Lists of holidays
Lists of holidays by various categorization.
Consecutive holidays
- Beginning in 2000, Spring Festival, and National Day are week-long holidays in the mainland territory of the People's Republic of China, known as Golden Weeks. International Labor Day was a similar holiday from 2000 until 2007.
- In Colombia, in the holy week there are consecutive holidays Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) with variable dates in March or April.
- In The Netherlands, Remembrance of the Dead is celebrated on 4 May from 19:00 and Liberation Day on the 5th. This way Remembrance of the Dead and Liberation Day constitute one remembrance: for both Victims and Liberation.
- In Ireland, Saint Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (Saint Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days' leave can result in a 10-day break. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
- In Poland during holidays on 1 May and 3 May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka).
- In Japan, golden-week lasts roughly a full week. Then, in 2007, the law was amended so that if any 2 public holidays occur both on a weekday and are separated by a day, then that intermediate day shall also be a public holiday, thus creating a 3-day-long public holiday.
- In Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Canada, Ireland, Poland, Russia and the UK, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). This arrangement results in a long weekend
- The U.S. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971). Several states had passed similar laws earlier.
Religious holidays
Ancient Greek/Roman
Bahá'í holidays
- 1st Day of Ridván
- 9th Day of Ridvan
- 12th Day of Ridvan
- Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá
- Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
- Bahá'í Naw-Rúz (Bahá'í New Year)
- Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
- Birth of the Báb
- Day of the Covenant
- Declaration of the Báb
- Execution of the Báb
Buddhist holidays
- Asalha Puja
- Blessed Rainy Day (Bhutanese)
- Bon Festival (Japanese)
- Buddha's Birthday
- Diwali
- Magha Puja
- Pchum Ben (Cambodian)
- Poya
- Vesak
Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays
In the order of the Wheel of the Year:
- Samhain/Halloween (Celtic): 31 October–1 November, Celtic New Year, first day of winter
- Winter Nights (Norse): 29 October–2 November, Norse New Year
- Yule (Norse): 21–22 December, winter solstice, Celtic midwinter
- Imbolc/Candlemas (Celtic): 1–2 February, Celtic first day of spring
- Ostara/Easter (Norse): 21–22 March, spring equinox, Celtic midspring
- Beltane/May Day (Celtic): 30 April–1 May, Celtic first day of summer
- Litha (Norse): 21–22 June, summer solstice, Celtic midsummer
- Lughnasadh/Lammas (Celtic): 1–2 August, Celtic first day of autumn
- Mabon (Norse): 21–22 September, autumn equinox, Celtic midautumn
Christian holidays
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- Advent (Preparation for the commemoration of Jesus' Birth. Celebrated in Western Christianity; Also called Nativity Fast in Eastern Christianity)
- All Saints' Day
- All Souls' Day (A day of remembrance of the Faithful - the Church Penitent of souls in Purgatory and the Church Triumphant of saints in Heaven)
- Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent)
- Christmas (Birth of Jesus)
- Easter and the Easter Triduum (Resurrection of Jesus, end of Lent)
- Maundy Thursday (Celebration of The Last Supper)
- Good Friday (Death of Jesus)
- Holy Saturday (Resting of Jesus)
- Easter Vigil (Official celebration of Jesus' Resurrection)
- Easter Monday (Monday following Easter Sunday, not part of the Easter Triduum)
- Epiphany (Celebration of the Incarnation of Jehovah God as Jesus)
- Feast of Corpus Christi (Sacrifice of Jesus)
- Feast of the Annunciation (Conception of Jesus)
- Feast of the Ascension (Ascension of Jesus into Heaven)
- Feast of the Assumption (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
- Feast of the Divine Mercy (Devotion to the Divine Mercy as reported by Faustina Kowalska)
- Feast of the Holy Innocents (Also called the Massacre of the Innocents; Infanticide of Jewish boys ordered by King Herod the Great)
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary)
- Feast of the Presentation (Also known as Candlemas; Commemoration of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple)
- Feast of the Sacred Heart (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Gregorian New Year (First day of January every year; Overlaps with the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ)
- Lent (40 days of penance before Easter)
- Palm Sunday (Celebration of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem)
- Pentecost (Also called Whitsunday in the United Kingdom and Ireland; Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus)
- Shrove Tuesday (Also called Mardi Gras in Louisiana, United States; Last day before Ash Wednesday)
- Sunday Sabbath (Some Christian groups [e.g. Seventh-day Adventists, etc.], however, observe the Saturday Sabbath much like the Jews)
The Catholic Patronal feast day or 'name day' are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints.
