COUNTRYSpec

Public holidays in Latvia

14 days in 2026 · 12 in 2027

Back to LatviaBaltic

Next public holiday

Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia

Latvijas Republikas Proklamēšanas diena

After it: Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December

Wednesday, 18 November 2026

Latvia has 14 days off in 2026 and 12 in 2027, not counting Easter Sunday, Pentecost and Mother's Day, which always fall on a Sunday. Two of the 2026 days are working days moved to Saturdays: Friday 2 January and Monday 22 June are off, and Saturdays 17 January and 27 June are worked instead. 1 May holds two holidays at once, Labour Day and the anniversary of the Constituent Assembly first meeting in 1920. Midsummer takes two days, Līgo Day on 23 June and Jāņi on 24 June, and Christmas three, from 24 to 26 December, with New Year's Eve a day off as well.

The list comes from the law on holidays, remembrance days and days of celebration, adopted by the Supreme Council on 3 October 1990 in place of a Latvian SSR law of 10 November 1989. Two of its days mark statehood: the proclamation of the republic on 18 November 1918 and the declaration of 4 May 1990 restoring independence. If either falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next working day is off. The same rule covers the closing day of the General Latvian Song and Dance Festival, which the law also makes a holiday.

The law allows for more than one church calendar. Orthodox Christians, Old Believers and members of other denominations mark Easter, Pentecost and Christmas on the dates their own church sets, while the days off follow the western dates.

Days off in 2026
14Not counting Easter Sunday and Mother's Day and Pentecost, always a Sunday
On a weekday
13Monday to Friday
On a weekend
1Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
5three days off or more

2026

Public holidays in Latvia in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayJaungada dienaNew Year's Day. With New Year's Eve the day before, the turn of the year gives two holidays in a row.Thursday
  2. 2 January: Transferred day offBrīvdienaA working day moved to a Saturday. In 2026 Friday 2 January is off in exchange for Saturday 17 January, and Monday 22 June in exchange for Saturday 27 June.FridayDate moves
  3. 3 April: Good FridayLielā PiektdienaGood Friday. It opens a four-day Easter break in both years on file: 3 to 6 April 2026 and 26 to 29 March 2027.FridayDate moves
  4. 6 April: Easter MondayOtrās LieldienasEaster Monday, the second day of Easter and the last of the four-day break.MondayDate moves
  5. 1 May: Labour Day, Convocation of the Constituent AssemblyDarba svētki, Latvijas Republikas Satversmes sapulces sasaukšanas dienaLabour Day and the anniversary of the Constituent Assembly, which first met on 1 May 1920 and adopted the constitution, the Satversme, in February 1922. The law names both on the one date.Friday
  6. 4 May: Day of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas Neatkarības atjaunošanas dienaOn 4 May 1990 the Supreme Council adopted the declaration on restoring the independence of the Republic of Latvia. If the date falls on a weekend, the next working day is off.Monday
  7. 22 June: Transferred day offBrīvdienaA working day moved to a Saturday. In 2026 Friday 2 January is off in exchange for Saturday 17 January, and Monday 22 June in exchange for Saturday 27 June.MondayDate moves
  8. 23 June: Līgo DayLīgo dienaMidsummer Eve, when the Jāņi celebrations begin: singing, wreath-making, gathering plants, bonfires and a vigil through the night until sunrise.Tuesday
  9. 24 June: Jāņi DayJāņu dienaMidsummer Day, named in the law as the summer solstice. Caraway cheese and beer are the foods most tied to it.Wednesday
  10. 18 November: Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas Proklamēšanas dienaThe People's Council proclaimed the Republic of Latvia on 18 November 1918. A Saturday or Sunday date moves the day off to the next working day.Wednesday
  11. 24 December: Christmas EveZiemassvētku vakarsChristmas Eve, a day off in its own right. Gifts are traditionally exchanged in the evening.Thursday
  12. 25 December: Christmas DayPirmie ZiemassvētkiChristmas Day. The law also names the three Christmas days as the winter solstice.Friday
  13. 26 December: Second day of ChristmasOtrie ZiemassvētkiThe second day of Christmas, which fell on a Saturday in 2026 and falls on a Sunday in 2027.Saturday
  14. 31 December: New Year's EveVecgada dienaNew Year's Eve, a full day off. It falls on a Thursday in 2026 and on a Friday in 2027, when it opens a three-day weekend.Thursday

Long weekends

Long weekends in Latvia 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 JanNew Year's Day, Transferred day off
  • 4daysFri 3 Apr to Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Easter Monday
  • 4daysFri 1 May to Mon 4 MayLabour Day, Convocation of the Constituent Assembly, Day of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia
  • 5daysSat 20 Jun to Wed 24 JunTransferred day off, Līgo Day, Jāņi Day
  • 4daysThu 24 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Eve, Christmas Day, Second day of Christmas

