Last Thursday of November.
  10. Black Friday: Day that inaugurates the Christmas sales. It’s the day after Thanksgiving.
  11. Christmas: December 25.

Other topics

Demography

The registered population in the Miami-Dade district is approximately 2.5 million people. These figures are made up of 60% of people of Hispanic origin.

Electricity and plugs

The plugs in Miami are two flat outlets and to plug the Spanish appliances you will need an adapter. These adapters can be obtained at any hardware store or “everything to a hundred”. If you arrive without an adapter, it is usual for hotels to lend.

The voltage in the United States is 110V and, although today almost all products are compatible with 220V-110V , it is always better to prevent and check it before the trip.

Official time

Miami’s official time is GMT-5 hours (in summer GMT-4).

Business Hours

The business hours of the stores in Miami are, generally speaking, from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. In the most touristy streets such as Ocean Drive it is possible to find shops open until midnight.

Shopping malls have similar hours. They open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and on Sundays they usually open one or two hours later and close around 8:00 p.m.