East Asian holidays
- Chinese New Year
- Chongyang Festival
- Dragon Boat Festival
- Fukagawa Festival
- First Full Moon Festival
- Ghost Festival
- Gion Festival
- Harvest Festival
- Japanese Autumn Festival
- Kanda Festival
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Qingming Festival
- Qixi Festival
- Sanja Festival
- Sannō Festival
- Spring Outing Festival
- Tado Festival
Hindu holidays
- Akshaya Tritiya
- Bhogi
- Diwali
- Durga Puja
- Ekadasi
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Gokul Ashtami
- Gudhi Padwa
- Guru Purnima
- Holi
- Kanuma
- Karthikai deepam
- Krishna Janmaashtami
- Lohri
- Mahalakshmi vrata
- Mahashivratri
- Makara Sankranti
- Mysore Dasara
- Navratri
- Nyepi
- Onam
- Pongal
- Raksha Bandhan
- Rama-Lilas
- Ram Navami
- Thaipusam
- Ugadi
- Vaikunta Ekadasi
- Vaisakhi
- Vijayadashami
Islamic holidays
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- Ashura (Tenth day of Muharram. Muharram is the first month of the lunar year)
- Eid (feast): Date determined by the lunar calendar and observation of the moon
- Eid ul-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice; tenth day of Dhulhijjah, the twelfth and final month of the lunar year)
- Arafah (Eve of Eid ul-Adha)
- Eid ul-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast; first day of Shawal. It marks the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. Part of honoring this occasion is "zakaat ul-fitr" (giving alms to the needy on the day of Eid ul-Fitr))
- Chaand Raat (Eve of Eid ul-Fitr)
- Eid ul-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice; tenth day of Dhulhijjah, the twelfth and final month of the lunar year)
- Eid ul-Milad an Nabi (Feast of the Birth of the Prophet; Birth of Prophet Muhammad)
- Holy Month of Ramadan/Fasting (First day of Ramadan)
- Jumu'atul-Wida (Last Friday of Ramadan before the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr)
- Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree; last ten days of Ramadan. The revealing of the first verses of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad)
- Islamic New Year (First day of Muharram every year)
- Isra and Miraj (Ascension of Prophet Muhammad into Heaven)
- Jumu'ah (More commonly known as the Day of Assembly or the Day of Gathering; Held every Friday of the lunar year as an alternative to the Zuhr prayer)
- Nisfu Shaaban (Decisions of the fortunes of men in the approaching year)
- Nuzul Al Qur'an (First revelation of the Quran)
Jain holidays
Jewish holidays
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- Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread)
- Hanukkah (Also spelled: Chanukah; Feast of Dedication. Sometimes called the Festival of Lights)
- Pesach (Passover; Deliverance of Jews from slavery in Egypt)
- Purim (Feast of Lots; Deliverance of Jews in Persia from Haman)
- Reishit Katzir (Feast of Firstfruits)
- Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets; Jewish New Year)
- Shabbat (The Sabbath - day of rest, the seventh day and holiest day of the week, Saturday)
- Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)
- Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
- Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Other special Jewish days
- Lag B'Omer (Jewish holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar)
- Shemini Atzeret (A holiday sometimes confused as being the 8th day of Sukkot; Beginning of the rainy season in Israel)
- Simchat Torah (Observed after Shemini Atzeret; Completion of the Sefer Torah)
- Tisha B'Av (Day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples)
- Tu Bishvat (New year of the trees)
Sikh holidays
- Diwali
- Gurupurab
- Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom Day
- Hola Mohalla
- Vaisakhi
Western winter holidays in the Northern Hemisphere
The following holidays are observed to some extent at the same time during the Southern hemisphere's summer, with the exception of Winter Solstice.
