Public Holidays by Country: The Complete 2026 Reference

Understanding how many public holidays a country observes — and when they fall — is foundational knowledge for international travelers, global business teams, and anyone trying to make sense of why their overseas colleague is unresponsive on a Tuesday in November.

This guide covers public holiday counts and patterns for the world's major economies and regions in 2026, along with an explanation of why these numbers vary so dramatically across countries.

Why Holiday Counts Vary So Much

Before diving into the numbers, it's worth understanding what drives the variation. Countries with more public holidays aren't simply more generous with time off — they reflect different historical, religious, and political traditions.

Religious heritage is the biggest driver. Countries with strong Catholic traditions tend to observe more feast days as national holidays: Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary, All Saints' Day, and the Immaculate Conception all appear on the official calendars of countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, and the Philippines. Countries with Protestant or secular traditions tend to have stripped many of these from the official list over time.

Colonial and post-independence history explains why many countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia observe national holidays with no European equivalent. Independence Day, Republic Day, Revolution Day — these are meaningful national milestones that simply don't exist in countries that didn't go through the same historical moments.

Federal systems often produce fewer national holidays. The United States has only 11 federal holidays because states have traditionally controlled their own additional observances. Germany's 9-to-13 range reflects each of its 16 states setting some holidays independently.

Political decisions can add or remove holidays. Countries sometimes add holidays to recognize social movements, remove ones that feel outdated, or shift dates to create long weekends.

Countries With the Most Public Holidays in 2026

At the top of the global list, a cluster of countries — mostly in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America — observe an exceptionally high number of national public holidays.

India leads among major economies, with 17 national public holidays at the central government level, though the actual number observed varies by state. States like Gujarat and Telangana observe 21 or more. India's calendar reflects its extraordinary religious diversity: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and Buddhist observances all appear as official public holidays.

Colombia observes 18 public holidays nationally. The country's strong Catholic tradition accounts for most of them, including several feast days that most other Latin American nations have removed from their official calendars. Colombia also observes a practical rule: most holidays that fall midweek are moved to the following Monday, creating long weekends rather than disruptive mid-week breaks.

The Philippines observes 18 regular public holidays and additional special non-working holidays, reflecting its mix of Catholic tradition inherited from Spanish colonization, Muslim observances, and national commemoration days.

Iran observes 17 public holidays, many of which follow the Islamic calendar and shift dates each year relative to the Gregorian calendar.

Japan observes 16 national public holidays in 2026. Japan has a rule called "Happy Monday" that has moved several holidays to Mondays since 1998 to encourage long weekends and domestic tourism. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a "substitute holiday."

Thailand observes approximately 16 public holidays, including several that follow the Buddhist lunar calendar and shift each year.

Major Western Economies

For most cross-border business planning, the holidays in major Western economies are the most operationally relevant. Here is a summary of what 2026 looks like for the largest economies:

United States (11 federal holidays): New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. State and municipal governments may observe additional days.

United Kingdom (8 Bank Holidays in England and Wales): New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Early May Bank Holiday, the Spring Bank Holiday, the Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Scotland and Northern Ireland observe different dates and sometimes different holidays.

Germany (9–13 national and state holidays): Germany's federal calendar includes 9 holidays observed in all states. Individual states add between 1 and 4 more depending on their religious tradition. Bavaria, with its strong Catholic heritage, observes the most. New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day (May 1), Ascension, Whit Monday, German Unity Day (October 3), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day are the nationwide observances.

France (11 public holidays): New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labor Day (May 1), Victory in Europe Day (May 8), Ascension, Whit Monday, Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption of Mary (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Armistice Day (November 11), and Christmas Day.

Italy (11 public holidays): Italy's calendar closely resembles France's, with the addition of Epiphany (January 6), Liberation Day (April 25), and Republic Day (June 2). Italy also observes All Saints' Day and Assumption of Mary as particularly significant Catholic holidays.

Spain (12 national + regional holidays): Spain's national calendar includes 12 holidays, with autonomous communities adding their own. National Day (October 12), Columbus Day, and Constitution Day (December 6) are distinctly Spanish. Like Italy, Spain observes Epiphany, Assumption, All Saints', and the Immaculate Conception.

Canada (9 federal + provincial): New Year's Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labor Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving (October, not November like the US), Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Provinces add further holidays.

Australia (8 national + state holidays): New Year's Day, Australia Day (January 26), Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day (April 25), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Each state adds between 1 and 3 more.

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Latin America generally observes more public holidays than comparable Western economies, driven largely by the region's Catholic heritage and the density of national commemoration days.

Brazil (12 national holidays): New Year's Day, Good Friday, Tiradentes Day (April 21), Labor Day (May 1), Corpus Christi, Independence Day (September 7), Our Lady of Aparecida (October 12), All Souls' Day (November 2), Republic Proclamation Day (November 15), and Christmas.

Mexico (7 mandatory national holidays): Mexico's mandatory holiday list is notably short — New Year's Day, Constitution Day (first Monday in February), Benito Juárez Birthday (third Monday in March), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (September 16), Revolution Day (third Monday in November), and Christmas. However, employers often observe additional days informally.

Argentina (15+ public holidays): Argentina has one of the most holiday-rich calendars in South America, including several "bridge days" (días puente) where the government declares an extra day off when a holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday. This makes Argentina's effective holiday calendar significantly longer than its official count.

Colombia (18 public holidays): Colombia leads Latin America in official public holiday count, with most mid-week holidays moved to Monday for operational convenience.

Africa and the Middle East

South Africa (12 public holidays): South Africa's calendar uniquely reflects its post-apartheid history. Beyond Christmas, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday, it observes Human Rights Day (March 21), Freedom Day (April 27), Workers' Day (May 1), Youth Day (June 16), National Women's Day (August 9), Heritage Day (September 24), Day of Reconciliation (December 16), and Day of Goodwill (December 26).

Nigeria (12 public holidays): Nigeria's calendar blends Christian and Muslim observances — both Good Friday and Easter Monday appear alongside Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Nigerian public holidays include New Year's Day, May Day, Democracy Day (June 12), Independence Day (October 1), and Christmas and Boxing Day.

How to Find Exact Dates for Any Country

Holiday counts are useful context, but the specific dates in any given year are what actually matter for planning. The Holiday Overlap comparison tool lets you look up any country's full public holiday calendar for 2026 and beyond, and compare it with any other country to find overlapping dates. For common country pairs, the pre-built comparison pages include the complete calendar for the current year with overlapping dates highlighted.

For official verification of holidays that affect legal or contractual obligations, always cross-reference with the relevant country's official government website or embassy.

Explore comparisons: US & UK · US & Japan · US & India · Australia & New Zealand