Public Holidays Across Europe: Country-by-Country Guide

• Fixed Holidays Versus Moving Holidays
• Regional and Cantonal Variations

All European countries observe fixed secular holidays: New Year's Day (January 1), Labour Day (May 1), and some form of national independence or unification day. These dates remain constant yearly and simplify workforce planning since they occur on predictable calendar dates.

Religious holidays create scheduling complexity because they follow lunar or ecclesiastical calendars rather than the Gregorian calendar. Easter, Easter Monday, and Pentecost vary between late March and late May depending on the year, requiring flexible vacation and project scheduling systems.

Catholic-majority countries (Spain, Italy, Belgium) observe more religious holidays including Assumption Day and All Saints' Day. Protestant regions (Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia) observe fewer religious holidays. Orthodox-majority countries have different Easter dates entirely, creating coordination challenges for pan-European teams.

Switzerland operates a unique system where cantons determine their own holidays beyond federal minimums. Some cantons observe 10 days annually, others 11–12. Geneva has different holidays than Zurich. This complexity makes canton-specific calendar management essential for Swiss employers.

Germany, Belgium, and Spain have regional holiday variations: German states (Länder) each observe different combinations of religious holidays, some recognizing more Protestant or Catholic feast days. Spanish autonomous communities may add regional holidays alongside national observances.

Austria and Italy recognize regional patron saint days as official holidays in some provinces. These aren't uniform nationwide but rather local observances that may require documented absence without vacation deduction in certain areas. Multinational teams must track regional calendars, not just national ones.