What are public holidays?
Public holidays are government-mandated non-working days that carry specific legal obligations for employers. Unlike standard annual leave, which is often flexible, these dates are fixed by law and dictate critical payroll rules such as premium pay, store closures, and compensatory time off.
For global businesses, navigating these diverse calendars, which can vary by state, religion, or local custom, is essential to ensure labor law compliance and maintain operational efficiency.
View Public Holidays by Country
What actually counts as a Public Holiday?
It sounds simple, but globally, the definition varies. A National Holiday is established by law and typically mandatory for all sectors. However, many countries also observe:
- Regional Holidays Applicable only to specific states or cantons (common in Switzerland, Germany, Spain).
- Bank Holidays Days when financial institutions close. While often aligned with public holidays, they don't always guarantee time off for the general workforce.
- Religious Holidays Days tied to specific religious traditions, which may or may not be official public holidays depending on local laws.
National Day
Aug 1 · Federal Holiday
MANDATORY
Spring Bank Holiday
May 26 · Bank Holiday
OPTIONAL
San José
Mar 19 · Regional
REGIONAL
Independence Day
Jul 4 · Federal
FEDERAL
Bastille Day
Jul 14 · National
NATIONAL
German Unity Day
Oct 3 · Federal
MANDATORY
Republic Day
Jun 2 · National
NATIONAL
Canada Day
Jul 1 · Federal
FEDERAL
Portugal Day
Jun 10 · National
NATIONAL
King's Day
Apr 27 · National
NATIONAL
National Day
Jul 21 · National
NATIONAL
St. Patrick's Day
Mar 17 · National
NATIONAL
Compliance Alert
The
In many jurisdictions, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is lost. In others (like the UK or USA), it moves to the next Monday.
New Year's DaySat, Jan 1
Lost in FranceObserved Jan 3 in UK
Why accuracy matters for business.
For companies with international teams, public holidays are more than just days off, they are complex compliance events. Failing to track them accurately can lead to:
Payroll Errors
Incorrectly calculating overtime pay for employees working on holidays.
Legal Risk
Violating local labor laws regarding mandatory rest periods.
Operational Disruptions
Holiday misalignment can derail projects, support coverage, and delivery timelines. A working day in one country may be a major public holiday in another.
Check Compliance Rules for Your Country
Stop Managing Holidays Manually
Leavo is the modern infrastructure for global leave and holiday management. Instead of maintaining scattered calendars or updating spreadsheets, Leavo gives you a single, reliable system that keeps every team aligned and compliant, automatically.
- Auto-generated public holiday calendars for every country, region, and city
- Location-based rules applied automatically to each employee
- A single source of truth, always up to date
- Full compliance tracking with complete audit history
Public Holidays by Country
Select a jurisdiction to view the official holiday calendar for 2025.
🇺🇸United States 🇨🇦Canada 🇫🇷France 🇩🇪Germany 🇬🇧United Kingdom 🇨🇭Switzerland 🇮🇹Italy 🇪🇸Spain 🇧🇷Brazil 🇲🇽Mexico 🇵🇹Portugal 🇳🇱Netherlands 🇧🇪Belgium 🇨🇳China 🇯🇵Japan
Common questions about Public Holidays
Does every country have the same number of holidays?
No. The number varies significantly. For example, the UK has only 8 bank holidays, while Colombia and India can have over 18 public holidays per year.
Are holidays paid days off?
In most of Europe and Latin America, yes. In the United States, there is no federal requirement for employers to provide paid time off for holidays, though many do.
How do I track this for my team?
You can manually update a shared calendar, or use a dedicated tool like Leavo to automatically sync local holidays to each employee's profile.