Public holidays in Finland
11 days in 2026 · 11 in 2027
Back to FinlandNext public holiday
All Saints' Day
Pyhäinpäivä
After it: Independence Day, Sunday 6 December
Saturday, 31 October 2026
Finland has 13 official holidays, Easter Sunday and Pentecost among them, but only 7 fall on a weekday in 2026, and in 2027 only 6. Part of the reason is a reform of 1955 that moved Midsummer Day to the Saturday after 19 June and All Saints' Day to the Saturday after 30 October, so neither can give a weekday off. Easter Sunday and Pentecost are Sundays in any case.
Two of the most important days are not official holidays at all. Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve appear in the Annual Holidays Act (162/2005) only as non-business days, yet most employment contracts give them as full days off, and in practice they differ from the official holidays mainly in that shops open from early morning until noon. The celebrations themselves happen on the eves: presents from Joulupukki on 24 December, bonfires at Midsummer.
Every official holiday is set by an act of Parliament, and most follow the church year. May Day and Independence Day are the two that do not.
- Days off in 2026
- 11Not counting Easter Sunday and Pentecost, always a Sunday
- On a weekday
- 7Monday to Friday
- On a weekend
- 4Saturday or Sunday
- Long weekends
- 3and 3 with one day of leave
2026
Public holidays in Finland in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayUudenvuodenpäiväNew Year's Day. The eve before it is a shortened working day in some offices, though not in all.Thursday
- 6 January: EpiphanyLoppiainenEpiphany. Moved to a Saturday in 1973, it returned to 6 January in 1991.Tuesday
- 3 April: Good FridayPitkäperjantaiGood Friday, the first of four days off at Easter. The Thursday before is a shortened working day in some offices.FridayDate moves
- 6 April: Easter MondayToinen pääsiäispäiväEaster Monday, in Finnish the second Easter day, which closes the four-day break.MondayDate moves
- 1 May: May DayVappuMay Day, run together with Walpurgis Night on 30 April, when students and graduates put on their student caps. One of the two holidays with no church origin.Friday
- 14 May: Ascension DayHelatorstaiAscension Day, a Thursday 39 days after Easter Sunday. From 1973 to 1991 it was kept on the Saturday before.ThursdayDate moves
- 20 June: Midsummer DayJuhannuspäiväMidsummer Day, moved in 1955 from 24 June to the Saturday between 20 and 26 June. It is also Flag Day.SaturdayDate moves
- 31 October: All Saints' DayPyhäinpäiväAll Saints' Day, moved in 1955 from 1 November to the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November.SaturdayDate moves
- 6 December: Independence DayItsenäisyyspäiväIndependence Day. Parliament approved the declaration of independence from Russia on 6 December 1917. The only holiday on which pay is set by law.Sunday
- 25 December: Christmas DayJoulupäiväChristmas Day, kept as a quiet day of rest after the eve.Friday
- 26 December: St. Stephen's DayTapaninpäiväSt Stephen's Day, also counted as the second Christmas day. The Christmas holidays end after it.Saturday
Long weekends
Long weekends in Finland 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 3 Jan to Tue 6 JanWith Mon 5 Jan taken as leave · Epiphany
- 4daysFri 3 Apr to Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Easter Monday
- 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayMay Day
- 4daysThu 14 May to Sun 17 MayWith Fri 15 May taken as leave · Ascension Day
- 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day, St. Stephen's Day
2027
Public holidays in Finland in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayUudenvuodenpäiväFriday
- 6 January: EpiphanyLoppiainenWednesday
- 26 March: Good FridayPitkäperjantaiFridayDate moves
- 29 March: Easter MondayToinen pääsiäispäiväMondayDate moves
- 1 May: May DayVappuSaturday
- 6 May: Ascension DayHelatorstaiThursdayDate moves
- 26 June: Midsummer DayJuhannuspäiväSaturdayDate moves
- 6 November: All Saints' DayPyhäinpäiväSaturdayDate moves
- 6 December: Independence DayItsenäisyyspäiväMonday
- 25 December: Christmas DayJoulupäiväSaturday
- 26 December: St. Stephen's DayTapaninpäiväSunday
Observances
Days marked in Finland that are not days off
- 9 June: Åland's Autonomy DayÅlands självstyrelsedagFI-01Åland's Autonomy Day, kept on 9 June in Åland alone for the first meeting of its Landsting in 1922. A paid holiday only for public sector employees there.Tuesday
- 19 June: Midsummer EveJuhannusaattoMidsummer Eve, the Friday between 19 and 25 June. Not an official holiday but a non-business day under the Annual Holidays Act, and the night of the bonfires.FridayDate moves
- 24 December: Christmas EveJouluaattoChristmas Eve, when Christmas is actually celebrated, with Joulupukki bringing presents and a Christmas sauna. Officially a non-business day rather than a holiday.Thursday
The Bank of Finland closes on 11 days a year, Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve among them. Easter Sunday, Pentecost, Midsummer Day and All Saints' Day are not on its list, since none of them can fall on a weekday.
