World Holidays Encyclopedia
Public holidays, observances, and cultural celebrations for 250+ countries. Dates, history, traditions, and countdown tools.
626
Holidays
197
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View today →Featured Holidays
All Saints' Day
Religious HolidayChristian holiday honoring all saints, known and unknown, observed on November 1 with church services and visits to cemeteries to honor the deceased.
Ascension Day(Ascension of Jesus)
Religious HolidayChristian holy day commemorating the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven, observed 39 days after Easter Sunday on a Thursday.
Assumption of Mary(Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Religious HolidayCatholic and Orthodox holy day celebrating the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven, widely observed as a public holiday across Catholic Europe and Latin America.
Australia Day
National DayAustralian national day marking the anniversary of the First Fleet's arrival at Port Jackson in 1788, celebrated with barbecues, fireworks, and citizenship ceremonies.
Bastille Day(La Fête Nationale)
National DayFrench national holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, celebrated with military parades, fireworks, and communal dances (bals des pompiers).
Bonfire Night(Guy Fawkes Night)
Cultural CelebrationBritish tradition commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, celebrated on November 5 with bonfires, fireworks, and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes.
Boxing Day
Public HolidayPublic holiday on December 26 in Commonwealth nations, traditionally a day for giving gifts to servants and the poor, now associated with shopping sales and sporting events.
Canada Day(Fête du Canada)
National DayCanadian national holiday celebrating Confederation on July 1, 1867, with fireworks, parades, concerts, and festivities across the country.
Carnival(Carnaval)
Cultural CelebrationPre-Lenten festival celebrated with parades, masquerades, music, and dancing in the days before Ash Wednesday, most famously in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.
Carnival of Venice(Carnevale di Venezia)
Cultural CelebrationAnnual festival in Venice famous for elaborate masks and costumes, gondola parades on the Grand Canal, and masked balls, attracting millions of visitors over two weeks.
Chinese New Year(春节 (Chūnjié))
Cultural CelebrationThe most important traditional Chinese festival marking the beginning of the lunar new year, celebrated with family reunions, red envelopes, fireworks, and dragon dances.
Christmas Day(Christmas)
Religious HolidayChristian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed on December 25 with gift-giving, feasting, and religious services worldwide.
Chuseok(추석)
Cultural CelebrationMajor Korean harvest festival celebrated over three days with family reunions, ancestral rites (charye), songpyeon rice cakes, and folk games.
Day of the Dead(Día de los Muertos)
Cultural CelebrationMexican tradition honoring deceased loved ones with colorful altars (ofrendas), marigolds, sugar skulls, and family gatherings at gravesites on November 1-2.
Diwali(दीवाली)
Religious HolidayThe Hindu Festival of Lights celebrating the victory of light over darkness, observed with oil lamps, fireworks, sweets, and prayers to Goddess Lakshmi.
Dragon Boat Festival(端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié))
Cultural CelebrationTraditional Chinese festival commemorating the poet Qu Yuan, celebrated with dragon boat races, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and realgar wine.
Easter Sunday(Easter)
Religious HolidayThe most important Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed with church services, egg hunts, and family gatherings.
Eid al-Adha(عيد الأضحى)
Religious HolidayThe holiest Islamic holiday commemorating Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, marked by animal sacrifice, communal prayers, and sharing meat with the poor.
Eid al-Fitr(عيد الفطر)
Religious HolidayIslamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan, celebrated with communal prayers, feasting, gift-giving, and charity across the Muslim world.
Father's Day
ObservanceAnnual celebration honoring fathers and paternal figures with gifts, cards, and family activities, observed on the third Sunday of June in most countries.
Good Friday
Religious HolidayChristian observance commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, marked by solemn church services, fasting, and processions, observed two days before Easter Sunday.
Halloween
Cultural CelebrationAnnual celebration on October 31 featuring costumes, trick-or-treating, jack-o'-lanterns, haunted houses, and horror-themed entertainment.
