Czech Public Holidays 2026 and 2027 + School Holidays

Czechia has 13 public holidays a year, and every one of them is a statutory day off (den pracovního klidu) under Act No. 245/2000 Coll. on state holidays and other holidays. Christmas Eve (24 December) has been a day off since 1990 and is included below. The school holidays come from the school holidays from the timetables the Ministry of Education (MŠMT) published for the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 school years. Czechia sits in Central Europe, bordering Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. The country is known for well-preserved medieval towns such as Prague and Český Krumlov, for its castles and chateaux, for its beer and for composers such as Dvořák and Smetana. The major holidays are New Year’s Day, Easter, May Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day on 26 December. The other Czech holidays honour patron saints, mark turning points in Czech history and celebrate labour rights, freedom and democracy.

What are the holiday dates in Czechia?

Czechia has 6 kinds of holiday dates: state holidays, other holidays, significant days, school holidays, bank holidays and shop-closure days. The 6 kinds of holiday dates are listed below.

1. State holidays (státní svátky). State holidays are the 7 dates that mark Czech statehood and history: 1 January, 8 May, 5 July, 6 July, 28 September, 28 October and 17 November. They are days off work for everyone, according to section 1 of Act No. 245/2000 Coll.
2. Other holidays (ostatní svátky). Other holidays are the 7 religious and labour dates in the same act: 1 January (New Year’s Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, 24 December, 25 December and 26 December. Both lists share 1 January, so the two groups add up to 13 days off a year.
3. Significant days (významné dny). Significant days are commemorations such as 27 January (Holocaust Remembrance Day), 8 March (International Women’s Day), 28 March (the birthday of Jan Amos Komenský) and 11 November (Veterans Day). They are normal working days, and Parliament added 30 March, Czech Flag Day, to the list in May 2026 through Act No. 59/2026 Coll.
4. School holidays (školní prázdniny). School holidays are the breaks the Ministry of Education (MŠMT) sets for every primary and secondary school: autumn, Christmas, half-term, spring, Easter and summer holidays. Spring holidays last 1 week and fall on a different week in each district.
5. Bank holidays. Bank holidays are the same 13 dates, which the Czech National Bank (ČNB) publishes each year as its list of holidays in the Czech Republic. Banks, post offices and public offices close on those days.
6. Shop-closure days. Shop-closure days are the 7 holidays, plus Christmas Eve afternoon, on which shops with a sales area over 200 m² (2,153 sq ft) must close under Act No. 223/2016 Coll. on retail opening hours. The act exempts small shops, petrol stations, pharmacies and shops at transport hubs.

Commercial observances such as Valentine’s Day (14 February) and Mother’s Day have no legal status in Czechia, so shops, offices and schools stay open on those dates. The Czechia travel guide on this site covers the practical side of a trip planned around these dates, such as transport, car rental and where to stay.

What are the dates of the public holidays in Czechia for 2026?

The 13 public holidays in Czechia for 2026 fall on the dates listed below, as confirmed by the Czech National Bank (ČNB) holiday list and the Czech embassy calendar for 2026.

The 2026 calendar gives Czechs 3 long weekends in the first half of the year: Easter (Friday 3 to Monday 6 April), Labour Day (Friday 1 May) and Victory Day (Friday 8 May). Saints Cyril and Methodius Day falls on a Sunday in 2026 and is not moved to another day, because Czech law does not replace a holiday that lands on a weekend. Christmas 2026 runs from Thursday 24 December to Saturday 26 December, so 4 days of leave (Monday 28 to Thursday 31 December) bridge to New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027 and give 11 days off in a row.

How are the public holidays in Czechia celebrated?

The public holidays in Czechia are celebrated with family meals, church services, commemorations at memorials and, in Prague, state ceremonies at Prague Castle. The customs for each of the 13 public holidays are listed below.