- Winter Solstice or Yule (Winter solstice, Around 21–22 December in the northern hemisphere and 21–22 June in the southern hemisphere) The celebrations on the winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year, are traditionally marked with anything that symbolizes or encourages life. Decorations of evergreens, bright objects and lights; singing songs, giving gifts, feasting and romantic events are often included. For Neopagans this is the celebration of the death and rebirth of the sun and is one of the eight sabbats on the wheel of the year.
- Christmas Eve (24 December) – Day before Christmas. Observances usually include big feasts at night to celebrate the day to come. It is the supposed night that Santa Claus delivers presents to all the good children of the world.
- Christmas Day (25 December) – Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. Observances include gift-giving, the decoration of trees and houses, and Santa Claus folktales.
- Hanukkah (25 Kislev – 1 Tevet – almost always in December) – Jewish holiday celebrating the defeat of Seleucid forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practicing Judaism, and also celebrating the miracle of the Menorah lights burning for eight days with only enough olive oil for one day.
- Kwanzaa (USA) (26 December – 1 January) – Celebration of African heritage created in 1966 by African-American activist Maulana Karenga.
- Saint Stephen's Day or Second Day of Christmas (26 December) – Holiday observed in many European countries.
- Boxing Day (26 December or 27 December) – Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on the first non-Sunday after Christmas.
- New Year's Eve (31 December) – Night before New Year's Day. Usually observed with celebrations and festivities in anticipation of the new year.
- New Year's Day (1 January) – Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.
Secular holidays
Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, around the world, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given.
- Father's Day (date varies widely, e.g. third Sunday in June in most of North America)
- Halloween (31 October, especially in the UK and former British colonies, including the US, Canada, and Australia). Formerly All Hallows' Eve, it is a highly secularized outgrowth of Christian All Saints' Day and pagan Celtic Samhain (both on 1 November)
- International Day of Peace (21 September, decided by the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations)
- International Men's Day (19 November in Canada, Australia, India, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa and Malta)
- International Women's Day (8 March, particularly in former Soviet bloc countries and mainland China)
- May Day, Labour Day, or International Workers' Day (1 May in most countries. The United States and Canada both celebrate on the first Monday in September)
- Mother's Day (date varies widely, e.g. second Sunday in May in parts of North America, 10 May in Mexico; in the UK it is on the fourth Sunday in Lent and has an Anglican origin)
- Saint Patrick's Day (17 March in Ireland, the US, Canada, and other countries by people of Irish descent or heritage)
- Saint Valentine's Day (14 February in the United States, Canada and many other countries as a day to celebrate love and affection)
Regional
Other secular holidays not observed internationally:
- Hangul Day or Korean Alphabet Day (15 January in North Korea and 9 October in South Korea)
- Lee-Jackson-King Day (20 January) Combined holiday celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1984 to 2000
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Third Monday in January in the United States)
- Groundhog Day (2 February in United States and Canada)
- Darwin Day (12 February) Commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin to highlight Darwin's contribution to science and to promote science in general.
- Presidents Day (Third Monday in February in United States; U.S. federal holiday). Honors the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
- Confederate Memorial Day Celebrated by the original Confederate States at various times during the year; still celebrated on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama
- Longtail Day (Final Thursday before a Leap Day in the Isle of Man) A day of bad luck
- Patriot's Day (Third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine, United States)
- Siblings Day (10 April; originally celebrated only in the United States. Can now be celebrated in various countries around the world)
- Earth Day (22 April) Celebrated in many countries as a day to cherish nature
- King's Day (30 April in the Netherlands)
- Constitution Day (3 May) One of the two most important national holidays in Poland (other being National Independence Day on 11 November). It commemorates proclamation of Constitution of 3 May (the first modern constitution in Europe) by the Sejm of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1791.