2027

Public holidays in Latvia in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayJaungada dienaFriday
  2. 26 March: Good FridayLielā PiektdienaFridayDate moves
  3. 29 March: Easter MondayOtrās LieldienasMondayDate moves
  4. 1 May: Labour Day, Convocation of the Constituent AssemblyDarba svētki, Latvijas Republikas Satversmes sapulces sasaukšanas dienaSaturday
  5. 4 May: Day of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas Neatkarības atjaunošanas dienaTuesday
  6. 23 June: Līgo DayLīgo dienaWednesday
  7. 24 June: Jāņi DayJāņu dienaThursday
  8. 18 November: Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas Proklamēšanas dienaThursday
  9. 24 December: Christmas EveZiemassvētku vakarsFriday
  10. 25 December: Christmas DayPirmie ZiemassvētkiSaturday
  11. 26 December: Second day of ChristmasOtrie ZiemassvētkiSunday
  12. 31 December: New Year's EveVecgada dienaFriday

Observances

Days marked in Latvia that are not days off

  1. 20 January: Commemoration Day of Defenders of the Barricades in 19911991. gada barikāžu aizstāvju atceres dienaTuesday
  2. 26 January: Day of the International (de jure) Recognition of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas starptautiskās (de jure) atzīšanas dienaMonday
  3. 27 February: World Non-Governmental Organization DayStarptautisko nevalstisko organizāciju dienaFriday
  4. 2 March: National Partisan Armed Resistance Remembrance DayNacionālo partizānu bruņotās pretošanās atceres dienaMonday
  5. 8 March: International Women's DayStarptautiskā sieviešu dienaSunday
  6. 17 March: National Resistance Movement Remembrance DayNacionālās pretošanās kustības piemiņas dienaTuesday
  7. 25 March: Commemoration Day of Victims of Communist TerrorKomunistiskā genocīda upuru piemiņas dienaKept twice a year, on 25 March and 14 June. On the night of 13 to 14 June 1941, 15,424 inhabitants of Latvia were deported, mostly to Siberia.Wednesday
  8. 27 April: Latgale Congress DayLatgales kongresa dienaMonday
  9. 8 May: Day of the Defeat of Nazism and Commemoration Day of Victims of World War IINacisma sagrāves diena un Otrā pasaules kara upuru piemiņas dienaFriday
  10. 9 May: Europe DayEiropas dienaSaturday
  11. 15 May: International Day of the FamilyStarptautiskā ģimenes dienaFriday
  12. 17 May: Firefighter and Rescuer DayUgunsdzēsēju un glābēju dienaSunday
  13. 1 June: International Day for Protection of ChildrenStarptautiskā bērnu aizsardzības dienaMonday
  14. 14 June: Commemoration Day of Victims of Communist TerrorKomunistiskā genocīda upuru piemiņas dienaKept twice a year, on 25 March and 14 June. On the night of 13 to 14 June 1941, 15,424 inhabitants of Latvia were deported, mostly to Siberia.Sunday
  15. 17 June: Day of the Occupation of the Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republikas okupācijas diena17 June 1940, the day of the Soviet occupation. Citizenship restored in 1991 went to those who held it on that day and their descendants. A working day.Wednesday
  16. 21 June: Medical Worker DayMedicīnas darbinieku dienaSundayDate moves
  17. 22 June: Heroes' Commemoration Day (Anniversary of the Battle of Cēsis)Varoņu piemiņas diena (Cēsu kaujas atceres diena)Monday
  18. 4 July: Commemoration Day of Genocide Against the JewsEbreju tautas genocīda upuru piemiņas dienaSaturday
  19. 11 July: Day of the Sea FestivalJūras svētku dienaSaturdayDate moves
  20. 11 August: Latvian Freedom Fighters' Remembrance DayLatvijas brīvības cīnītāju piemiņas dienaTuesday
  21. 21 August: Day of the Passing of the Constitutional Law on the Status of the Republic of Latvia as a StateKonstitucionālā likuma “Par Latvijas Republikas valstisko statusu” pieņemšanas dienaThe constitutional law of 21 August 1991, passed after the failed coup in Moscow, ended the transition period and restored independence in full. A working day.Friday
  22. 23 August: Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and NazismStaļinisma un nacisma upuru atceres dienaSunday
  23. 1 September: Knowledge DayZinību dienaTuesday
  24. 13 September: Father's DayTēva dienaSundayDate moves
  25. 22 September: Baltic Unity DayBaltu vienības dienaTuesday
  26. 1 October: International Day of Older PersonsStarptautiskā senioru dienaThursday
  27. 5 October: Teachers' DaySkolotāju dienaMonday
  28. 15 October: Official Language DayValsts valodas dienaThursday
  29. 7 November: Border Guards DayRobežsargu dienaSaturday
  30. 11 November: Lāčplēsis DayLāčplēša dienaThe counteroffensive that began on 11 November 1919 and by the end of that month had driven the West Russian Volunteer Army out of Latvia. The name is that of Andrejs Pumpurs's epic of 1888.Wednesday
  31. 21 November: Remembrance Day of the Tragedy of 21 November 20132013. gada 21. novembra traģēdijas atceres dienaSaturday
  32. 5 December: Police DayPolicijas darbinieku dienaSaturday
  33. 6 December: Commemoration Day of Victims of Genocide Against the Latvian People By the Totalitarian Communist RegimePret latviešu tautu vērstā totalitārā komunistiskā režīma genocīda upuru piemiņas dienaSundayDate moves

The weekend rule has not been needed in the two years on file: 4 May falls on a Monday in 2026 and a Tuesday in 2027, and 18 November on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Holidays outside the rule are not replaced, so the second day of Christmas on Saturday 26 December 2026 gives no extra day, and neither do 1 May, 25 December and 26 December in 2027.