• New Year’s Day (1 January). New Year’s Day starts with fireworks at midnight, and Czechs spend the day on a walk, a short hike or a cold-water swim in a river or lake. The date marks the Restoration of the Independent Czech State, when Czechoslovakia split into Czechia and Slovakia on 1 January 1993.
• Good Friday (3 April 2026, 26 March 2027). Good Friday is the quietest day of the Easter weekend, observed with church services and Passion plays in villages, towns and cities. Families use the day to bake and to decorate eggs (kraslice) for Easter Monday, and shops may stay open because Good Friday is not on the shop-closure list.
• Easter Monday (6 April 2026, 29 March 2027). Easter Monday is the festive half of the weekend, with family lunches and the exchange of painted eggs. Easter Monday is the day of the pomlázka, when boys and men tap girls and women lightly with braided willow switches and receive decorated eggs, sweets or a shot of spirits in return.
• Labour Day (1 May). Labour Day brings union and political-party parades in Prague and other cities, followed by concerts and fairs. The 1 May custom that travellers notice most is couples kissing under a blossoming cherry tree, which is said to bring health for the year.
• Victory Day (8 May). Victory Day honours the 1945 liberation from Nazi occupation with wreath-laying at war memorials, veterans’ parades and re-enactments of the Prague Uprising of 5 to 9 May 1945. Ceremonies take place at the National Memorial on Vítkov Hill in Prague.
• Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (5 July). Saints Cyril and Methodius Day remembers the two 9th-century missionaries who brought Christian liturgy in the Old Church Slavonic language to Great Moravia. The main event is the national pilgrimage at Velehrad in South Moravia, with church services and cultural events elsewhere.
• Jan Hus Day (6 July). Jan Hus Day commemorates the 15th-century religious reformer who was burned at the stake in Constance in 1415, and Czechs mark it with church memorials, historical re-enactments and events at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, where he preached. Hus’s defiance of church authority is seen as paving the way for later reformers such as Martin Luther.
• St Wenceslas Day (28 September). St Wenceslas Day honours the 10th-century Duke of Bohemia who was murdered by his brother and became the patron saint of the Czech lands. Ceremonies take place at his statue on Wenceslas Square in Prague and at the national pilgrimage in Stará Boleslav, where he was killed.
• Independent Czechoslovak State Day (28 October). Independent Czechoslovak State Day commemorates the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918 after 3 centuries of Habsburg rule. The president awards state honours at Prague Castle in the evening, and there are ceremonies at the National Museum, where independence was declared, and remembrances of founders such as Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Milan Rastislav Štefánik.
• Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day (17 November). Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day remembers the student protests of 1939 against the Nazi occupation and of 1989 that started the Velvet Revolution. Czechs lay flowers and light candles at the memorial on Národní třída in Prague, and concerts and debates fill the city centre.
• Christmas Eve (24 December). Christmas Eve is the main Czech Christmas celebration, with a dinner of fried carp and potato salad, gifts brought by Ježíšek (Baby Jesus) after the meal, and midnight mass. Traditions include cutting an apple in half to read the coming year in the core and unmarried women tossing a shoe over their shoulder to see whether they will marry. Shops close at noon.
• Christmas Day (25 December). Christmas Day is a family day of visits and long lunches, with mulled wine and trdelník sold in the city squares. The Prague Christmas markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square usually stay open into the first week of January, and the linked guide lists the dates for the current season.
• St Stephen’s Day (26 December). St Stephen’s Day, the Second Christmas Day, is for visiting the relatives you did not see on the 24th and 25th, walking off the feast and attending services for St Stephen. In some villages, carol singers go from house to house on this day.

What are the dates of the public holidays in Czechia for 2027?

The 13 public holidays in Czechia for 2027 fall on the dates listed below. The fixed dates follow Act No. 245/2000 Coll., and the Easter dates follow the 2027 church calendar, with Easter Sunday on 28 March 2027.

