Holiday CalendarHolidayCalendar.org
Country holiday calendars

Public Holidays and Country Holiday Calendars

Public holidays are official days off or reduced-work days set by national or regional law. They differ from awareness observances, which usually keep offices open. Use country pages to see dated lists, then open a year calendar for planning.

Browse holidays by country

What are public holidays?

A public holiday (or legal holiday) is a day recognized by law when many workers receive time off, and schools, banks, or government offices may close. Rules vary by country and sometimes by region within a country.

  • Dates can be fixed (same calendar day each year) or move with lunar calendars or weekday rules
  • Some holidays are nationwide; others apply only in certain states or provinces
  • Substitute or bridge days may shift the observed date when a holiday falls on a weekend

Popular country holiday calendars

Open a country hub or jump to the 2026 dated list.

Browse public holidays by year

Start with a 2026 calendar, then switch country from the directory.

Browse by year

2026 public holidays

Example: United States 2026 calendar. Pick another country from the holiday directory to see additional years.

Open 2026 calendar

Public holidays vs observances

Both show up on calendars, but they answer different planning questions.

Public holidays
Observances
Typical effect
Time off or reduced operations in many places
Awareness and commemoration
Office closures
Often closed banks, schools, or government
Usually a normal working day worldwide
On this site
Country listings by year under /holidays
Thematic and international calendars under /observances

International observances guideObservance calendars

Planning with public holiday calendars

Common reasons teams and families open country year views.

  • Travel and leave

    Check when offices and services close before booking trips or PTO.

  • Payroll and HR

    Align pay rules, overtime, and regional closures with official holiday calendars.

  • Remote and distributed teams

    Compare country calendars when scheduling meetings across time zones.

  • Campaigns and retail

    Time promotions and customer support around local public holidays.

  • School and family planning

    See term breaks and national holidays together on a country year view.

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about public holidays and how to use this site.

What is a public holiday?

A public holiday is a day established by law when many people have time off work and some institutions close. Examples include New Year's Day and Independence Day in the United States. The exact list and observed dates depend on each country.

How are public holidays different from observances?

Public holidays often affect work schedules and closures. Observances such as World Health Day are usually awareness dates that do not automatically close offices. This site lists both, on separate country and observance calendars.

How do I find holidays for a specific country and year?

Open the public holiday directory, choose a country, then select a year. You can also use the popular country links on this page to jump straight to a 2026 calendar.

Why do holiday dates change from year to year?

Some holidays use fixed calendar dates; others follow lunar calendars, Easter-related rules, or weekday formulas (for example, a Monday in May). Country year pages show the dates we store for that calendar year.

Does HolidayCalendar.org cover regional holidays?

Country year pages focus on holidays we store for that nation. Regional or state-level holidays may appear when they are included in our data for that country. Open the country page to see which years are available.

Ready to open a country calendar?

Browse the full public holiday directory and pick a country or year calendar.

Browse holidays by country