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Public Holidays in May 2026 Around the World

In May 2026, 39 of the countries and regions we track take at least one day off — 88 public holidays in total, listed in date order below. The month's headline dates include Labour Day.

The busiest calendars this month are Indonesia (6), Norway (5) and France (4). Breaks that span a month boundary appear in full on both months' pages, so cross-border trips and business schedules can be planned straight off the tables. Meanwhile, China work 1 weekend make-up day this month — listed separately, since those are working days, not holidays.

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DateCountryHoliday
May 1, 2026ArgentinaLabour DayFalls on Friday — a three-day weekend with no leave needed. Fixed.Public holiday
May 1, 2026AustriaRepublic Day (Staatsfeiertag)Falls on a Friday — a three-day weekend with no leave required. Austria’s official national day, doubling as Labour Day.Public holiday
May 1, 2026BelgiumLabour DayFalls on Friday, creating an immediate three-day holiday weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026BrazilLabour DayFriday.Public holiday
May 1 – 5ChinaLabour Day5 days off (Fri–Tue).Public holiday
May 1, 2026ColombiaLabour Day (Día del Trabajo)Fixed to 1 May and never moved: in 2026 it lands on a Friday, so it brackets the weekend on its own.Public holiday
May 1, 2026Czech RepublicLabour DayFriday — Svátek práce, and the first of two Friday holidays a week apart: Victory Day follows on May 8.Public holiday
May 1, 2026FranceLabour DayFalls on a Friday — three-day break. The only holiday where paid leave is legally mandatory.Public holiday
May 1, 2026GermanyLabour DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026GhanaWorkers’ Day (May Day)Falls on Friday in 2026, delivering an automatic three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026GreeceLabour Day (Ergatiki Protomagia)Friday — a compulsory closure day under Article 14 of Law 4468/2017, and in 2026 no transfer question arises: the minister may only move this holiday when 1 May coincides with a Sunday, a day of Holy Week or Easter Monday, and Pascha on April 12 leaves May 1 well clear. Demonstrations in Athens, flower wreaths on doors, a three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026Hong KongLabour DayGeneral holiday
May 1, 2026IndiaBuddha PurnimaFriday.Public holiday
May 1, 2026IndonesiaInternational Labour DayFriday — a natural 3-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026ItalyLabour DayFalls on Friday, creating a nationwide 3-day spring holiday weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026KenyaLabour DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026MacauLabour DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026MalaysiaLabour DayFederal holiday
May 1, 2026MexicoLabour DayFriday — three-day break through the weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026NigeriaWorkers' DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026NorwayLabour DayFriday — the friendliest placement a fixed date can have. Første mai is a høgtidsdag under the 1947 Act rather than a § 2 helligdag, but the shop-closure rules apply to it just the same, so May 1–3 is a free three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026PhilippinesLabor DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026PortugalLabour DayFalls on Friday, delivering an automatic three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026SingaporeLabour DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026South AfricaWorkers' DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026South KoreaLabour DayA public holiday for the first time in 2026 — now a day off for civil servants and teachers too, not only workers.Public holiday
May 1, 2026SpainLabour DayFalls on Friday, creating an immediate three-day spring holiday weekend.Public holiday
May 1, 2026SwedenMay Day (Första maj)Friday. Falls on a weekday in 2026, giving a free three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 1 – 3TaiwanLabour DayLabour Day (May 1) is a Friday — a 3-day weekend. From 2026 it is a holiday for all workers, not only labourers.Public holiday
May 1, 2026ThailandNational Labour DayPublic holiday
May 1, 2026VietnamInternational Labour DayFriday.Public holiday
May 3, 2026JapanConstitution Memorial DayPublic holiday
May 4, 2026IrelandMay DayPublic holiday
May 4, 2026JapanGreenery DayPublic holiday
May 4, 2026ThailandCoronation DayPublic holiday
May 4, 2026United KingdomEarly May bank holidayPublic holiday
May 5, 2026JapanChildren's DayPublic holiday
May 5, 2026NetherlandsLiberation DayOfficial holiday but not a mandatory paid day off in 2026 under most CAOs.Public holiday
May 5, 2026South KoreaChildren's DayPublic holiday
May 6, 2026JapanSubstitute HolidayFor Constitution Memorial Day, which falls on Sunday May 3.Substitute holiday
May 8, 2026Czech RepublicVictory DayFriday — Den vítězství, the anniversary of the 1945 end of the war and the Prague Uprising. Act No. 101/2004 Sb. renamed it from Liberation Day.Public holiday
May 8, 2026FranceVictory in Europe DayFalls on a Friday — another three-day break one week after Labour Day.Public holiday
May 14, 2026AustriaAscension DayAlways a Thursday (39 days after Easter). Friday May 15 is the classic Fenstertag: one leave day, four days off.Public holiday
May 14, 2026BelgiumAscension DayAlways on Thursday — classic 4-day bridge weekend (faire le pont).Public holiday
May 14, 2026FranceAscension DayPublic holiday
May 14, 2026GermanyAscension DayPublic holiday
May 14, 2026IndonesiaAscension of Jesus ChristThursday.Public holiday
May 14, 2026NetherlandsAscension DayAlways on Thursday — prime 4-day bridge weekend opportunity.Public holiday
