Public holidays in Estonia
10 days in 2026 · 10 in 2027
Back to EstoniaNext public holiday
Christmas Eve
jõululaupäev
After it: Christmas Day, Friday 25 December
Thursday, 24 December 2026
Twelve public holidays are set by Estonian law, and the list is the same every year. In 2026 nine of them fall on a weekday and three on a weekend; in 2027 the count is seven and five. Two are Sundays by definition, Easter Sunday and Pentecost, and there is no Easter Monday, so Easter gives a three-day weekend rather than four.
Outside Christmas, the only holidays on consecutive days fall in June. Victory Day on 23 June, which is also Midsummer Eve, and Midsummer Day on 24 June are two days off in a row: a Tuesday and Wednesday in 2026, a Wednesday and Thursday in 2027. The national flag, which otherwise comes down at sunset, is not lowered on Midsummer Night.
The Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act, passed in 1998, sets the list. It separates the national day, 24 February, from the other public holidays, and names a longer run of days of national importance that are marked without a day off.
- Days off in 2026
- 10Not counting Easter Sunday and Pentecost, always a Sunday
- On a weekday
- 9Monday to Friday
- On a weekend
- 1Saturday or Sunday
- Long weekends
- 3and 4 with one day of leave
2026
Public holidays in Estonia in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayuusaastaNew Year's Day. The working day before it is shortened by three hours.Thursday
- 24 February: Independence DayiseseisvuspäevIndependence Day and the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, for the Declaration of Independence of 1918. The law makes it the national day, and flags go up on homes, shops and offices.Tuesday
- 3 April: Good Fridaysuur reedeGood Friday, the only Easter holiday that falls on a working day.FridayDate moves
- 1 May: Spring DaykevadpühaSpring Day in Estonian, May Day in the English text of the law.Friday
- 23 June: Victory DayvõidupühaVictory Day, for the Battle of Võnnu in the Estonian War of Independence, falls on Midsummer Eve. The evening is jaaniõhtu, the night before Midsummer Day.Tuesday
- 24 June: Midsummer DayjaanipäevMidsummer Day, St John's Day. The second of the two June days off.Wednesday
- 20 August: Day of Restoration of IndependencetaasiseseisvumispäevThe Day of Restoration of Independence, for 20 August 1991. One of three days on which the flag must fly on every residential and commercial building.Thursday
- 24 December: Christmas EvejõululaupäevChristmas Eve. An amendment to the Act, in force from 20 May 2005, added it to the list of days off.Thursday
- 25 December: Christmas Dayesimene jõulupühaChristmas Day, literally the first Christmas holiday.Friday
- 26 December: St. Stephen's Dayteine jõulupühaBoxing Day, the second Christmas holiday.Saturday
Long weekends
Long weekends in Estonia in 2026
Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.
- 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
- 4daysSat 21 Feb to Tue 24 FebWith Mon 23 Feb taken as leave · Independence Day
- 3daysFri 3 Apr to Sun 5 AprGood Friday
- 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MaySpring Day
- 5daysSat 20 Jun to Wed 24 JunWith Mon 22 Jun taken as leave · Victory Day, Midsummer Day
- 4daysThu 20 Aug to Sun 23 AugWith Fri 21 Aug taken as leave · Day of Restoration of Independence
- 4daysThu 24 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Eve, Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day
2027
Public holidays in Estonia in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayuusaastaFriday
- 24 February: Independence DayiseseisvuspäevWednesday
- 26 March: Good Fridaysuur reedeFridayDate moves
- 1 May: Spring DaykevadpühaSaturday
- 23 June: Victory DayvõidupühaWednesday
- 24 June: Midsummer DayjaanipäevThursday
- 20 August: Day of Restoration of IndependencetaasiseseisvumispäevFriday
- 24 December: Christmas EvejõululaupäevFriday
- 25 December: Christmas Dayesimene jõulupühaSaturday
- 26 December: St. Stephen's Dayteine jõulupühaSunday
The working day before New Year's Day, Independence Day, Victory Day and Christmas Eve is three hours shorter. In 2026 the short days are Monday 23 February, Monday 22 June, Wednesday 23 December and Thursday 31 December; in 2027 they are Tuesday 23 February, Tuesday 22 June and Thursday 23 December.
The Act gives no replacement day when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December 2026 is lost as a day off, and in 2027 Spring Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day all land on a weekend.
Sixteen days of national importance carry no day off, from Epiphany on 6 January to the Day of Declaration of Sovereignty on 16 November, the anniversary of the declaration of 1988. The newest is Estonian Literature Day on 30 January, added in December 2022. The Day of Mourning on 14 June remembers the Soviet deportations of 1941 and 1949, and no public event out of keeping with mourning may be held on it.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in Estonia
How many public holidays does Estonia have?
Twelve, fixed by the Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act. The total does not change from year to year, but the number that fall on a working day does: nine in 2026 and seven in 2027. Easter Sunday and Pentecost are always Sundays, and a holiday that lands on a weekend is not moved to a weekday.
Is Easter Monday a holiday in Estonia?
No. The Act lists Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and nothing after. Easter in 2026 runs from Friday 3 April to Sunday 5 April, and in 2027 from Friday 26 March to Sunday 28 March, three days each time. Easter Sunday itself adds nothing to the count of days off, since it is a Sunday anyway.
What happens on 23 and 24 June in Estonia?
Two public holidays back to back. Victory Day on 23 June marks the Battle of Võnnu in the War of Independence and coincides with Midsummer Eve; Midsummer Day follows on 24 June. The working day before Victory Day is three hours shorter. In 2026 the pair falls on Tuesday and Wednesday, so one day of leave on Monday 22 June gives five days off from Saturday 20 June. In 2027 it is Wednesday and Thursday, and the bridge day is Friday 25 June. The flag stays up through Midsummer Night.
Why does Estonia have two independence days?
They mark two different events. Independence Day on 24 February is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1918 and is the national day. The Day of Restoration of Independence on 20 August marks 1991, when independence was restored after Soviet rule. Both are days off, and on both the flag has to fly on homes and business premises.
Are there shortened working days before holidays in Estonia?
Yes, four a year. The working day before New Year's Day, Independence Day, Victory Day and Christmas Eve is cut by three hours. In 2027 that means Tuesday 23 February, Tuesday 22 June and Thursday 23 December, along with Thursday 31 December 2026 ahead of the new year.
What are the long weekends in Estonia in 2026?
Three come with no leave taken. Easter runs from Friday 3 April to Sunday 5 April, Spring Day on Friday 1 May starts a three-day weekend, and Christmas Eve on a Thursday opens four days off to Sunday 27 December. Single days of leave make more: Friday 2 January after New Year, Monday 23 February before Independence Day, Monday 22 June before midsummer and Friday 21 August after the Day of Restoration of Independence.
Is Christmas Eve a day off in Estonia?
Yes, since 2005, when an amendment to the Act added 24 December to the list of public holidays. With Christmas Day and Boxing Day it gives three days off in a row, and the working day before it is three hours shorter. In 2026 Christmas Eve is a Thursday and in 2027 a Friday.
Which Estonian days are marked but not days off?
The Act names sixteen days of national importance. They include Epiphany, the anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty on 2 February, Mother Tongue Day on 14 March, Flag Day on 4 June, the Day of Mourning on 14 June, Resistance Day on 22 September, All Souls' Day on 2 November and the Day of Declaration of Sovereignty on 16 November. Mothers' Day, Grandparents' Day, Kindred Peoples' Day and Fathers' Day move with the calendar. Work goes on as usual on all of them.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-26. The page counts from Monday, 28 September 2026, the day it was built.