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Public holidays in North Macedonia

11 days in 2026 · 11 in 2027

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Next public holiday

Revolution Day (day off)

Ден на востанието, Den na vostanieto

After it: Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle, Friday 23 October

Monday, 12 October 2026

The Law on Holidays of 1998 gives every citizen of North Macedonia 11 days off in 2026, and they come from two faiths as well as from the state: Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, Ramazan Bajram, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, on 20 March, and the second day of Orthodox Easter on 13 April. When one of the eleven falls on a Sunday, the Monday after it is off instead. In 2026 that happens three times, giving 25 May, 3 August and 12 October as days off.

Beside the eleven, the yearly programme of non-working days lists days off for one faith or one community only. Orthodox believers have five more, among them Christmas Eve, Good Friday and the Assumption on 28 August. Catholics have Easter Monday by their own calendar, All Saints' Day and 25 December, and Muslims the first day of Kurban Bajram. Seven communities, Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Vlach, Jewish, Bosniak and Turkish, each have a day of their own.

Four of the state days mark the country's own history: the founding of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in 1893, the Ilinden Uprising of 1903, the attack in Prilep that began anti-fascist resistance in 1941, and the referendum of 1991 that brought independence from Yugoslavia.

Days off in 2026
11Not counting Easter Sunday, always a Sunday
On a weekday
11Monday to Friday
On a weekend
0Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
7and 3 with one day of leave

2026

Public holidays in North Macedonia in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayНова Година, Nova GodinaNew Year's Day. In 2027 it falls on a Friday and starts a three-day weekend.Thursday
  2. 7 January: Christmas Day (Orthodox)Прв ден Божик, Prv den BožikThe first day of Christmas by the Orthodox calendar, a day off for every citizen. Orthodox believers also have Christmas Eve, Badnik, on 6 January.Wednesday
  3. 20 March: Eid al-FitrРамазан Бајрам, Ramazan BajramThe first day of Eid al-Fitr, a day off for every citizen and not only for Muslims. It follows the Islamic calendar: 20 March in 2026, and Wednesday 10 March in 2027 on a tentative reckoning.FridayDate moves
  4. 13 April: Easter MondayВтор ден Велигден, Vtor den VeligdenThe second day of Orthodox Easter, off for every citizen. Catholics are also given Easter Monday by the Western calendar, which fell on 6 April in 2026.MondayDate moves
  5. 1 May: Labour DayДен на трудот, Den na trudotLabour Day. On a Saturday in 2027, the day before Orthodox Easter Sunday.Friday
  6. 25 May: Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (day off)Св. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на сèсловенските просветителиSaints Cyril and Methodius, honoured in the day's name as the enlighteners of all the Slavs. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 May is off.MondayDate moves
  7. 3 August: Day of the Republic (day off)Ден на Републиката, Den na RepublikataIlinden. It marks the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 and the proclamation of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1944, on the same date. A Sunday in 2026, so 3 August is the day off.MondayDate moves
  8. 8 September: Independence DayДен на независноста, Den na nezavisnostaIndependence from Yugoslavia, achieved with the referendum of 1991.Tuesday
  9. 12 October: Revolution Day (day off)Ден на востанието, Den na vostanietoThe Day of the People's Uprising, for the attack in Prilep on 11 October 1941 that began the anti-fascist resistance of the Second World War. On a Sunday in 2026, so Monday 12 October is off.MondayDate moves
  10. 23 October: Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary StruggleДен на македонската револуционерна борба,Den na makedonskata revolucionarna borbaThe founding of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in 1893.Friday
  11. 8 December: Saint Clement of Ohrid DayСв. Климент Охридски, Sv. Kliment OhridskiSaint Clement of Ohrid, and the last day off of the year for every citizen. Catholic citizens also have 25 December.Tuesday

Long weekends

Long weekends in North Macedonia 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
  • 3daysFri 20 Mar to Sun 22 MarEid al-Fitr
  • 3daysSat 11 Apr to Mon 13 AprEaster Monday
  • 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
  • 3daysSat 23 May to Mon 25 MaySaints Cyril and Methodius Day (day off)
  • 3daysSat 1 Aug to Mon 3 AugDay of the Republic (day off)
  • 4daysSat 5 Sept to Tue 8 SeptWith Mon 7 Sept taken as leave · Independence Day
  • 3daysSat 10 Oct to Mon 12 OctRevolution Day (day off)
  • 3daysFri 23 Oct to Sun 25 OctDay of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle
  • 4daysSat 5 Dec to Tue 8 DecWith Mon 7 Dec taken as leave · Saint Clement of Ohrid Day

