In this article, we will get the insight in the countries that have the most public holidays in the world. Also, are all those holidays mandatory, and what are some other types of holidays? Answers, of course, vary from country to country, derived from various customs and important dates, of religious, cultural or historical meaning.
Public holidays in general are some important dates for a country which are usually not working days for both private and public sector workers. In most cases, those holidays have fixed dates, but some of them are movable depending on some factors like moon cycle or day in a week. A nice review of holiday types was given by Office Holidays. According to it, the most common are: national holidays, gazetted holidays, bank holidays, restricted holidays, bridge holidays, federal holidays and statutory holidays.
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National holidays or national days are those of importance to the establishment of the country or gaining independence. Fun fact is that Denmark and Great Britain do not have a National day. Gazetted holidays are those who are made mandatory by the government (and the term is usually used only in countries that are former British colonies). Restricted holidays are not mandatory, but specific individuals may choose some of those holidays (those are holidays related to cultural and religious issues). Bank holidays can be referred to simply as public holidays (also in former British colonies), but only as holidays when banks are closed on other places. Bridge holidays are those that are connected to usually non-working days (weekends). Federal holidays are US holidays authorized by law. Statutory holidays mark mandatory holidays in some countries.
Well, this all may seem like a mess of terms as there is no general universal “rule” for how holidays should be managed. For that reason, we have tried to make a selection of holidays for countries that have most public holidays, in terms of the public holiday being mandatory and defined by the government. Among them will certainly be some of the most celebrated holidays in the world as well.
We have made the first steps of the search for countries that have the most public holidays at places like World Atlas, Human Resources, Gulf Business, Jakub Marian and the Telegraph. Even though all of them mention the same countries more or less, the figures differed so we have checked all the mentioned countries individually to see what the real figures should be. If official government information on public holidays was not accessible, our main resource for that search was the Office Holidays.
So, let’s go through next pages and take a look which are those lucky countries that have the most public holidays in the world.
15. Malaysia
Public holidays count: 13
Apart from those holidays nationally celebrated, there are many restricted regional holidays in Malaysia as one of the countries with most holidays in the world since Malaysia consists of 13 states and each of them celebrates anniversary or birthday of some of their Sultans. Apart from those, there are National Day, Malaysia Day, Labor Day, Wesak Day (birth of Buddha), Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya day and much more.
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14. Czech Republic
Public holidays count: 13
Many public holidays in the Czech Republic that ranks 14th on our list of countries that have the most public holidays in the world are related to some of the saints, like St Wenceslas Day, St Cyril and Methodius Day (celebrating the missionaries who brought Christianity from Byzantine Empire), St. Stephens Day. Also, two important holidays are Foundation of the independent Czechoslovak state in 1918, and also the separation of Czech Republic (October 28), and Slovakia celebrated on January 01 as Restoration Day of Independent Czech State.
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13. Turkey
Public holidays count: 14
The most important public holiday in Turkey is Eid al Adha, i.e. Kurban Bayrami, and it is celebrated as a four day holiday. Second longest is the Ramazan Feast Holiday that occurs in June and lasts for three days (it is a movable holiday since it depends on Lunar cycle). Other public holidays in Turkey include Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day (the beginning of Independence war in 1919), National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, Labor Day, Republic Day.
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12. Sweden
Public holidays count: 14
As many countries celebrate Midsummer, Sweden, the next one on the list of countries that have the most public holidays in the world, is one of those countries that made a public holiday out of it. It is celebrated for two days (including Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day celebrated on Saturday between Jun 20 and 26). It is nowadays one of the most important holidays in Sweden. Apart from it, there are some common holidays like Christmas, National Day, Labor Day Easter holidays, etc.
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11. Trinidad and Tobago
Public holidays count: 14
Apart from usual public holidays, there are also carnival days (Monday and Tuesday in February) which are not public holidays, but most of the businesses are closed then due to Carnival held in Brazil. From other holidays there are religious ones — Good Friday, Easter Days, Corpus Christi, Eid al Fitr (end of Ramadan), Diwali, there are also Independence Day, Emancipation Day (end of slavery of British Empire in 1834), Labour Day, etc. Now, let’s see what else we have on our list of countries that have the most public holidays in the world.
