About World Holidays
Holiday dates you can trust
World Holidays publishes a clear, dependable calendar of public holidays and notable observances around the world—one country, one date and one well-sourced explanation at a time.
Why World Holidays exists
A holiday date can affect travel, deliveries, schools, government services and the working day—but the answer is not always as simple as a name on a calendar. A legal holiday may be observed on another weekday. A celebration may be nationally familiar without closing a single federal office. And the same date can carry different meanings in different communities.
World Holidays separates those distinctions instead of hiding them. Every calendar entry is labeled by type, and each detailed holiday guide explains the date, history, observance and common traditions in straightforward language.
How we classify holidays
Public holiday
An official holiday recognized by the relevant national, federal, provincial or territorial authority. The scope label explains where the rule applies.
Observed day off
A substitute weekday used when a fixed-date holiday falls on a weekend. The exact rule can differ by country, jurisdiction, workplace and schedule.
Unofficial holiday
A widely recognized civic, cultural or seasonal date that is not an official public holiday and does not normally close government offices.
How dates are calculated and checked
Fixed holidays use the date established by the relevant law or official calendar. Moving holidays are calculated from their weekday, religious-calendar or astronomical rules for each year. When a jurisdiction substitutes a weekday because a holiday falls on a weekend, the observed day off is shown separately from the holiday itself.
Research prioritizes primary sources such as legislation, official gazettes, labour ministries, civil-service authorities and government calendars. Where rules differ by state, province, territory, canton or another local jurisdiction, the scope is stated instead of presenting a regional date as nationwide. Country pages and individual holiday guides identify the sources used for their calendars and historical context.
Our editorial standards
- Accuracy before volume. We would rather publish a smaller verified calendar than an enormous list of questionable dates.
- Context without clutter. Articles explain how a holiday developed and why it matters today, while keeping dates and practical information easy to find.
- Care with contested history. When an observance has competing interpretations, we describe the disagreement and use reputable sources rather than presenting one narrative as uncontested fact.
- Useful internal links. Related holidays are connected only when that relationship helps the reader understand the history or current observance.
- Visible corrections. Dates and rules are reviewed as official calendars change. Well-supported correction reports are welcomed.
What the calendar does—and does not—promise
A public holiday does not automatically mean every business, school, bank, transit service or local office is closed. Rules can differ by region, sector, religion or employment agreement, and unofficial holidays are curated rather than exhaustive. Always check the relevant authority or organization before making an important travel, payroll or service decision.
Independent, advertising-supported publishing
World Holidays is designed to remain free to use. Advertising may help fund research, ongoing calendar maintenance and new editorial guides. Advertisers do not decide which holidays are included, how they are classified or what our articles say. Advertising placements are visually separated from editorial content.
Corrections and questions
If you find an inaccurate date, an outdated rule or a stronger official source, please contact us. Include the holiday, country or jurisdiction, year and source link so the report can be checked quickly.