2027

Public holidays in North Macedonia in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayНова Година, Nova GodinaFriday
  2. 7 January: Christmas Day (Orthodox)Прв ден Божик, Prv den BožikThursday
  3. 10 March: Eid al-FitrРамазан Бајрам, Ramazan BajramWednesdayDate moves
  4. 1 May: Labour DayДен на трудот, Den na trudotSaturday
  5. 3 May: Easter MondayВтор ден Велигден, Vtor den VeligdenMondayDate moves
  6. 24 May: Saints Cyril and Methodius DayСв. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на сèсловенските просветителиMonday
  7. 2 August: Day of the RepublicДен на Републиката, Den na RepublikataMonday
  8. 8 September: Independence DayДен на независноста, Den na nezavisnostaWednesday
  9. 11 October: Revolution DayДен на востанието, Den na vostanietoMonday
  10. 23 October: Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary StruggleДен на македонската револуционерна борба,Den na makedonskata revolucionarna borbaSaturday
  11. 8 December: Saint Clement of Ohrid DayСв. Климент Охридски, Sv. Kliment OhridskiWednesday

Observances

Days marked in North Macedonia that are not days off

  1. 10 April: Good FridayВелики Петок, Veliki PetokThe Friday before Orthodox Easter. The programme of non-working days lists it for Orthodox believers, not for all citizens: 10 April in 2026.FridayDate moves
  2. 24 May: Saints Cyril and Methodius DayСв. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на сèсловенските просветителиSaints Cyril and Methodius, honoured in the day's name as the enlighteners of all the Slavs. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 May is off.Sunday
  3. 2 August: Day of the RepublicДен на Републиката, Den na RepublikataIlinden. It marks the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 and the proclamation of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1944, on the same date. A Sunday in 2026, so 3 August is the day off.Sunday
  4. 11 October: Revolution DayДен на востанието, Den na vostanietoThe Day of the People's Uprising, for the attack in Prilep on 11 October 1941 that began the anti-fascist resistance of the Second World War. On a Sunday in 2026, so Monday 12 October is off.Sunday

The Sunday rule is in the law itself: a holiday on a Sunday makes the following Monday a non-working day. It is written for Sunday only. In 2027 Labour Day and the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle both fall on a Saturday.

The Law on Holidays was published in the Official Gazette in 1998 as No. 21/98 and amended in 2007 by No. 18/07. The two Bajrams follow the Islamic calendar, so their dates move from one year to the next: Ramazan Bajram fell on 20 March in 2026 and Kurban Bajram on 27 May, and the 2027 dates, 10 March and 17 May, are still tentative.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in North Macedonia

How many public holidays does North Macedonia have in 2026?

Eleven days off for every citizen, under the 1998 Law on Holidays. Three of them fall on a Sunday, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Republic Day and the Day of the People's Uprising, so 25 May, 3 August and 12 October are taken instead. On top of the eleven, believers of each faith and members of seven communities have days off of their own, which is why an Orthodox employee and a Catholic one do not stop work on the same dates.

Is Eid al-Fitr a public holiday in North Macedonia?

Yes, for everyone. Ramazan Bajram, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, is one of the eleven days off that apply to all citizens, whatever their faith; in 2026 it fell on Friday 20 March. Kurban Bajram, the first day of Eid al-Adha, is different: it is a day off for Muslim citizens only, on Wednesday 27 May in 2026.

Is Good Friday a day off in North Macedonia?

Only for Orthodox believers. The programme of non-working days lists Veliki Petok, the Friday before Orthodox Easter, among the five extra days for Orthodox citizens; in 2026 it was 10 April. The day off that everyone gets is the second day of Easter, the Monday, which was 13 April in 2026.

What happens when a holiday in North Macedonia falls on a Sunday?

The Monday after it becomes the non-working day. The rule comes from the Law on Holidays and in 2026 it moved three days off: Saints Cyril and Methodius on 24 May to Monday 25 May, Republic Day on 2 August to Monday 3 August, and the Day of the People's Uprising on 11 October to Monday 12 October. Each of the three therefore makes a three-day weekend.

When is Orthodox Easter in North Macedonia in 2027?

Easter Sunday falls on 2 May 2027 and the Easter Monday day off on 3 May. Labour Day lands on the Saturday before, 1 May, so the two holidays share one weekend. Orthodox believers also have Good Friday, 30 April, which gives them four days in a row from Friday to Monday.

What is Ilinden in North Macedonia?

Ilinden is 2 August, kept by the state as the Day of the Republic. The date is doubly marked: the Ilinden Uprising began on it in 1903, and on the same date in 1944 the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was proclaimed. In 2026 it fell on a Sunday, so Monday 3 August was the day off; in 2027 it is a Monday itself.

Do Catholics in North Macedonia get Christmas off on 25 December?

Yes. The programme of non-working days gives Catholic citizens three days: Easter Monday by the Western calendar, All Saints' Day on 1 November and the first day of Christmas on 25 December, which falls on a Friday in 2026. For every other citizen Christmas is a day off on 7 January, by the Orthodox calendar.

Which communities in North Macedonia have their own holidays?

Seven, each with one day. Albanians keep Albanian Alphabet Day on 22 November, Serbs St Sava on 27 January, Roma International Romani Day on 8 April and Vlachs their national day on 23 May. The Jewish community has the first day of Yom Kippur, 21 September in 2026, Bosniaks International Bosniaks Day on 28 September and Turks the Day of Turkish Language Teaching on 21 December.

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