The 2027 calendar is less generous than 2026, because both May holidays fall on a Saturday and are not replaced. The year starts with a 3-day weekend (Friday 1 January), Easter is early (Friday 26 to Monday 29 March), and the July holidays make a 4-day break from Saturday 3 to Tuesday 6 July. Christmas Eve on Friday 24 December 2027 leads straight into the weekend, so Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day give no extra days off that year.

Which shops close on Czech public holidays?

Shops with a sales area over 200 m² (2,153 sq ft) must close on 7 public holidays and from noon on Christmas Eve, according to Act No. 223/2016 Coll. on retail opening hours. The 7 full closure days are 1 January, Easter Monday, 8 May, 28 September, 28 October, 25 December and 26 December, and on 24 December sales must stop from 12:00 to 24:00. Supermarkets, hypermarkets and shopping centres in Prague, Brno and other cities are therefore closed on those days, while Good Friday, 1 May, 5 July, 6 July and 17 November are normal shopping days. The exceptions in the act are listed below.

• Small shops. Small shops with a sales area of 200 m² (2,153 sq ft) or less may open, which covers most corner shops, convenience stores and the Vietnamese-run večerky in Czech towns.
• Petrol stations. Petrol stations selling fuel and lubricants may open.
• Pharmacies. Pharmacies may open.
• Transport hubs. Shops at airports, railway stations and bus stations may open, although the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) has ruled that shops in Prague metro stations do not qualify.
• Hospitals. Shops inside healthcare facilities may open.

The Czech Trade Inspection Authority enforces the act, and a shop that trades on a closure day can be fined. Restaurants, cafés, bars, museums and tourist attractions are not covered by the act, so Prague’s sights, Christmas markets and beer halls run on holidays, often with shorter hours on 24 December and 1 January.

What are the holiday dates in Czechia that locals work?

The holiday dates in Czechia that locals work are the significant days set by law and the observances that have no legal status, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the solstices. The working-day observances for 2026 and 2027 are listed below.

• Jan Palach Remembrance Day (16 January). Jan Palach Remembrance Day marks the 1969 self-immolation of the student who protested against the Soviet occupation, with candles at his memorial on Wenceslas Square.
• Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 January). Holocaust Remembrance Day is a significant day under Act No. 245/2000 Coll., marked by ceremonies in Terezín and at the Pinkas Synagogue in Prague.
• Valentine’s Day (14 February). Valentine’s Day is a commercial observance in Czechia, with restaurants offering couples’ menus and florists doing their busiest trade of the winter. Shops, offices and schools stay open.
• International Women’s Day (8 March). International Women’s Day is a significant day by law and a working day, and women receive flowers from colleagues and family. It falls on a Sunday in 2026 and a Monday in 2027.
• Spring equinox (20 March). The spring equinox falls on 20 March in both 2026 and 2027 in Prague, according to timeanddate.com, and passes as a normal working day. Some villages burn or drown a straw effigy of Morana, the goddess of winter, on the Sunday closest to it.
• Jan Amos Komenský’s birthday and Czech Flag Day (28 and 30 March). Jan Amos Komenský’s birthday on 28 March is celebrated as Teachers’ Day, and 30 March became Czech Flag Day, the newest significant day, under Act No. 59/2026 Coll. Both are working days.
• Prague Uprising Day (5 May). Prague Uprising Day remembers the start of the 1945 uprising against the German occupation and is a significant day, with the day off coming 3 days later on 8 May.
• Ascension Day (14 May 2026, 6 May 2027). Ascension Day is a church holiday 39 days after Easter Sunday and a normal working day in Czechia, unlike in neighbouring Germany and Austria.
• Mother’s Day (10 May 2026, 9 May 2027). Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May, when families take mothers out for lunch or bring flowers and chocolates. It has no official status.
• Children’s Day (1 June). Children’s Day is a working day on which schools, towns and zoos organise games, fun days and free entry for children.
• Father’s Day (21 June 2026, 20 June 2027). Father’s Day falls on the third Sunday of June and is a family observance without legal status.
• Summer solstice (21 June). The summer solstice falls on 21 June in both 2026 and 2027, according to timeanddate.com, and is marked only by private bonfires and picnics on the year’s longest day.
• Autumn equinox (23 September). The autumn equinox falls on 23 September in both 2026 and 2027, a working day, when villages hold harvest festivals (dožínky) and wine towns in South Moravia hold their burčák (young wine) festivals.
• Veterans Day (11 November). Veterans Day is a significant day by law, with poppies sold in the weeks before and a ceremony at the National Memorial on Vítkov Hill in Prague.
• Winter solstice (21 December 2026, 22 December 2027). The winter solstice passes as a working day, and children are in school until the Christmas holidays begin on 23 December in 2026.