Two working days in 2026 are moved to Saturdays. Friday 2 January is off and Saturday 17 January is worked, which gives four days off from 1 to 4 January. Monday 22 June is off and Saturday 27 June is worked, which gives five days off from Saturday 20 June to Līgo and Jāņi on 23 and 24 June.

The closing day of the General Latvian Song and Dance Festival is a holiday under the law, with the same weekend rule as 4 May and 18 November. The law names the day, not a date, so it has no fixed place in the year.

The law has been amended for single days. The current text names 24 September 2018, the day of the pastoral visit of Pope Francis, and 29 May 2023, the day the national ice hockey team won bronze at that year's world championship. For the second, a transitional clause kept school examinations already set for 29 May.

Besides the holidays, the law lists 33 remembrance and celebration days that carry no day off, from the defenders of the 1991 barricades on 20 January to the victims of the communist regime on the first Sunday of December. Three move with the calendar each year: Medical Worker Day on the third Sunday of June, the Sea Festival on the second Saturday of July and Father's Day on the second Sunday of September.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in Latvia

How many public holidays does Latvia have in 2026?

Fourteen, not counting Easter Sunday, Pentecost and Mother's Day, which are Sundays by definition. Labour Day and the anniversary of the Constituent Assembly share 1 May, so they make one day off between them. Two of the fourteen are working days moved to Saturdays: Friday 2 January and Monday 22 June. Thirteen fall on a weekday; the second day of Christmas lands on Saturday 26 December. In 2027 there are twelve, with three on a weekend: 1 May, 25 December and 26 December.

What are Līgo and Jāņi?

The two midsummer holidays, on 23 and 24 June every year. Līgo Day is the eve, and Jāņi Day, which the law names as the summer solstice, is the day itself. The celebrations combine singing, wreath-making, gathering plants, special foods, bonfires, games and a vigil until sunrise, with caraway cheese and beer on the table. In 2026 they fell on a Tuesday and a Wednesday; in 2027 they fall on a Wednesday and a Thursday.

What happens when 4 May or 18 November falls on a weekend?

The next working day becomes a day off. The law applies this to three days only: Restoration of Independence Day on 4 May, Proclamation Day on 18 November and the closing day of the General Latvian Song and Dance Festival. Neither date needs it in the years on file, as 4 May is a Monday in 2026 and a Tuesday in 2027.

Why is 1 May a double holiday in Latvia?

Labour Day shares the date with the anniversary of the Constituent Assembly, which met for the first time on 1 May 1920 after elections held on 17 and 18 April. The assembly passed a land reform and adopted the Satversme, the constitution, in February 1922. The two holidays give a single day off between them. In 2027 the pair falls on a Saturday.

When is Easter in Latvia in 2027?

Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday on 29 March, giving four days off from Friday to Monday. In 2026 the same break ran from 3 to 6 April. Orthodox Christians and Old Believers mark Easter on the date set by their own church, as the law provides; the days off follow the western date.

What are the long weekends in Latvia in 2026?

Six, and none needs leave. New Year's Day on Thursday and the moved day off on Friday 2 January give four days to Sunday 4 January. Easter runs from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April. Labour Day on Friday 1 May and Restoration of Independence Day on Monday 4 May make four days in a row. Monday 22 June, moved from Saturday 27 June, joins the weekend to Līgo and Jāņi for five days off. Christmas Eve on a Thursday opens four days to Sunday 27 December, and New Year's Eve on Thursday 31 December four more to Sunday 3 January 2027.

Are 11 November and 17 June days off in Latvia?

No. Both are remembrance days, marked and worked. Lāčplēsis Day on 11 November recalls the counteroffensive of 1919 that drove the West Russian Volunteer Army out of Latvia by the end of that month. The Day of the Occupation on 17 June marks 1940. The law lists 33 days of this kind, and none of them stops work.

Has Latvia ever added a one-off public holiday?

Yes. The current text of the holiday law names two single days off added by amendment: 24 September 2018, for the pastoral visit of Pope Francis, and 29 May 2023, the day the national ice hockey team won bronze at the world championship that year. The 2023 amendment added a transitional clause so that school examinations already set for that day still went ahead.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-26. The page counts from Monday, 28 September 2026, the day it was built.