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10. Japan
Public holidays count: 15
During May there is a public holiday lasting for seven days, called Golden Week, including Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day. Children’s Day has been proclaimed in 1948 dedicated to children and their happiness. On that day parents and families pray for the younglings by displaying samurai dolls which represent strength and success.
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9. Argentina
Public holidays count: 17
The interesting holiday in Argentina is two day holiday, Carnival Monday and Tuesday before the Ash Wednesday. The Carnival is similar to one held in Brazil. Other holidays include religious holidays like St. Martins Day, Immaculate Conception Day, and those like Veteran’s Day, National Flag Day, Independence Day, Truth and Justice Day ( in memory of those who disappeared in military junta in 1976), etc.
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8. Hong Kong
Public holidays count: 17
Hong Kong is one of the countries that have the most public holidays in the world. New Year is celebrated for two days in Hong Kong, and Chinese New Year for three days. Ching Ming is an interesting holiday concerning the worship of ancestors. On that day it is a custom to visit ancestors on graveyards, clean the graves, bring fresh flowers and so on.
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7. India
Public holidays count: 17
Since we have gained the information on Indian public holidays from the National Portal of India, we have calculated only Gazette holidays (as we have noted in the introductory part, gazetted holidays are mandatory holidays in former British colonies). There are officially 17 of those in India today. In addition to this, there are plenty of them, so India might hold the first place of countries that have the most holidays in general. That is because India being the second most populous country in the world where many cultural groups and impacts have mixed for centuries, together with their customs and holidays. Many of those are now accepted as restricted holidays in India.
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6. Colombia
Public holidays count: 18
Apart from mainly religious public holidays (Immaculate Conception Day, Assumption Day, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Sacred Heart, Corpus Christi…), as one of the countries that has the most holidays, Colombia also celebrates Independence day (when it gained independence from Spain) and Declaration of Independence (events that led to independence) and Labor day.
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5. Philippines
Public holidays count: 19
The Independence Day of Philippines was celebrated on Jul 04 until 1962 (since it gained independence from the US on that day in 1948), it was changed to Jun 12 since then (the date when the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898). Other public holidays include Labor day, Good Friday, Black Saturday, the Day of Valor (fall of Bataan in WW2), All Saints Day, Christmas Eve, etc.
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4. Lebanon
Public holidays count: 21
There are many holidays in Lebanon like national, Christian and Muslim as well. So there’s, for example, Christmas Day on December 25, and also Orthodox Armenian Christmas on January 06. They also celebrate Labor day, Resistance and Liberation day, Aijri and Prophet’s day, Independence day among other holidays.
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3. China
Public holidays count: 23
There are long public holidays in China, that ranks 3rd on our list of countries that have the most public holidays in the world. named Golden Weeks. Those are twice a year – for Chinese New Year days (in 2017 those were January 27 – February 02) and National Day Golden Week (October 01- October 06). In China, they also celebrate Duanwu, the Dragon Boat Festival that occurs on every fifth day of the fifth moon. Today that holiday is celebrated with dragon boat races (boats with dragon heads on bows) that can carry up to 80 rowers). Apart from those days, at March 8th women are celebrating Women’s Day.
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2. Thailand
Public holidays count: 24
In Thailand, the next country on the list of countries that have the most public holidays in the world, there are public holidays lasting for four days for both New Year (December 31 – January 04) and Thai New Year or the Songkran festival (April 13 – April 16). Among others, there is also Queens Birthday, which now falls on August 12, and Constitution Day as the national day that marks the adoption of constitutional monarchy.
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1. Sri Lanka
Public holidays count: 25
So, we have reached the number one of the countries that have the most public holidays in the world. The fun fact about Sri Lanka is that every full moon is considered a public holiday, so many of those are full moon holidays. Those holidays are related to Buddhism and lunar calendar, meaning they belong to a movable group of public holidays. Those days are called Poya days, and there are logically 12 of those per year. Other public holidays of Sri Lanka include Buddhist, Christian and Muslim holidays and national holidays: Christmas Day, National day (independence from the British in 1948), Good Friday, Idul Adha and some others.
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