Is it a public holiday?

Frequently asked questions

What is a public holiday?

A public holiday is a day set by law or government decision on which most workplaces and schools close and many people have the day off. Some holidays are religious, some national or historical, and some mark workers or the seasons. Which days count, and how they are paid, depends on each country's rules.

What is the difference between a public holiday and a bank holiday?

In some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the term bank holiday is used for public holidays, because banks and many businesses close. In other countries a bank holiday can mean a day when only banks and financial markets are closed. We list the days that the data source marks as public holidays and show other observances separately.

Why do some holidays apply only to some regions?

Many countries let states, provinces or regions set their own holidays. Germany, Switzerland, the United States and Spain all have holidays that apply in some regions only. On this site, a holiday is marked Nationwide when it applies everywhere in the country, and Some regions when it applies only to part of it.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?

It depends on the country. Some countries move the day off to the nearest Monday or Friday, some give a replacement day later, and some simply let the holiday pass. The dates on this site are the calendar dates of the holiday itself. For replacement rules, check the official source for the country.

Why does the date of Easter change every year?

Western Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, so it can fall between 22 March and 25 April. Good Friday, Easter Monday and several other holidays are counted from Easter, so they move with it. Orthodox churches use a different calendar for the calculation, so their Easter often falls on another date.

How does this site know whether today is a holiday?

Each page contains the list of public holidays for the country and works out today's date in the country's main time zone, using your browser. That is why the answer stays correct even if you keep a page open past midnight. For countries that span several time zones, we use the time zone of the most populated or main region.