Hanukkah(חֲנֻכָּה)
Religious HolidayEight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, celebrated by lighting the menorah, spinning dreidels, and eating oil-fried foods.
Holi(होली)
Religious HolidayHindu spring festival celebrated by throwing colored powders and water, symbolizing the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring.
Recent Posts
All posts →Hindu Festival Calendar: Diwali, Holi, and Seasonal Timing
Calendar WatchHindu festivals follow a lunisolar calendar that ties celebrations to both astronomical events and seasonal cycles. Understanding this system explains why Diwali, Holi, and other festivals shift Gregorian dates annually.
Jewish Holiday Calendar: Understanding the Hebrew Calendar Cycle
Calendar WatchThe Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar system that keeps Jewish holidays in their proper seasons while shifting Gregorian dates each year. Understanding its structure helps with scheduling around major observances.
Islamic Holiday Calendar: How Ramadan, Eid, and Hajj Dates Shift Each Year
Calendar WatchIslamic holidays follow a purely lunar calendar, shifting roughly eleven days earlier each Gregorian year. This guide explains why Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Mawlid move through every season over 33 years.
December Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Year-End Celebrations
Calendar WatchDecember is the most holiday-dense month on the calendar. Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve create a continuous stretch of celebrations that reshape travel, commerce, and daily life worldwide.
November Holidays: Thanksgiving, Bonfire Night, and All Saints' Day
Calendar WatchNovember brings American Thanksgiving, British Bonfire Night, and All Saints' Day across Catholic Europe. Together they create a month that balances celebration with remembrance as the year draws to a close.
October Holidays: Oktoberfest, Halloween, and Diwali Dates
Calendar WatchOctober packs Oktoberfest, Halloween, and often Diwali into a single month. From Munich beer tents to trick-or-treating to millions of diyas, the month is a global celebration of abundance and light.
Traditions
All traditions →All Saints' Day Cemetery Visits
2 holidays
Bastille Day Public Celebrations
3 holidays
Beltane Fire Festival
2 holidays
Carnival Floats and Costumes
2 holidays
Cherry Blossom Viewing (Hanami)
2 holidays
Chinese New Year Lanterns
2 holidays
Christmas Gift Exchange
3 holidays
Christmas Midnight Mass
3 holidays
Comparisons
All comparisons →Songkran vs Carnival: The World's Biggest Street Parties
💦 Songkran(สงกรานต์) vs 🎭 Carnival(Carnaval)
Ascension Day vs Assumption of Mary: Heaven's Two Great Departures
☁️ Ascension Day(Ascension of Jesus) vs 🌟 Assumption of Mary(Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Carnival of Venice vs Carnival: Old World Elegance vs New World Exuberance
🎭 Carnival of Venice(Carnevale di Venezia) vs 🎭 Carnival(Carnaval)
Boxing Day vs Labour Day: Two Holidays About Giving and Working
🎁 Boxing Day vs ✊ Labour Day(International Workers' Day)
Bastille Day vs Canada Day: National Days in July
🇫🇷 Bastille Day(La Fête Nationale) vs 🇨🇦 Canada Day(Fête du Canada)
Day of the Dead vs All Saints' Day: Two Catholic Traditions of Remembrance
💀 Day of the Dead(Día de los Muertos) vs 🕯️ All Saints' Day
Tools
All tools →Bridge Day Calculator
Calculate optimal bridge days to turn public holidays into maximum time off.
Cultural Etiquette Guide
Look up cultural etiquette for celebrating or attending holidays in any country.
Holiday Calendar Export
Download a country's full holiday calendar as an iCal or Google Calendar file.
Holiday Comparison Tool
Side-by-side visual comparison of any two holidays across history, traditions, and global reach.
Holiday Countdown
Live countdown timer to any major holiday — days, hours, and minutes.
Holiday Finder by Date
Enter any date to discover which holidays fall on it across the world.
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