What are the Czechia school holidays in 2026 and 2027?

The Czechia school holidays in 2026 and 2027 follow the timetables the Ministry of Education (MŠMT) publishes for each school year under Decree No. 16/2005 Coll. The dates below apply to primary schools, secondary schools, art schools and conservatories, and school heads may add up to 5 extra days off (ředitelské volno) a year. Nursery schools (mateřské školy) run through the year and set their own summer closures.

What are the Czechia school holidays in 2026?

The Czechia school holidays in 2026 are listed below, taken from the ministry’s timetables for the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 school years.

• Half-term holiday (Friday 30 January 2026). The half-term holiday is a single day off after first-semester reports are handed out on Thursday 29 January 2026, which creates a 3-day weekend.
• Spring holidays (2 February to 15 March 2026, 1 week per district). Spring holidays last 1 week and fall in a different week for each district, so families in Prague, Brno and Liberec travel at different times. The district weeks for 2026 are in the table below.
• Easter holidays (Thursday 2 April 2026). The Easter holidays are 1 school day, which joins Good Friday (3 April), the weekend and Easter Monday (6 April) into a 5-day break.
• Summer holidays (27 June to 31 August 2026). The summer holidays began on 27 June instead of the usual 1 July in 2026, because the ministry ended lessons on Friday 26 June 2026. The 2026/2027 school year began on Tuesday 1 September 2026.
• Autumn holidays (Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026). The autumn holidays follow the 28 October public holiday, so pupils have 5 days off from Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.
• Christmas holidays (Wednesday 23 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027). The Christmas holidays end on 3 January and lessons resume on Monday 4 January 2027.

What are the Czechia school holidays in 2027?

The Czechia school holidays in 2027 are listed below, taken from the ministry’s timetable for the 2026/2027 school year. The autumn and Christmas holidays for late 2027 belong to the 2027/2028 school year, which the ministry had not published at the time of writing.

• Half-term holiday (Friday 29 January 2027). The half-term holiday follows the first-semester reports on Thursday 28 January 2027.
• Spring holidays (1 February to 14 March 2027, 1 week per district). Spring holidays rotate 1 week earlier than in 2026 for every district, and the district weeks for 2027 are in the table below.
• Easter holidays (Thursday 25 March 2027). The Easter holidays are 1 school day, followed by Good Friday (26 March), the weekend and Easter Monday (29 March), so pupils return on Tuesday 30 March 2027.
• Summer holidays (1 July to 31 August 2027). The summer holidays begin after lessons end on Wednesday 30 June 2027, and the 2027/2028 school year starts on Wednesday 1 September 2027.
• Autumn and Christmas holidays 2027. The autumn and Christmas holidays for 2027 had not been announced at the time of writing. The autumn break usually sits next to 28 October, and the Christmas break usually runs from 22 or 23 December to the first weekend of January.

“Prague 1 to 5” and “Prague 6 to 10” are ministry groupings that also include the smaller boroughs, such as Praha 11 to 13 and Praha 16 in the first group and Praha 14, 15 and 17 to 22 in the second, so check the school’s own calendar if you are planning around a Prague school.