- Youth Day (4 May in the People's Republic of China, in commemoration Beijing students who protested against Western imperialism on this day)
- Cinco de Mayo (5 May in Mexico)
- Victoria Day (Monday on or before 24 May in Canada, also in some parts of Scotland)
- Children's Day (Second Sunday in June in various countries around the world)
- Flag Day (14 June in the United States, 2 May in Poland)
- Juneteenth (19 June) Official holiday in 14 states that commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas (unofficial in 5 other US states)
- Canada Day (1 July in Canada) Celebration of the date of the Confederation of Canada. Formerly known as Dominion Day, as this was the day on which Canada became a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire.
- Independence Day or National Day (4 July in the United States and other dates in many nations; it is the most important holiday in various countries around the globe.)
- Indian Arrival Day (Celebrated on the day when Indians arrived in various European colonies; Celebrated with parades reenacting when indentured Indian immigrants landed in their respected colonies. It is an official holiday in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.)
- Pioneer Day (24 July in Utah, United States)
- Army Day (1 August in the mainland territory of the People's Republic of China)
- Labor Day or Labour Day (First Monday in September in the United States (federal holiday), and Canada, where it is known as Labour Day. Many European and South American countries, however, celebrate Labour Day on 1 May)
- Grandparents Day (Sunday after September Labor Day – proclaimed in the United States by Jimmy Carter in 1978)
- Columbus Day (Second Monday in October in the U.S.)
- Indigenous Peoples' Day (Second Monday in October in the U.S.) Celebrates the Indigenous peoples of the Americas
- Nanomonestotse (Starts the third Monday in October) Celebration of peace, observed within some Native American families.
- Day of the Dead (1 and 2 November in Mexico)
- Guy Fawkes Night Day (5 November) In memory of the failed Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes. Celebrated in Great Britain and other countries of the commonwealth
- Melbourne Cup Day (Held on the first Tuesday of November – the day of the Melbourne Cup in the Melbourne metropolitan area)
- Remembrance Day or Veterans Day (11 November in the United States and in Canada and other commonwealth nations)
- Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday of November in the United States) Generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and in the USA marks the beginning of the "holiday season". In Canada, since the climate is colder, the harvest season begins (and ends) earlier and thus, Thanksgiving takes place on the second Monday in October.
- Saint Nicholas Day (5 December in the Netherlands, 6 December in Belgium)
- Boxing Day (26 December in the Commonwealth of Nations)
Unofficial holidays, awareness days, and other observances
These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some are designed to promote a cause, others recognize historical events not recognized officially, and others are "funny" holidays, generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends.
- April Fools' Day (1 April)
- Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day (Day after Thanksgiving in the United States)
- Bloomsday (16 June based on James Joyce's novel Ulysses)
- Festivus (23 December)
- Friendship Day (First Sunday in August)
- Galactic Tick Day (Occurs every 633.7 days, starting October 2, 1608)
- GIS Day (Wednesday during Geography Awareness Week in November)
- Giving Tuesday[1] (Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States)
- International Cannabis Day/Four Twenty (20 April) (Counterculture holiday for promotion of marijuana)
- International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September)
- Marathon Monday (Local name in Boston for Patriot's Day)
- Mischief Night (30 October)
- Mole Day (23 October)
- Monkey Day (14 December)
- National Cancer Survivors Day (First Sunday in June)
- National Gorilla Suit Day (31 January)
- National Hugging Day (21 January)
- No Pants Day (First Friday of May)
- Opposite Day (25 January) (Day where you do everything opposite)
- Pi Approximation Day (22 July) or Pi Day (14 March)
- Record Store Day (Third Saturday of April)
- Robert Burns Day/Burns Night (25 January)
- Singles Awareness Day (14 February)
- Star Wars Day (4 May) "May the Fourth be with you"
- Super Bowl Sunday (Day of the National Football League championship)
- Sweetest Day (Third Saturday in October)
- Tax Freedom Day
- Towel Day (25 May) (Tribute to the late Douglas Adams)
See also
References
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