Christmas & New Year Public Holidays in Europe 2026
Every one of the 25 European countries we track gets Christmas Day and New Year's Day off — that much is universal. Beyond that it varies: 21 countries also get 26 December off nationally, but France has no national holiday that day at all. Finland, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia get the most time off this season — 5 national holidays each between 24 December and 6 January.
One surprise: not a single one of the 25 countries makes New Year's Eve an official public holiday— including Denmark and Sweden, where it's common by custom but not required by law. The only regional exception anywhere is Geneva, Switzerland.
Key Numbers
25/25
Get Christmas Day off
universal
0/25
Have official NYE holiday
not one country
5
Most in this window
FI, PL, SE, SK
2
Fewest in this window
France, Switzerland, Portugal
10
Get Epiphany nationally
out of 25
Every Country, Christmas Eve to Epiphany
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Finland5 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Poland5 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Sweden5 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Slovakia5 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Austria4 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Czech Republic4 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Denmark4 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Estonia4 national
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Greece4 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Croatia4 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Italy4 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day (Santo Stefano), New Year's Day, Epiphany
Romania4 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
Belgium3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Germany3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
+ Epiphany regionally (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt)
Spain3 national
Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Epiphany
+ Boxing Day regionally (Catalonia and others)
United Kingdom3 national
Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Boxing Day
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, observed Monday 28 December instead
Hungary3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Ireland3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day (St. Stephen's Day), New Year's Day
Luxembourg3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Netherlands3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Norway3 national
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day
Slovenia3 national
Christmas Day, Independence and Unity Day (26 Dec), New Year's Day
Switzerland2 national
Christmas Day, New Year's Day
+ Boxing Day, Epiphany and Restoration Day (31 Dec) regionally, by canton
France2 national
Christmas Day, New Year's Day
Alsace-Moselle (Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Moselle) is a historical exception with Boxing Day off locally
Portugal2 national
Christmas Day, New Year's Day
+ Boxing Day regionally
Turn this season into a longer break
Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Friday in the 2026/27 season in most countries — check your country's bridge day page to see how few leave days it takes to cover the whole week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 26 December a public holiday across Europe?
In 21 of the 25 European countries we track, yes — as a national public holiday (the UK observes it too, but as a substitute on Monday 28 December in 2026 since 26 December falls on a Saturday). Spain, Switzerland and Portugal only recognise it regionally. France is the only one of the 25 with no 26 December holiday at all, though the Alsace-Moselle region is a historical local exception.
Is New Year's Eve (31 December) an official public holiday in Europe?
No — not in any of the 25 countries we track, including Denmark and Sweden, where it's common for employees to get the day off by custom or collective agreement, but it is not a statutory public holiday. The one regional exception is Geneva, Switzerland, which observes Restoration Day on 31 December.
How many public holidays do you get over Christmas and New Year in Europe?
Every one of the 25 countries gets at least 2: Christmas Day and New Year's Day, both universal. Most get 3-4 once Boxing Day is included. Finland, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia get the most in this window — 5 each, once Christmas Eve and Epiphany are added.
Which European country has the most public holidays over Christmas and New Year?
Finland, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia are tied with 5 national public holidays each between 24 December and 6 January — Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Epiphany.
Does every European country treat Epiphany (6 January) as a holiday?
No. Only 10 of the 25 countries make it a national public holiday (Austria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden). Germany and Switzerland recognise it only in specific regions, and the remaining 13 countries don't observe it as a public holiday at all.
Explore full holiday calendars
Data source: Official government publications — see our data sources page. National holidays only in the count above; regional exceptions are noted per country. · Report an error