May 14, 2026NorwayAscension DayThursday. Kristi himmelfartsdag is the sixth Thursday after Easter (Easter plus 39), so it is always a Thursday. Friday May 15 is the year’s most-used bridge day: one leave day, four days off.Public holiday
May 14, 2026SwedenAscension Day (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag)Thursday — the sixth Thursday after Easter (Easter + 39 days). A popular bridge day.Public holiday
May 15, 2026IndonesiaCuti Bersama — Ascension DayFriday bridge — creates a 4-day break May 14–17.Bridge holiday
May 17, 2026NorwayConstitution DaySunday — the oddity of 2026. Syttende mai marks the constitution signed at Eidsvoll in 1814, and the 1947 Act makes it a day off equated with Sundays; when it lands on a Sunday there is nothing further to give, and no substitute exists. The next Sunday national day is 2037. The parade schedule is unaffected: item 4 of the § 4 exception list exempts 1. og 17. mai from the 06:00–13:00 ban on public events.Public holiday
May 18, 2026CanadaVictoria DayThe Monday preceding May 25. Not observed as a statutory holiday in some Atlantic provinces.Statutory holiday
May 18, 2026ColombiaAscension Day (Ascensión del Señor)Ascension is Thursday 14 May (Easter + 39 days); Colombian law moves the paid rest to Monday 18 May, so the Thursday itself is a working day.Public holiday
May 24, 2026MacauThe Buddha's Birthday (Feast of Buddha)Public holiday
May 24, 2026NetherlandsWhit SundayPublic holiday
May 24, 2026NorwayPentecostSunday. Første pinsedag, the seventh Sunday after Easter (Easter plus 49), is the second weekend swallowed in May 2026. Pinseaften on Saturday May 23 gets the 16:00 shop closure and the afternoon helligdagsfred of § 3.Public holiday
May 24, 2026South KoreaBuddha's BirthdayEighth day of the fourth lunar month; falls on a Sunday in 2026.Public holiday
May 24, 2026SwedenPentecost (Pingstdagen)Sunday — the seventh Sunday after Easter. Already a weekly rest day.Public holiday
May 25, 2026ArgentinaMay Revolution DayFalls on Monday — a three-day break. Fixed date.Public holiday
May 25, 2026AustriaWhit MondayPentecost Sunday is May 24, so this is a free three-day weekend.Public holiday
May 25, 2026BelgiumWhit MondayFalls on Monday, providing a three-day late-spring holiday break.Public holiday
May 25, 2026FranceWhit MondayPublic holiday
May 25, 2026GermanyWhit MondayPublic holiday
May 25, 2026Hong KongThe day following the Birthday of the BuddhaSubstitute, as the Buddha's Birthday (May 24) falls on a Sunday.General holiday
May 25, 2026NetherlandsWhit MondayPublic holiday
May 25, 2026NorwayWhit MondayMonday. Annen pinsedag, Easter plus 50, is the last weekday red day before the summer break, and with Saturday it gives a three-day weekend at no cost.Public holiday
May 25, 2026South KoreaSubstitute Holiday (Buddha's Birthday)Buddha's Birthday falls on a Sunday, so Monday is a substitute holiday.Substitute holiday
May 25, 2026United KingdomSpring bank holidayPublic holiday
May 25, 2026United StatesMemorial DayLast Monday of May.Federal holiday
May 26, 2026Saudi ArabiaArafat DayDhu al-Hijjah 9, 1447 AH, projected as Tuesday May 26, 2026 per the Umm al-Qura calendar (the official date follows the crescent sighting announcement by the Supreme Court).Public holiday
May 26, 2026United Arab EmiratesArafat DayDhu al-Hijjah 9, 1447 AH, confirmed by the Hajj and Umrah authorities' calendar for 2026. It falls on a Tuesday, and Eid al-Adha follows immediately.Public holiday
May 27, 2026GhanaEid-Ul-AdhaOfficially declared a statutory public holiday by the Minister for the Interior for Wednesday 27 May 2026.Public holiday
May 27, 2026IndiaId-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)Wednesday. Subject to moon sighting.Public holiday
May 27, 2026IndonesiaIdul Adha 1447HWednesday. Date subject to moon-sighting confirmation.Public holiday
May 27, 2026KenyaIdd-ul-AzhaThe Cabinet Secretary declared Wednesday 27 May 2026 a public holiday to mark Idd-ul-Azha (Eid al-Adha), following the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent moon.Public holiday
May 27, 2026MalaysiaHari Raya Aidiladha (Hari Raya Haji)Wednesday. Islamic date subject to moon-sighting.Federal holiday
May 27, 2026NigeriaEid-ul-AdhaThe Federal Government declared Wednesday 27 May and Thursday 28 May 2026 as public holidays to mark Eid-ul-Adha (10–11 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH).Public holiday
May 27, 2026PhilippinesEid'l AdhaTentative — the exact date is set by proclamation based on the Islamic lunar calendar.Public holiday
May 27 – 29Saudi ArabiaEid al-AdhaDhu al-Hijjah 10–12, 1447 AH, projected as Wednesday May 27 to Friday May 29, 2026 — four consecutive days with Arafat Day. Some forecasters extend the public-sector break to Jun 1; confirm with the official announcement.Public holiday
May 27, 2026SingaporeHari Raya HajiThe Muslim festival of sacrifice.Public holiday
May 27 – 29United Arab EmiratesEid al-AdhaDhu al-Hijjah 10–12. With Arafat Day on Tuesday, the three Eid days (Wed–Fri May 27–29) create a 6-day break when the weekend is included — the longest of 2026.Public holiday
May 28, 2026IndonesiaCuti Bersama — Idul AdhaThursday — take Friday May 29 as leave for a 5-day run to May 31.Bridge holiday
May 28, 2026NigeriaEid-ul-Adha (2nd day)Public holiday
May 31, 2026IndonesiaWaisak Day 2570 BE (Vesak)Sunday — runs straight into Pancasila Day on Monday.Public holiday
May 31, 2026MalaysiaWesak DaySunday — replacement on Tue Jun 2 (Mon Jun 1 is already a holiday).Federal holiday
May 31, 2026SingaporeVesak DayFalls on a Sunday; the following Monday (Jun 1) is a public holiday.Public holiday
May 31, 2026ThailandVisakha Bucha DaySunday — observed in lieu on Mon Jun 1.Public holiday
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Make-up workdays this month

