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In Belgium, businesses are typically closed on public holidays, so it’s important to know when they are. Annually there are 10 national holidays for workers, seven of which have fixed dates each year.
To ensure you don’t miss out on anything important, read this list of Belgium’s holidays and observances:
Walibi
Discover the excitement of Walibi’s roller coasters and enjoy a family-friendly day out with a range of gentle rides, thrills, and captivating live shows. Visit Walibi for an exhilarating experience and wonderful entertainment for visitors of all ages.
An overview of public holidays in Belgium
Most of the holidays in Belgium are observed nationwide. However, some holidays only apply regionally for the country’s three language communities:
- Dutch-speaking Flanders
- French-speaking Wallonia
- German-speaking provinces in eastern Wallonia
Businesses are typically closed on public holidays (Dutch: feestdag, French: jour férié), with the exceptions of police stations and hospitals. This is increasingly changing, however.
One of the most important holidays is Belgium’s national day (Belgian Independence Day). This day is celebrated with big festivities and military shows. There are also plenty of popular local festivities, such as Carnival and a number of top Belgian festivals, which are not official public holidays.
When the country’s holidays fall on a Thursday or Tuesday, some companies close on the Friday or Monday to make the bridge. This ensures that employees get a long weekend away from work.
The law prohibits working during national holidays in Belgium, although exceptions exist. In such situations, an employee should receive a compensation day within six weeks following any holiday they worked.
It’s important to note that if a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday does not typically transfer to another day in the week.
When are Belgium’s public holidays in 2025?
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2025 | Wed | New Year’s Day |
| 18 April 2025 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 21 April 2025 | Tue | Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2025 | Thu | Labor Day / May Day |
| 29 May 2025 | Thu | Ascension Day |
| 30 May 2025 | Fri | Day after Ascension Day |
| 9 June 2025 | Mon | Whit Monday |
| 21 July 2025 | Mon | Belgium National Day |
| 15 August 2025 | Fri | Assumption of Mary |
| 1 November 2025 | Sat | All Saints’ Day |
| 11 November 2025 | Tue | Armistice Day |
| 25 December 2025 | Thu | Christmas Day |
| 26 December 2025 | Fri | Boxing Day |
Local holidays in 2025
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 8 May 2025 | Thu | Feast of the Iris – Feast Day of the Brussels-Capital Region |
| 11 July 2025 | Fri | Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) – celebrates the victory of the Count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai |
| 15 September 2025 | Mon | Feast Day of the Walloon Region |
| 27 September 2025 | Sat | Day of the French-speaking Community – commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830 |
| 15 November 2025 | Sat | Day of the German-speaking Community – the date a decree was published to prescribe the arms, flag, colors, and community day of the German-speaking area |
Other important dates in 2025
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 6 January 2025 | Mon | Epiphany |
| 11 May 2025 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 8 June 2025 | Sun | Father’s Day |
| 15 November 2025 | Sat | King’s Day – although not a public holiday, most government offices close |
| 6 December 2025 | Sat | Saint Nicholas Day – when Sinterklaas/Saint Nicolas fills children’s shoes with presents |
| 31 December 2025 | Wed | New Year’s Eve |
When are Belgium’s public holidays in 2026?
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2026 | Tue | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April 2026 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 6 April 2026 | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2026 | Fri | Labor Day / May Day |
| 14 May 2026 | Thu | Ascension Day |
| 15 May 2026 | Fri | Day after Ascension Day |
| 25 May 2026 | Mon | Whit Monday |
| 21 July 2026 | Tue | Belgium National Day |
| 15 August 2026 | Sat | Assumption of Mary |
| 1 November 2026 | Sun | All Saints’ Day |
| 11 November 2026 | Wed | Armistice Day |
| 25 December 2026 | Wed | Christmas Day |
| 26 December 2026 | Thu | Boxing Day |
Local holidays in 2026
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 8 May 2026 | Thu | Feast of the Iris – Feast Day of the Brussels-Capital Region |
| 11 July 2026 | Fri | Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) – celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai |
| 15 September 2026 | Mon | Feast Day of the Walloon Region |
| 27 September 2026 | Sat | Day of the French-speaking Community – commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830 |
| 15 November 2026 | Sat | Day of the German-speaking Community – the date a decree was published to prescribe the arms, flag, colors, and community day of the German-speaking area |
Other important dates in 2026
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 6 January 2026 | Sun | Epiphany |
| 10 May 2026 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 14 June 2026 | Sun | Father’s Day |
| 15 November 2026 | Sun | King’s Day – although not a public holiday, most government offices close |
| 6 December 2026 | Sun | Saint Nicholas Day – when Sinterklaas/Saint Nicolas fills children’s shoes with presents |
| 31 December 2026 | Thu | New Year’s Eve |
When were Belgium’s public holidays in 2024?
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2024 | Mon | New Year’s Day |
| 29 March 2024 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 1 April 2024 | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2024 | Wed | Labor Day / May Day |
| 9 May 2024 | Thu | Ascension Day |
| 10 May 2024 | Fri | Day after Ascension Day |
| 20 May 2024 | Mon | Whit Monday |
| 21 July 2024 | Sun | Belgium National Day |
| 15 August 2024 | Thu | Assumption of Mary |
| 1 November 2024 | Fri | All Saints’ Day |
| 11 November 2024 | Mon | Armistice Day |
| 25 December 2024 | Wed | Christmas Day |
| 26 December 2024 | Thu | Boxing Day |
Local holidays in 2024
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 8 May 2024 | Wed | Feast of the Iris – Feast Day of the Brussels-Capital Region |
| 11 July 2024 | Thu | Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) – celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai |
| 15 September 2024 | Sun | Feast Day of the Walloon Region |
| 27 September 2024 | Fri | Day of the French-speaking Community – commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830 |
| 15 November 2024 | Fri | Day of the German-speaking Community – the date a decree was published to prescribe the arms, flag, colors, and community day of the German-speaking area |
Other important dates in 2024
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 6 January 2024 | Sat | Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day) |
| 12 May 2024 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 9 June 2024 | Sun | Father’s Day |
| 15 November 2024 | Fri | King’s Day – although not a public holiday, most government offices close |
| 6 December 2024 | Fri | Saint Nicholas Day – when Sinterklaas/Saint Nicolas fills children’s shoes with presents |
| 31 December 2024 | Tue | New Year’s Eve |
When are the Belgian school holidays?
If you want to know when your children have a vacation, read more about school holidays in Belgium.
Looking for things to do with your little ones on their day off? Why not check out:
- Bellewaerde Park: Belgium’s oldest theme park near Ypres, with rides, attractions, and an animal park
- Domaine des Grottes De Han (Domain of the caves of Han): Located in Walloni, this safari park is great for spotting wild animals. For adventure-seekers, you can also take your child into the stunning naturally-formed Caves of Han.
- Walibi: Near Wavre, this theme park is full of exciting rides. Don’t forget to check out Aqualibi, too, the water park next door.
