Why do public holidays differ so much between countries?

Public holidays are set by national (and sometimes regional) law, so each country fixes its own list around its civil history, dominant religious calendars, and labour conventions. Two neighbouring countries can share a date like New Year's Day while differing on dozens of others.

What is the difference between a fixed and a floating holiday?

A fixed holiday falls on the same calendar date every year, such as 25 December or a national day. A floating holiday moves: it may track a lunar or lunisolar calendar (Eid, Diwali, Lunar New Year), an astronomical event (Easter), or a rule like the first Monday of a month.

What is a substitution or mercantile holiday?

Many countries apply substitution rules: when a public holiday lands on a weekend, an in-lieu day off is granted on the nearest working day. The exact rule varies by country, which is why the observed date can differ from the nominal date.

Are religious holidays always public holidays?

Not necessarily. Some religious observances are nationwide public holidays, others are recognised only regionally or for specific communities, and some widely observed festivals are not statutory days off at all. Each country page shows which dates are official.

Holiday calendars

Public holidays by country

Browse public holiday calendars for 123 countries, compare the next observed dates, and open focused country pages with timezone context for teams, travel, publishing schedules, and operations planning.

Last updated May 7, 2026. Holiday country lists are rebuilt from the calendar dataset, while next-holiday snapshots refresh during the daily revalidation window.

Countries covered

123

5 world regions represented

2026 holiday dates

1,720

Plus 2027 calendars where available

Curated explainers

Deeper pages kept only for stronger holiday demand

Timezone context

Included

Each country page links calendar dates to local time planning

How public holidays work

Reading a national holiday calendar

Public holidays are set country by country, so a calendar only makes sense once you know how a date is decided and whether it shifts. This explains the categories; the country pages below carry the actual dated tables.

Civil holidays vs religious holidays

Civil holidays mark statehood and shared history — national days, independence days, labour days. Religious holidays follow a faith calendar and may be tied to the Gregorian, lunar, or lunisolar year. Many countries blend both, and the same festival can be statutory in one country and informal in another.

Fixed dates vs floating dates

Fixed holidays repeat on a set Gregorian date. Floating holidays move year to year: Easter is computed from the spring equinox and full Moon, Eid and Diwali follow lunar or lunisolar calendars, and rule-based holidays land on, for example, the third Monday of a month. The country tables resolve each year explicitly.

Observed dates and substitution rules

When a holiday falls on a weekend, many jurisdictions grant an in-lieu day on the nearest weekday. Because the rule differs by country, the date a workplace is actually closed can differ from the nominal date. Country pages show the observed date where the dataset records it.

National vs regional scope

Some holidays are nationwide; others apply only to certain states, provinces, or communities. The 123 country calendars here focus on national-level public holidays, with timezone context so a date can be mapped to local time for planning across teams and travel.

Use the country pages for the exact dates and the holiday explainers for the history and observance rules of a single holiday. This hub is the routing layer between the two.

High-demand calendars

Start with the country pages people most often use for work calendars, school breaks, bank closures, travel, and release planning.

United States

America

2027 dates: 16
Time zones: 8
Explainers: 3

Next: Juneteenth National Independence Day on Jun 19, 2026

United Kingdom

Europe

2027 dates: 13
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 3

Next: World Cup Bank Holiday on Jun 15, 2026

Canada

America

2027 dates: 31
Time zones: 10
Explainers: 3

Next: National Aboriginal Day on Jun 21, 2026

Australia

Oceania

2027 dates: 26
Time zones: 7
Explainers: 3

Next: King's Birthday on Jun 8, 2026

India

Asia

2027 dates: 16
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 0

Next: Muharram on Jun 26, 2026

Germany

Europe

2027 dates: 19
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 3

Next: Corpus Christi on Jun 4, 2026

France

Europe

2027 dates: 11
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 3

Next: Bastille Day on Jul 14, 2026

Japan

Asia

2027 dates: 16
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 3

Next: Marine Day on Jul 20, 2026

South Korea

Asia

2027 dates: 15
Time zones: 1
Explainers: 3

Next: Memorial Day on Jun 6, 2026

Brazil

America

2027 dates: 15
Time zones: 4
Explainers: 3

Next: Corpus Christi on Jun 4, 2026

Featured holiday explainers

Curated single-holiday pages with date rules, history, and observance notes. Open these when you need depth on the holiday itself rather than the country calendar.

All country holiday calendars

Every link below opens a country calendar page with current and next-year holiday tables. Countries with curated explainers also link selected holidays into deeper reference pages.

Holiday calendar reference data

Holiday categories, world regions, and country slugs covered by the current calendar dataset.

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Public holidays by country

Reading a national holiday calendar

Civil holidays vs religious holidays

Fixed dates vs floating dates

Observed dates and substitution rules

National vs regional scope

High-demand calendars

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Australia

India

Germany

France

Japan

South Korea

Brazil

Featured holiday explainers

All country holiday calendars

Never miss a launch, finale, or eclipse.

Public holidays by country

Reading a national holiday calendar

Civil holidays vs religious holidays

Fixed dates vs floating dates

Observed dates and substitution rules

National vs regional scope

High-demand calendars

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Australia

India

Germany

France

Japan

South Korea

Brazil

Featured holiday explainers

All country holiday calendars