Public Holidays by Country — How to Plan Around Global Holidays
If you have ever sent an urgent email to a colleague, only to realize hours later that they were on a bank holiday you did not know existed, you understand the frustration of cross-country scheduling blindspots. The United States has 11 federal holidays. Japan has 16. Germany has 9 national holidays plus state-level additions. The Netherlands has King's Day on April 27. Brazil has Carnaval, which is not even a fixed date. Without a reference, it is nearly impossible to keep track of when your global contacts are actually at work.
This holiday calendar covers 20 countries with full public holiday lists for any year you choose. Select your country from the dropdown, choose the year, and see every public holiday listed by month with the day of the week clearly marked. The "Next 3 upcoming holidays" panel at the top shows you the nearest holidays for today's date so you can plan this week's outreach without digging through a list.
How Holiday Dates Are Calculated
Public holidays come in two main types: fixed and floating. Fixed holidays are on the same calendar date every year — Christmas Day is always December 25, Independence Day is always July 4, Bastille Day is always July 14. These are straightforward.
Floating holidays are defined by a rule, not a date. Memorial Day in the US is the last Monday in May. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November. The UK's Summer Bank Holiday is the last Monday in August. Canada's Victoria Day is the Monday before May 25. All of these are calculated algorithmically by this tool for any year you select, so you can plan for future years as accurately as the current year.
Easter-based holidays — Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday — use the Anonymous Gregorian algorithm, which is the standard method for calculating Easter. Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25, which means all Easter-derived holidays shift by up to 35 days from year to year. The algorithm is accurate for all years from 1583 onward.
Public Holiday Counts by Country
The number of public holidays varies significantly between countries. Here is a summary of what this tool covers:
| Country | National Holidays | Notable Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 11 | Thanksgiving — 4th Thursday in November |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 8 | Summer Bank Holiday — last Monday in August |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 11 | Victoria Day — Monday before May 25 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 8 | ANZAC Day — April 25 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 9 | German Unity Day — October 3 |
| 🇫🇷 France | 11 | Bastille Day — July 14 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 10 | Epiphany — January 6 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 11 | Liberation Day — April 25 |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 9 | King's Day — April 27 |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 11 | Midsummer Day — Saturday between June 20–26 |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 10 | Constitution Day — May 17 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 16 | Golden Week — early May cluster |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 8 | Hangul Day — October 9 |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 7 | National Day — August 9 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 4 | Republic Day — January 26 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 12 | Carnaval — 48 days before Easter |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 7 | Revolution Day — 3rd Monday in November |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 12 | Day of Reconciliation — December 16 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 10 | Waitangi Day — February 6 |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 14 | Rizal Day — December 30 |
Planning International Business Around Holidays
The practical challenge with global holidays is that they overlap in unpredictable ways. Japan's Golden Week (late April to early May) is a multi-day public holiday cluster when many Japanese companies shut down almost entirely. If you are waiting on a response from a Japanese partner and send your email on April 29, you may not hear back until May 6. This is not rudeness — it is Golden Week.
Similarly, the period between Christmas and New Year (December 25–January 1) is effectively a shutdown period across most of Europe and North America. Brazil's Carnaval is a major productivity gap in February or March depending on the year. Ramadan, while not a public holiday in most Western countries, significantly affects productivity and work patterns in countries with large Muslim populations.
For distributed teams, the easiest practice is to build a shared calendar that marks the public holidays for every country where a team member is based. Before scheduling a deadline, check whether any team member is on a public holiday in that week. This tool gives you a quick reference without requiring a subscription or sign-up.
Using This Tool for Travel Planning
Public holidays affect travelers in two ways. First, many attractions, government offices, banks, and some businesses close on public holidays. If you are planning a visa appointment or need to visit a government office, check the local holiday calendar before booking. Second, public holidays often drive domestic tourism surges — hotels and transport book up faster, prices spike, and popular destinations get crowded.
Japan's Golden Week, Lunar New Year in East and Southeast Asia, and school half-term breaks in the UK are all examples of periods when travel infrastructure is under strain. Knowing these dates lets you either avoid them (by traveling the week before or after) or lean into them — some public holiday periods have unique cultural events worth experiencing, like Carnaval in Brazil or Diwali in India.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries does this holiday calendar cover?
This calendar covers 20 countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Select your country from the dropdown to see its public holidays for any year.
Are the holiday dates accurate for future years?
Yes. Fixed holidays (such as Christmas on December 25) are accurate for any year. Floating holidays — defined by rules like 'the 2nd Monday in October' or 'the last Monday in May' — are calculated algorithmically for any year you select. Easter-based holidays use the standard Anonymous Gregorian algorithm, accurate from 1583 onward.
Why does my country have different holidays in different states or provinces?
Many countries have both national (federal) holidays that apply everywhere and regional holidays that vary by state, province, or territory. This calendar shows national public holidays. For region-specific schedules (e.g., state holidays in Australia or provincial holidays in Canada), check your local government's official holiday list.
What is the difference between a public holiday and a bank holiday?
In most countries these terms are used interchangeably. A public holiday is an officially designated day when government offices, schools, and many businesses close. 'Bank holiday' is the common term in the UK and Ireland. In the US, the equivalent term is 'federal holiday' for nationally designated days.
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, when is it observed?
Many countries have 'substitute day' rules where a holiday on Saturday is observed on Friday, and one on Sunday is observed on Monday. The specific rules vary by country and holiday. This calendar shows the actual legislated calendar date of the holiday, not the observed substitute. Check your country's government website for the exact observed date in a specific year.