These weekend dates are working days, not holidays — people work them to bank longer breaks.

DateCountryHoliday
May 9, 2026ChinaLabour Day make-up workdayMake-up workday

Other years

May 2025May 2026May 2027May 2028May 2029

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in May 2026 worldwide?

We count 88 public holidays in May 2026, spread across 39 of the 41 countries and regions we track, in date order in the table above. Breaks that spill over a month boundary are shown in full on both months.

Which countries have public holidays in May 2026?

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China and Colombia and 33 more — 39 countries and regions in all. The table above gives the exact date for every holiday.

What are the first and last public holidays of May 2026?

The month opens with Labour Day in Argentina on May 1, and closes with Visakha Bucha Day in Thailand, ending May 31.

Does any country work make-up days in May 2026?

Yes — 1 make-up workday falls this month, including China (May 9). Those weekends are worked, so they are listed separately from the holidays.

Can I download the May 2026 holidays as a calendar file?

Yes. Every country's year page offers free ICS, CSV and PDF files that import straight into Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar, and subscribing to the ICS URL keeps the dates updated if a government revises them. Month pages have no file of their own — download per country instead.

Are these days off for everyone in those countries?

Not necessarily. The table aggregates nationwide statutory holidays. Australia, Malaysia, India and Canada add state- or province-level days on top, so the real count there is higher; annual leave and employer shutdowns are not counted either. Observances that are not days off are excluded.

Is today a public holiday?All countries & regions