When is Easter Monday?
In 2026, Easter Monday falls on Monday, April 6, 2026. It is classified here as a Dutch public holiday.
History of Easter Monday
Second Easter Day, Tweede Paasdag, gives the Netherlands a two-day Easter public-holiday period. The second day reflects a European Christian tradition in which the major festivals extend beyond a single date, allowing time for worship, family visiting and rest.
In modern Dutch life, Easter Monday is also a busy day for museums, garden centres, cycling routes and family attractions. Its official status provides a shared spring break, though the precise pattern of business openings depends on local rules and individual employers.
Tweede Paasdag is the Monday immediately after Easter and is listed separately as an official public holiday. Paid leave still depends on contract or collective agreement. The Netherlands’ two-day structure reflects a broader pattern also seen at Pentecost and Christmas, where the second day has developed into a significant leisure and retail occasion alongside its Christian origin.
The Dutch government lists the date as an official public holiday or named observance, but employment and closure effects require separate attention. The Netherlands has no general statutory right to paid leave on public holidays: the applicable collective labour agreement or employment contract determines whether an employee is free and how working time is compensated.
How Easter Monday is observed
An official public holiday. Schools close and many organisations alter their hours; visitor attractions may be busy. Workplace leave and business opening arrangements depend on agreements, contracts and locally published schedules.
Traditions of Easter Monday
Community practice
Furniture boulevards, garden centres and home-improvement shops traditionally attract large crowds where municipal opening rules allow trading. Its exact form varies among Dutch municipalities, communities and households.
Living tradition
Families cycle, walk or visit flower gardens and museums during a spring day whose weather and opening hours require planning. Its exact form varies among Dutch municipalities, communities and households.
Planning and participation
Brunches and second family visits extend Easter beyond Sunday without implying that every Dutch household follows a religious practice. Its exact form varies among Dutch municipalities, communities and households.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Government of the Netherlands holiday guidance. Collective agreements and employer policies determine whether some public holidays are paid days off.
History sources: Government of the Netherlands: public holidays, Government of the Netherlands: Liberation Day, Royal House of the Netherlands: King’s Day.
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