What is the daylight saving time in Czechia?

Daylight saving time in Czechia runs from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October, in line with the rest of the European Union. The changes for 2026 and 2027 are listed below, according to timeanddate.com’s clock-change data for Prague.

• 2026. The 2026 clock changes are Sunday 29 March (forward from 02:00 to 03:00) and Sunday 25 October (back from 03:00 to 02:00).
• 2027. The 2027 clock changes are Sunday 28 March (forward from 02:00 to 03:00) and Sunday 31 October (back from 03:00 to 02:00).

Czechia uses Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) in summer, the same as Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia.

What are the astronomical events in Czechia in 2026 and 2027?

The astronomical events in Czechia in late 2026 and in 2027 include 2 meteor showers before the end of 2026, a lunar eclipse in February 2027 and a partial solar eclipse in August 2027. The events are listed below in calendar order, with visibility data for Prague from timeanddate.com.

1. Leonid meteor shower (around 17 November 2026). The Leonids peak on the night around 17 to 18 November 2026, which coincides with the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day holiday, and are known for fast, bright meteors after midnight.
2. Geminid meteor shower (13 to 14 December 2026). The Geminids peak on the night of 13 to 14 December 2026 and are the richest shower of the year, with meteors visible from early evening because the radiant rises early.
3. Penumbral lunar eclipse (20 to 21 February 2027). The penumbral lunar eclipse begins at 22:12 on Saturday 20 February 2027, reaches maximum at 00:12 and ends at 02:13 on Sunday 21 February, and is visible from Prague as a slight shading of the full moon.
4. Partial solar eclipse (2 August 2027). The partial solar eclipse is the Czech view of the total solar eclipse that crosses Spain and North Africa on Monday 2 August 2027. In Prague, the Moon covers the Sun from 10:14 to 12:17, with a maximum magnitude of 0.516 at 11:14, so you need eclipse glasses to watch it.
5. Perseid meteor shower (12 to 13 August 2027). The Perseids peak on the night of 12 to 13 August 2027, when a dark site such as the Jizera Mountains or Beskydy dark-sky parks can show 60 to 100 meteors an hour.
6. Leonids and Geminids (November and December 2027). The Leonids usually peak around 17 to 18 November and the Geminids around 13 to 14 December, and the exact 2027 peak nights depend on the annual forecasts published the year before.

What are the best things to do in Czechia during the holidays?

Czechia offers 5 things to do during the holidays that suit a public-holiday weekend or a school break. The 5 things to do are listed below.

1. Prague Old Town Square. Prague Old Town Square dates from the 12th century and is framed by Baroque houses and the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, with the medieval Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall as its centrepiece. It hosts Easter and Christmas markets, concerts and the festivals in Czechia that draw the largest crowds, so a walk through the Old Town is the first thing to do in Prague on any holiday.
2. Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge spans 16 arches across the Vltava River and links Prague’s Old Town to the Lesser Town. Construction began in 1357 under King Charles IV, and the sandstone bridge is lined with Baroque statues of saints and kings that overlook Prague Castle.
3. Český Krumlov. Český Krumlov is a small town of red-roofed Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque houses in a bend of the Vltava River below the Český Krumlov Castle complex. The medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is busiest on the July and August school holidays, and car rental in Czechia makes it easier to pair the town with other South Bohemian stops over a long holiday weekend.
4. Pilsner Urquell Brewery. The Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Plzeň is the birthplace of pale lager and changed how the world brews beer. Visitors tour the brewhouse and cellars and taste unfiltered, unpasteurised lager straight from oak barrels.
5. Kutná Hora Bone Church. The Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora is decorated with the bones of more than 40,000 people from the town’s medieval cemetery, arranged into a chandelier, a coat of arms and garlands, and is an easy day trip from Prague.

Who are the most famous people in Czechia?