Whether a holiday on a weekday is a paid day off is decided by collective agreements, not by statute, with Independence Day as the one exception.
The calendar also sets flag days, which have no formal link to a day's status as a holiday. May Day, Midsummer Day and Independence Day are both. The Sámi keep twelve flag days of their own, flown with the Sámi flag, and Sámi National Day on 6 February is a working day.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in Finland
How many public holidays does Finland have in 2026?
Thirteen official holidays, Easter Sunday and Pentecost among them. Seven fall on a weekday in 2026: 1 and 6 January, Good Friday and Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day on 14 May and Christmas Day. Easter Sunday, Pentecost, Midsummer Day, All Saints' Day, Independence Day and St Stephen's Day all land at a weekend. Christmas Eve, a Thursday, and Midsummer Eve, a Friday, are days off under most contracts without being holidays in name.
Is Christmas Eve a day off in Finland?
Yes in practice, no in law. Christmas Eve is not an official holiday and is not marked as one in calendars, but the Annual Holidays Act counts it as a non-business day and most employment contracts give it as a full day off. Banks close. Shops usually open from early morning until noon, which is the main difference from Christmas Day. Midsummer Eve has the same standing.
When is Midsummer in Finland in 2026 and 2027?
Midsummer Eve is Friday 19 June 2026 and Midsummer Day Saturday 20 June; in 2027 they fall on Friday 25 June and Saturday 26 June. The date moves because since 1955 Midsummer Day has been the Saturday between 20 and 26 June rather than 24 June. The eve is a non-business day that most contracts give off, and it is when the bonfires are lit and city dwellers leave for the country.
Why does All Saints' Day fall on a Saturday in Finland?
A reform of 1955 moved it from 1 November to the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November: 31 October in 2026, 6 November in 2027. The same reform put Midsummer Day on a Saturday. Epiphany and Ascension Day were moved to Saturdays as well in 1973, but that change was reversed in 1991, so both are weekday holidays again.
Are shops open on public holidays in Finland?
Finnish law does not stop retail shops from opening on public holidays, although the hours of businesses, public authorities and other services can differ from usual. On Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve most shops open early and close at noon.
What are the long weekends in Finland in 2026?
Easter runs from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April, May Day on a Friday gives three days, and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December opens three more to Sunday 27 December, four for the many who have Christmas Eve off as well. With leave on Friday 15 May, Ascension Day stretches to four. January is the best placed: taking Friday 2 January and Monday 5 January joins New Year's Day and Epiphany into six days off in a row.
Which Finnish holiday is paid by law?
Independence Day on 6 December. It is the only holiday for which the law itself provides pay; for the rest, collective agreements decide. The day marks 6 December 1917, when Parliament approved the declaration of independence from Russia. A Sunday in 2026, the day moves to a Monday in 2027 and gives a three-day weekend from Saturday 4 December.
When does Easter fall in Finland in 2027?
Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday on 29 March, so Easter gives four days off from Friday to Monday, a week earlier in the spring than in 2026, when the same four days ran from 3 to 6 April. Ascension Day follows on Thursday 6 May 2027 and Pentecost on Sunday 16 May.
Does Åland have a holiday of its own?
Åland celebrates the establishment of its autonomy every year on 9 June. The day is a paid holiday only for employees in the regional and municipal public sector of the islands, so it is not counted among Finland's days off. On the mainland it is an ordinary working day, a Tuesday in 2026 and a Wednesday in 2027.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-26. The page counts from Monday, 28 September 2026, the day it was built.