When Is Every Public Holiday in 2026 and 2027? The Complete Calendar

Planning your year around public holidays is one of the most effective ways to maximize your time off. Whether you are mapping out a long weekend getaway or engineering a full bridge holiday, knowing exactly when each public holiday falls -- and what day of the week it lands on -- is the first step.

This page is your single reference for every major public holiday in 2026 and 2027 across six countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and France. Bookmark it, share it with your team, and use it to plan smarter.

Key Dates Everyone Searches

Before we get into the full country-by-country tables, here are the quick answers to the most searched holiday questions:

• When is Easter 2026? Sunday, April 5, 2026
• When is Easter 2027? Sunday, March 28, 2027
• When is Christmas 2026? Friday, December 25, 2026 -- creating a natural long weekend
• When is Christmas 2027? Saturday, December 25, 2027 -- falls on a weekend, so many countries observe a substitute Monday holiday
• When is Thanksgiving 2026 (US)? Thursday, November 26, 2026
• When is Thanksgiving 2027 (US)? Thursday, November 25, 2027

Christmas 2026 on a Friday is especially noteworthy. Combined with Boxing Day on Saturday and the weekend, workers in many countries can bridge to New Year's with minimal leave days. Meanwhile, Easter 2027 arriving in late March opens up spring travel windows earlier than usual.

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United States -- Federal Holidays

The US has 11 federal holidays. Several already fall on Mondays by design (creating guaranteed long weekends), but midweek holidays like Independence Day and Christmas offer prime bridge opportunities.

Standout windows: Veterans Day 2026 falls on a Wednesday -- take Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday off for a 9-day break using just 4 leave days. Thanksgiving 2026 and 2027 both land on Thursday, making the classic 4-day weekend easy, or extend it backward for a full week.

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United Kingdom -- Bank Holidays (England & Wales)

The UK's bank holiday calendar is compact but strategically placed. Easter provides a ready-made 4-day weekend every year, and the May bank holidays cluster nicely for spring travel.

Standout windows: Good Friday through Easter Monday delivers a 4-day weekend without using any annual leave, both years. In 2026, Christmas on Friday and Boxing Day on Saturday mean you only need Dec 28-31 off (3 days of leave) to bridge all the way through New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1, 2027 -- a 10-day break.

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Canada -- Statutory Holidays

Canada's holiday calendar shares some dates with the US and UK but includes distinct celebrations like Victoria Day and Canada Day. Provincial holidays vary, but these are the nationally recognized dates.

Standout windows: Canada Day 2026 on a Wednesday is the year's best bridge target. Take Thursday and Friday off (2 leave days) for a 5-day break, or go bigger with Monday through Friday off (4 leave days, minus the holiday) for a 9-day stretch. Remembrance Day 2026 offers the same midweek bridge opportunity.

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Australia -- National Public Holidays

Australia's holiday calendar runs inverted to the Northern Hemisphere seasons, making ANZAC Day and Queen's Birthday key planning dates for autumn and winter breaks. State-specific holidays add further opportunities, but these are the nationally observed dates.

*Queen's Birthday date varies by state. Dates shown are for ACT, NSW, SA, and TAS. QLD, WA, and VIC observe different dates.

Standout windows: Easter 2026 is outstanding -- Good Friday through Easter Monday gives a 4-day weekend, and ANZAC Day falls on the Saturday just three weeks later. In 2026, Australia Day on Monday creates a guaranteed long weekend. Christmas 2026 on Friday pairs with Boxing Day on Saturday for easy year-end bridging.

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Germany -- National Public Holidays

Germany's federal holidays lean heavily on the Christian calendar, with a cluster of spring holidays (Easter, Ascension, Whit Monday) that create some of Europe's best bridge opportunities. Individual states add their own holidays, but these nine are observed nationwide.

Standout windows: Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) on a Thursday is the classic German "Bruckentag" (bridge day) opportunity. In 2026, take Friday May 15 off and you get a 4-day weekend. In 2027, the same pattern applies with May 7. German workers routinely plan around Ascension -- book early. May 2026 is extraordinary: Labour Day (Friday May 1), Ascension (Thursday May 14), and Whit Monday (Monday May 25) mean three long weekends in a single month.

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France -- Public Holidays (Jours Feries)

France is famously generous with public holidays -- 11 per year. The spring cluster from Easter through Whit Monday is dense, and several midweek holidays offer textbook bridge (pont) opportunities that French workers plan around religiously.

Standout windows: May 2026 in France is exceptional. Labour Day on Friday (May 1), Victory in Europe Day on Friday (May 8), Ascension on Thursday (May 14), and Whit Monday (May 25) deliver four long weekends in one month -- with minimal leave required. Bastille Day 2026 on a Tuesday means taking just Monday off for a 4-day weekend. Armistice Day 2026 on a Wednesday is a classic midweek pont.

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How to Use This Calendar

Knowing the dates is step one. The real value comes from identifying which holidays create the best bridge opportunities -- stretches where a small number of leave days connects public holidays and weekends into extended breaks.

Look for these patterns:

• Thursday holidays: Take Friday off for a 4-day weekend (1 leave day)
• Tuesday holidays: Take Monday off for a 4-day weekend (1 leave day)
• Wednesday holidays: Take either side (or both) for a 5-day or 9-day break
• Friday holidays: Automatic 3-day weekend, extend backward for more
• Holiday clusters: May in Germany and France, Easter everywhere, Christmas-to-New Year's

The bridge potential column in each table gives you a quick read: "Great" means the holiday falls midweek with strong bridging potential, "Good" means it is near a weekend but still offers extension value, and "Weekend" means it already falls on Saturday or Sunday (or creates a long weekend by design, like US Monday holidays).

See which holidays create the best bridge opportunities →

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Plan Your 2026 and 2027 Leave Now

The best holiday windows get booked fast -- both in terms of employer leave approvals and travel availability. Workers who plan early consistently get more time off for fewer leave days.

Use the tables above to spot your country's strongest bridge opportunities, then map them against your annual leave balance. Whether you are optimizing for long weekends, full-week breaks, or multi-week travel windows, the pattern is the same: find the midweek holidays, bridge the gaps, and make every leave day count.

See which holidays create the best bridge opportunities →