Planning Utility
World Public Holiday Calendar
Plan around national public holidays in major countries — see dates, days of the week and how many official days off each year brings.
Public holidays
10
in United States for 2026
United States — 2026
New Year's Day
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 19, 2026
Presidents' Day
Monday, February 16, 2026
Memorial Day
Monday, May 25, 2026
Independence Day
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Labor Day
Monday, September 7, 2026
Columbus Day
Monday, October 12, 2026
Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 26, 2026
Christmas Day
Friday, December 25, 2026
Why a public holiday calendar is a travel and business essential
Public holidays shape everything from flight prices to office closures to museum opening hours. A traveller who lands in Paris on Bastille Day without knowing it may find their planned itinerary upended; a business that schedules a launch on a German bank holiday loses a day. Knowing the public holidays of a country in advance is one of the highest-leverage pieces of trip and project planning.
This calendar lists the official nationwide public holidays for major countries across 2025 and 2026, with the day of the week for each, so you can see at a glance when offices, banks and schools will be closed.
Fixed versus movable holidays
Holidays fall into two families. Fixed-date holidays always land on the same calendar date — New Year's Day on 1 January, Independence Day on 4 July in the US, Bastille Day on 14 July in France. When they fall on a weekend, some countries observe them on the nearest weekday.
Movable holidays shift each year. Some are defined by a weekday rule (US Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November; US Labor Day is the first Monday of September). Others follow lunar calendars: Easter, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali and the Lunar New Year all move against the Gregorian calendar because they are tied to lunar or lunisolar cycles.
The Easter cycle
Many Christian holidays are computed from Easter Sunday, which falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day (39 days after Easter) and Whit Monday (50 days after) all derive from this single calculation, which is why they move so much each year.
Lunar calendars
Islamic holidays advance roughly 11 days each Gregorian year because the Islamic year is about 354 days. Hindu and Buddhist holidays like Diwali similarly shift. This calendar uses the widely accepted dates for these observances in the listed years.
Regional variation within countries
A national holiday list is a starting point, not the whole picture. Germany has nine federal holidays plus regional observances — Epiphany is a holiday in Bavaria but not Berlin; the Reformation Day holiday applies in several eastern states. Australia's states each set their own in addition to national dates; Queensland does not observe daylight saving while its neighbours do.
Canada, Switzerland, the US (state holidays) and India (which has a complex set of national and state holidays plus optional observances) all show significant regional variation. For critical planning, confirm both the national and the regional calendar for the specific area you care about.
How holidays affect travel
Public holidays drive peak domestic travel. Trains, flights and hotels fill up and prices rise around major holidays — Christmas, Lunar New Year, Eid, Thanksgiving, Golden Week. Booking well ahead is essential, and travel on the holiday itself is often calmer than the days around it.
Holidays also close attractions, museums and shops, or run them on reduced hours. Conversely, some destinations come alive on holidays with parades, fireworks and festivals that are worth travelling for. The key is simply to know in advance, so you can either lean into the celebration or route around the closure.
How holidays affect business and projects
For distributed teams, a shared holiday calendar prevents scheduling a deadline or meeting on a day when half the team is off. Cross-border projects should maintain a combined calendar of all team members' local holidays and treat any day that is a holiday for a majority as a no-meeting day.
Public holidays also affect legal deadlines, banking settlement and government services. A filing due on a public holiday is typically moved to the next working day, but this varies by jurisdiction; confirm the rule for the relevant country rather than assuming.
Reading this calendar correctly
Each entry shows the holiday name and the full day of the week, so you can immediately see whether it creates a long weekend. Holidays that fall on a Tuesday or Thursday often produce a 'bridge' day culture where people take the adjacent Monday or Friday off, effectively closing businesses for four days.
The count shown is the number of nationwide public holidays in the selected year. Remember that many workers also receive annual leave on top, and that some countries have more official holidays than others — Cambodia and India rank among the highest globally, while Mexico and the Netherlands have comparatively few.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a public holiday?
A public (or statutory) holiday is a day recognised by national law on which most workers are entitled to a day off, often with pay. It is distinct from observances or religious holidays that are widely marked but not legally mandated.
Are these dates guaranteed correct?
Dates reflect official national public holidays for the listed years. Some countries add one-off holidays or move observances when they fall on weekends; always confirm critical dates against an official government source close to the time.
Why do some holidays move each year?
Holidays tied to lunar calendars (Easter, Eid, Diwali, Lunar New Year) shift against the Gregorian calendar each year. Others, like US Thanksgiving or UK bank holidays, are defined by weekday (e.g. 'fourth Thursday of November') and so move within a fixed range.
Do all regions of a country share the same holidays?
Not always. Many countries have national holidays plus regional or state holidays. Germany, Australia, Canada and Switzerland all have significant regional variation. This calendar lists the nationwide public holidays.
Can employers require work on a public holiday?
In many countries yes, often with premium pay or a substitute day off. The rules vary widely by jurisdiction; the existence of a public holiday does not automatically close every workplace.
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