Czech public holidays: the 13 days off, and the history behind each

Czech holidays are not just days off. A saint's feast day doubles as Statehood Day. A liberation anniversary means different things depending on whom you ask. Here is the full calendar, with a line on what each day is for. The list follows Act No. 245/2000 Coll. on public holidays (as of 2026; check the official source).

January to May

1 January is New Year's Day and also the Day of the Restoration of the Independent Czech State, marking 1993, when Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Good Friday (Velký pátek) falls before Easter and became a public holiday in 2016. Easter Monday (Velikonoční pondělí) is the day of the pomlázka tradition. Easter moves each year, so these two dates move with it.

1 May is Labour Day, and also the day couples are said to kiss under blossoming trees.

8 May is Liberation Day, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945. Czech opinion on the history around it is not unanimous, and the day is often tied to the arrival of Allied and Soviet troops. The Prague Uprising began a few days earlier, on 5 May 1945, which is why the dates are sometimes mentioned together.

July

5 July honours Saints Cyril and Methodius, the ninth-century missionaries who brought Christianity and a script to the Slavic lands. 6 July is the day of Jan Hus, the preacher and reformer burned at the stake in 1415. His monument stands on Old Town Square. Because the two days sit back to back, plenty of Czechs treat them as a short summer break.

Autumn

28 September is Czech Statehood Day, held on the feast of St Wenceslas (Václav), patron of the Czech lands and the prince on the Wenceslas Square statue.

28 October is Independent Czechoslovak State Day, marking the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Prague marks it with official ceremonies.

17 November is the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy. It remembers two events: the Nazi closure of Czech universities in 1939 and the student march of 1989 that started the Velvet Revolution.

Christmas

24 December (Christmas Eve), 25 December (Christmas Day) and 26 December (St Stephen's Day) are all public holidays. The main family celebration happens on the 24th. Check the transport timetable before you travel.

A holiday for every kind of history

The list is a short course in Czech history. Some days are religious (Easter, Christmas, Cyril and Methodius, Hus), some are state anniversaries (1 January, 28 September, 28 October), and some are modern political memory (8 May, 17 November). Labour Day is the odd one out, a workers' day marked across Europe and kept as a general spring holiday.

The calendar has also changed within living memory. Under communism the end of the war was marked on 9 May, in step with Moscow, and 7 November celebrated the Russian revolution. After 1989 the war anniversary moved to 8 May, the date used in most of Europe, and the revolution holiday disappeared. Good Friday came later, in 2016, and 28 September joined the list as Statehood Day. If an older Czech colleague mentions "the old 9 May", this is what they mean. Holiday lists in expat forums that are a few years old can also be wrong, so check the official Act when it matters.

What closes

Czech law restricts opening for larger shops on certain public holidays, and the list changes from time to time. Smaller shops, petrol stations and restaurants usually stay open, though hours vary. Banks and offices are normally shut. Check the hours of the specific shop or service before you rely on it (as of 2026; check the official source).

A practical rule of thumb: buy food, medicine and anything breakable the day before a holiday, and treat the first holiday morning as a quiet one. Pharmacies with late or round-the-clock service exist in Prague, but they are the exception and worth looking up in advance. Cultural venues usually stay open on holidays and some run special programmes, so a holiday can be a good day for a museum.

Transport on holidays

Prague public transport can run to a different timetable on public holidays. Look at the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) website or app for the day you are travelling. Long weekends also mean motorway queues out of the city on the day before and back in on the last evening.

When a holiday lands on a weekend

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is no extra day off in lieu. That surprises newcomers from countries that move it to the Monday. Some employers give a bridge day, the one between a holiday and a weekend, but that is their call.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays does Czechia have?

Thirteen a year, including Good Friday and Easter Monday (as of 2026; check the official source).

Is Good Friday a public holiday in Czechia?

Yes, since 2016.

Do I get a day off if a holiday falls on a weekend?

No. There is no day in lieu, although some employers offer one.

Are shops open on Czech public holidays?

Larger shops are restricted on certain holidays, smaller shops and restaurants often stay open. Check before you go.

What is the difference between Statehood Day and Independence Day?

Statehood Day (28 September) honours St Wenceslas and the Czech state. Independent Czechoslovak State Day (28 October) marks the 1918 founding of Czechoslovakia.

Before you plan anything

Open a Czech calendar and check which days are red around early May, early July and late October. Then do the grocery shop the day before, and enjoy the quiet.