Czechia’s 5 most famous people are Franz Kafka, Antonín Dvořák, Milada Horáková, Václav Havel and Bedřich Smetana. The 5 famous Czechs are listed below, and the linked guide profiles more of them.

1. Franz Kafka. Franz Kafka was a Prague-born writer and one of the central figures of modern literature. His works, such as “The Trial” and “The Metamorphosis”, explore alienation, bureaucracy and dread.
2. Antonín Dvořák. Antonín Dvořák was a composer and one of the most prominent figures in Czech music history. His compositions, including the “New World Symphony” and the opera “Rusalka”, drew on Czech folk music and helped to establish a distinct Czech musical identity.
3. Milada Horáková. Milada Horáková was a politician and human-rights activist who took part in the Czech resistance against the Nazi occupation during World War II. After the war she became a member of parliament, was accused of conspiracy against the communist regime in a show trial and executed in 1950.
4. Václav Havel. Václav Havel (1936-2011) was a playwright, dissident and statesman who led the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia. He served as the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.
5. Bedřich Smetana. Bedřich Smetana composed the cycle of 6 symphonic poems “Má vlast” (My Homeland), which depicts Czech legends, history and landscapes, including his most popular work, “Vltava” (The Moldau). His opera “The Bartered Bride” is the foundation of Czech opera.

What are the most interesting facts about Czechia?

The 5 most interesting facts about Czechia concern beer, a flooded quarry, Prague Castle, castles and peace. The 5 facts about Czechia are listed below, and the linked guide has the longer list.

1. Beer. Czechs drink more beer per person than any other nation, and Plzeň is the home of the first pale lager, Pilsner Urquell. Beer is part of daily life, from the village pub to the brewery tour in Plzeň.
2. Velká Amerika quarry. The Velká Amerika limestone quarry near Prague filled with deep blue water after mining stopped and is nicknamed the “Czech Grand Canyon”. Divers and hikers visit the flooded crater.
3. Prague Castle. Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world at 570 m (1,870 ft) long and 128 m (420 ft) wide, which is bigger than 7 football fields combined. St Vitus Cathedral stands at its centre.
4. Castles and chateaux. Czechia has more castles and chateaux than any other European country, with more than 2,000 in total, from medieval strongholds such as Karlštejn Castle to aristocratic estates such as Lednice.
5. Peace ranking. The peace ranking of Czechia is 13th out of 163 countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), which places it among the safest countries in Europe for travellers.

What are the best places to visit in Czechia?

The 4 places to visit in Czechia that fit a holiday weekend are Prague, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary and Brno. The 4 places to visit in Czechia are listed below, and the linked guide ranks the full set of destinations.

1. Prague. Prague is the capital and largest city of Czechia, with a history of more than 1,100 years that began with a 9th-century castle. Its attractions include Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín Hill and Wenceslas Square, and you can book a hotel in Prague once you have picked your dates from the tables above.
2. Český Krumlov. Český Krumlov is an old town in the South Bohemian Region on the Vltava River that grew around a 13th-century castle. Its medieval centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, and the castle complex with its gardens, tower and museum is the main attraction, alongside rafting on the river.
3. Karlovy Vary. Karlovy Vary, known by its German name Karlsbad, is a spa town whose hot springs were discovered in the 14th century and used for their healing properties from 1522. Its colonnades, bathhouses and Belle Époque architecture date from the 19th century, when European aristocracy came to take the waters, and the town is a World Heritage Site.
4. Brno. Brno is Czechia’s second-largest city, in the south-east, and the historic capital of Moravia. Its sights include Špilberk Castle, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the Capuchin Monastery crypt, the modernist Villa Tugendhat and a set of museums, and the city has been settled since the 3rd century BC.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh. The team covers Czechia for independent travellers, from the Prague Christmas markets and Czech festivals to car rental and places to stay, and updates this page when public-holiday dates, school holidays and shop-closure rules change.