Public Holidays Netherlands 2026, 2027 & 2028 – Full Calendar

The Netherlands public holiday calendar includes a mix of traditional Christian festivals and national commemorations. This guide has a full listing of Dutch public holidays for 2026, 2027 and 2028, along with the official school holiday dates in the Netherlands.

What are the public holidays in the Netherlands?

Public holidays in the Netherlands are nationally recognised festive days when many businesses, government offices and schools close. While Dutch law does not guarantee paid leave, most employees receive these days off through employment contracts or collective labour agreements (CAOs).

The official public holidays in the Netherlands include:

• New Year’s Day
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
• Easter Monday
• King’s Day
• Ascension Day
• Pentecost (Whit Sunday & Whit Monday)
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day
• Liberation Day (every 5 years)

Dutch public holidays by year

Below is the official public holiday calendar in the Netherlands:

• Netherlands public holidays 2026
• Netherlands public holidays 2027
• Netherlands public holidays 2028

Netherlands public holidays 2026

So if you’re wondering whether today is a public holiday in the Netherlands, check the calendar above for the official Dutch holiday dates!

Netherlands public holidays 2027

Netherlands public holidays 2028

• Official public holidays in Netherlands is translated in Dutch as officiële feestdagen in Nederland
• The Netherlands holiday calendar is quite distinctive – most of the holidays cluster around the spring period between Easter and May.
• Unlike many countries in Europe, there are no Dutch national holidays in the summer. This can mean a large 7-8 months gap with no bank holidays between Whit Monday and Christmas day!
• The Dutch name some of their multi-day holidays as first (eerste) and second (tweede) days.
• Christmas Day is known as Eerste kerstdag or ‘First Christmas Day’ and Boxing Day is called Tweede kerstdag or ‘Second Christmas Day’. This naming also applies to Easter and Whitsun as well.
• The structure of the Dutch public holiday calendar will remain similar for 2029, 2030 and beyond – with only the Easter, Ascension day and Pentecost holidays shifting slightly each year.

Dutch public holiday calendar

The Dutch holiday calendar is based mainly on traditional Christian holidays. Here is a brief overview of each holiday:

New Year’s Day

Held on 1st January, this holiday marks the beginning of the new year from the Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated in the Netherlands with parties and fireworks.

Easter

This is Christian holiday observed over 4 days, typically in March or April. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is celebrated by religious services and family gatherings.

Good Friday is not an official public holiday for most workers, although some government employees and sectors may receive the day off.

King’s Day (Koningsdag)

King’s Day (Koningsdag) is one of the largest and most distinctive national celebrations in the Netherlands. Held every year on 27th April, the holiday celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. If the date falls on a Sunday, the celebrations are moved to the previous day.

Across the country towns and cities fill with street markets, outdoor concerts and parties. People traditionally wear orange clothing – the national colour linked to the Dutch royal family, the House of House of Oranje-Nassau.

In Amsterdam the day is particularly lively with canals crowded by party boats and neighbourhoods hosting vrijmarkten (free markets) where anyone can sell second-hand goods on the street without a permit. These markets are a long-standing tradition and attract both locals and visitors alike.

See King’s Day and April events in Amsterdam

Liberation Day

Observed on 5th May, this commemorates the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation at the end of World War 2, marking the country’s freedom. You can find out a lot more by visiting the Dutch Resistance (Verzets) museum in Amsterdam.

Liberation Day is an official public holiday only once every five years (most recently 2025 and next in 2030).

On 4th May is the annual Remembrance Day (not a public holiday) which always includes a 2 minute silence at 20:00. In Amsterdam there is an annual service at the National War Memorial on Dam Square.

Ascension Day

A Christian holiday falling 40 days after Easter, marking the day Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. It always falls on a Thursday. It is traditionally celebrated by some at church services and taking an early morning walk in the dew (Dauwtrappen).

Whitsun / Pentecost

Another late spring Christian holiday occurring 50 days after Easter, this commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. Whit Monday is always a public holiday.

Sinterklaas (St Nicholas Day) in the Netherlands

Sinterklaas is one of the most important festive traditions in the Netherlands, celebrated on 5 December – but it is not an official public holiday.

Christmas

Christmas marks the winter holiday season to commemorate the birth of Jesus. It is celebrated as a public holiday on 25th-26th December. See December events in Amsterdam

Dutch school holidays 2026-2027-2028

Dutch primary and secondary school holidays are staggered by 3 main regions – North (Noord), Central (Midden) and South (Zuid) of the Netherlands. Amsterdam falls into the Noord region.

The dates are staggered to stop the entire country travelling away on holiday at the same time!

The main holiday is the Zomervakantie (summer holidays) which will be around 6 weeks in July and August.

There are 2 week holidays for both Christmas (Kerstvakantie) and the May period (Meivakantie) – which aligns with many of the May public holidays.

Finally there are ‘half-term’ holidays in spring (Voorjaarsvakantie) and autumn (Herfstvakantie) which are 1 week – however a limited number of schools will give 2 weeks off.

Schools will also announce additional inset days (studiedagen) which are days of for staff training.

Prices for travel and accommodation do spike for the school holidays so it makes sense to plan your holidays well in advance.

Let’s take a look at the official advisory school holidays in 2026, 2027 and 2028 by region – though you should always confirm with your child’s school as there may be some variation.

School holidays Netherlands 2026

Dutch public holidays FAQ

Are public holidays paid days off in the Netherlands?

There is no law requiring employers to give paid leave on public holidays in the Netherlands. Whether employees get the day off usually depends on their employment contract or collective labour agreement (CAO).

Is Good Friday a public holiday in the Netherlands?

Good Friday is not an official public holiday for most workers, although some government offices and schools may close. In practice many employees still work on this day.

Why is Liberation Day only a holiday every five years?

Liberation Day (5 May) celebrates the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in 1945 at the end of World War II.

To limit the economic impact of adding another annual public holiday, the Dutch government agreed that Liberation Day would only be a nationwide paid holiday once every five years. In those anniversary years the day is marked with larger national celebrations and festivals.

The most recent nationwide holiday was 2025, with the next one scheduled for 2030.

Are shops open on public holidays in the Netherlands?

Many shops, supermarkets and restaurants remain open on Dutch public holidays, especially in larger cities like Amsterdam. However opening hours may be reduced and smaller stores may close.

See also our Sport Calendar for Amsterdam/Netherlands

and Festival Calendar for Amsterdam

Sources: Government of the Netherlands, Time and Date AS

This article was originally published in 2025, last checked and updated 13 March 2026.

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