Planning a European year? This roundup of public holidays in Europe 2026 compares the four big Western European calendars — Germany, France, Spain and Italy — so you can spot the shared dates, the national days and the best bridge-day opportunities at a glance. All dates below are the nationwide holidays; regions add their own extras.
Germany — 9 nationwide holidays
1 Jan (New Year, Thu), 3 Apr (Good Friday, Fri), 6 Apr (Easter Monday, Mon), 1 May (Labour Day, Fri), 14 May (Ascension Day, Thu), 25 May (Whit Monday, Mon), 3 Oct (German Unity Day, Sat), 25 Dec (Christmas Day, Fri), 26 Dec (Second Day of Christmas, Sat). The leanest of the four — but German states add several more, and Ascension Thursday (14 May) is 2026’s prime bridge day.
France — 11 jours fériés
1 Jan (Thu), 6 Apr (Easter Monday, Mon), 1 May (Labour Day, Fri), 8 May (Victory Day, Fri), 14 May (Ascension, Thu), 25 May (Whit Monday, Mon), 14 Jul (Bastille Day, Tue), 15 Aug (Assumption, Sat), 1 Nov (All Saints, Sun), 11 Nov (Armistice, Wed), 25 Dec (Christmas, Fri). May is the jackpot month: four holidays, with the Ascension bridge (Fri 15 May) the standout.
Spain — 9 national holidays
1 Jan (Thu), 6 Jan (Epiphany, Tue), 3 Apr (Good Friday, Fri), 1 May (Fri), 15 Aug (Assumption, Sat), 12 Oct (National Day, Mon), 1 Nov (All Saints, Sun), 8 Dec (Immaculate Conception, Tue), 25 Dec (Fri). Communities add ~5 regional fiestas each — the real Spanish total is closer to fourteen. The Tuesday holidays (6 Jan, 8 Dec) invite Monday bridges.
Italy — 13 feste nazionali
1 Jan (Thu), 6 Jan (Epiphany, Tue), 5 Apr (Easter Sunday, Sun), 6 Apr (Easter Monday, Mon), 25 Apr (Liberation Day, Sat), 1 May (Fri), 2 Jun (Republic Day, Tue), 15 Aug (Ferragosto, Sat), 4 Oct (St Francis of Assisi, Sun — restored as a national holiday), 1 Nov (All Saints, Sun), 8 Dec (Immaculate Conception, Tue), 25 Dec (Fri), 26 Dec (St Stephen’s Day, Sat). Plus every city’s patron saint day. Italy wins on pure count.
The shared spine — and the differences
Five dates unite all four countries in 2026: 1 January, 3 April (Good Friday — France observes Easter Monday instead), 1 May, 25 December, and Easter Monday (6 April, except Spain nationally). Beyond that, each country tells its own story: Germany’s Unity Day, France’s Bastille Day, Spain’s 12 October, Italy’s Liberation and Republic Days. For travellers, the shared long weekends are the sweet spots — Easter (3–6 April) and the 1 May Friday work everywhere at once. For workers, France’s May and Italy’s sheer volume offer the year’s best leave value.
2026 power ranking: who gets the most days off?
Counting only nationwide days in 2026: Italy leads with thirteen, France follows with eleven, while Germany and Spain tie at nine each. But the real totals tell a richer story. Add patron saint days and Italy reaches fourteen. Add Alsace-Moselle’s extras and parts of France hit thirteen. Add regional fiestas and most of Spain lands around fourteen. Add state holidays and Bavaria reaches thirteen. The ranking shuffles — but Italy and France stay on top almost everywhere you count. The deeper lesson: in Europe, the national calendar is only the foundation. The regions, states and cities build the real holiday year on top of it, which is why two Europeans comparing “days off” are often counting completely different things.