Czech public holidays: 13 days off and what each one actually marks

The Czech calendar holds a puzzle for newcomers: why do 28 September and 28 October both celebrate the state, and why are 5 and 6 July both days off? The pattern makes sense once you know the history. Some days commemorate saints and missionaries, some mark the founding of states, one honours a reformer burned at the stake, and a few are shared with most of Europe.

For anyone living and working here the calendar has practical effects, from shop opening hours to long weekends and school timetables. Below, each holiday and how it works in practice.

The list

Czechia distinguishes between state holidays (státní svátky), which commemorate national events, and other public holidays (ostatní svátky), which are mainly religious or labour holidays. The table gives the seven state holidays. The remaining public holidays are Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May and 24, 25 and 26 December, as discussed below.

The national days, one by one

1 January is both New Year and the anniversary of the Czech Republic as an independent state, which began on 1 January 1993 (see the Velvet Divorce).

8 May marks the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Prague uprising began on 5 May 1945 and the war ended in the city by 8 and 9 May. Soviet and American forces liberated the Czech lands, and the weight given to each was politically loaded during the Cold War.

5 and 6 July come back to back, a gift for anyone who likes a long weekend. The first honours Cyril and Methodius, the missionaries from Byzantium who came to Great Moravia in the 860s, devised the Glagolitic script and translated religious texts into Slavic. The second remembers Jan Hus, burned on 6 July 1415; his legacy is explored in the Hussite movement explained.

28 September honours Saint Wenceslas (Václav), the Přemyslid prince killed in the early tenth century and later venerated as the patron of the Czech lands, a story told in the Přemyslids and the medieval Czech state. 28 October is the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918, covered in creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Do not confuse them: one is about the medieval state and its patron, the other about the modern republic.

17 November has a double meaning. It remembers the Nazi closure of Czech universities in 1939 after student protests, which is also International Students' Day, and the police attack on a student march in 1989 that started the revolution, described in the Velvet Revolution explained.

The other public holidays

Good Friday and Easter Monday move with Easter. Good Friday became a public holiday in 2016; Easter Monday has long been one. 1 May is Labour Day, a major communist-era festival and now low-key. 24, 25 and 26 December are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the second day of Christmas (St Stephen's Day). Christmas Eve is the main family celebration, as described in Czech Christmas traditions. Easter traditions are covered in Czech Easter traditions.

How holidays work for employees

Public holidays are days off for employees whose usual schedule includes that day. Monthly-salaried employees do not lose pay, and the Labour Code sets compensation for working on a holiday, usually extra pay or time off. Check your contract and the rules in Czech working time, overtime and holiday entitlement. Public holidays are in addition to annual leave, and they do not reduce it.

When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many employers and schools allow a bridge day (most) and the town empties for a long weekend.

What happens on the day

Some holidays have rituals. On 28 October there are official ceremonies at Prague Castle and elsewhere, and the president presents state decorations. On 17 November people leave candles and flowers on Národní třída, and universities hold commemorations. On 28 September a pilgrimage to Stará Boleslav, east of Prague, honours St Wenceslas, and on 5 July pilgrims gather at Velehrad in Moravia for Cyril and Methodius. Most Czechs, though, spend a holiday at the cottage, in the garden, on a hike or at a family lunch.

School holidays are a separate system from public holidays. The school year begins on 1 September, there are breaks at Christmas and Easter, autumn holidays in late October, and a spring half-term week that is staggered by region (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Education calendar). Families with children should check the school calendar as well as the national list.

Shops, services and transport

Under a law on sales restrictions in force since 2016, large shops (above a floor-area threshold of 200 m² of sales area) must close on a number of public holidays. Exceptions include petrol stations, small shops, shops at stations and airports, and online shopping. The exact list of days and the threshold are in the law and on the Ministry of Industry and Trade site (as of 2026; check the official source), so look before a holiday. Restaurants, cafés and many tourist services stay open; offices and banks follow holiday schedules.

Prague public transport runs a holiday timetable on public holidays, usually the weekend pattern, and on Christmas Eve service winds down in the afternoon. See Prague public transport system explained.

Other special days

Not every special day is a day off. Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and name days are widely observed but are working days. Significant days (významné dny), such as the Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January and the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Communist Regime on 27 June, are marked in schools and at public ceremonies without giving anyone a holiday.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in Czechia?

13 (as of 2026; check the official source), including Good Friday and Easter Monday, which move each year.

What is the difference between 28 September and 28 October?

28 September is Czech Statehood Day, honouring St Wenceslas. 28 October is the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918.

Are shops open on public holidays?

Many large shops must close on some public holidays, with exceptions such as petrol stations and small shops. Check the current list.

Is Good Friday a public holiday?

Yes, since 2016.