Public holidays in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has 9 main holidays. The Holidays in the Netherlands are:

Date	English Name	Dutch Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day	Nieuwjaar	The day before is called "Old Year's Day" and not "New Year's Eve."
March/April	Good Friday	'Goede Vrijdag	The Friday before Easter
March/April	Easter	Pasen	The Dutch celebrate two days of Easter (on Sunday and the subsequent Monday).
April 30	Queen's day	Koninginnedag	Originally, "Koninginnedag" was celebrated on the birthday of the queen, Queen's day is nowadays celebrated on the birthday of the late Queen-mother (Juliana), as better weather is expected. If April 30 is a Sunday, Koninginnedag is celebrated on the April 29.
May 4	Remembrance of the dead	Dodenherdenking	Remembrance of all members of the armed forces and civilians of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who died in war situations or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of the Second World War.
May 5	Liberation day	Bevrijdingsdag	Celebration of the 1945 capitulation of German forces in World War II. Celebrated every year, but as of 2000, an official holiday once every 5 years.
40 days after Easter	Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag
7 weeks after Easter	Pentecost	Pinksteren	The Dutch celebrate two days of Pentecost (on Sunday and the subsequent Monday).
December 5	Saint Nicholas' Eve	Sinterklaas	A predecessor of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas gives presents to the children. Not a national holiday, and Saint Nicholas' birthday is December 6, but because children were given presents the evening before it is now celebrated on December 5
December 25, December 26	Christmas	Kerstmis	The Dutch celebrate two days of Christmas: Eerste Kerstdag (the first day of Christmas) and Tweede Kerstdag (the second day of Christmas).

Even though they are National Holidays, Good Friday and Ascension Day aren't mandatory days off for commercial companies, but most (semi)governmental organizations, banks and insurers honor these day with a day off work.

If time off is given on these days, it is usually a mandatory day off work, subtracted from workers' time off, whereas other National Holidays don't count towards vacation time.

Liberation Day is a National Holiday (with time off work) once every 5 years.

Time off isn't given for Remembrance of the dead (a National Holiday) or Saint Nicholas' eve (not a National Holiday).

The government also recognizes the period from Christmas until January 1 as 'equivalent' to holidays for the purpose of filings/payments to or by the government; if a term ends on such a day, the term is extended.

If either First or Second Christmas Day falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday) then there is no additional weekday (Monday to Friday) given in exchange. On those years where Christmas Day is on a Saturday, there are no national Christmas holidays at all.

External links

#CIA. Netherlands. 10 Jan. 2006. 10 Feb. 2006.
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