Public holidays in October 2026 cluster around the middle of the month, with national days in Germany, Spain, and the United States sharing space with India’s Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti. Italy adds its newly reinstated Saint Francis of Assisi Day, and Canada celebrates Thanksgiving. It is a month where patriotic and religious observances interleave — here is the full guide.
Every October 2026 Public Holiday, by Country
- October 2 — Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti: India (Friday).
- October 3 — German Unity Day: Germany (Saturday).
- October 4 — Saint Francis of Assisi Day: Italy (Sunday).
- October 12 — Columbus Day: United States; Thanksgiving Day: Canada; National Day of Spain: Spain (all Monday).
- October 20 — Dussehra (Vijay Dashami): India (Tuesday).
France, the UK, Australia, Pakistan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have no public holidays in October 2026.
Regional Highlights
October 12 — three holidays, one Monday: This is the month’s remarkable convergence. The US observes Columbus Day (a federal holiday, though increasingly debated and renamed Indigenous Peoples’ Day in many states and cities), Canada celebrates Thanksgiving with harvest feasts, and Spain marks its National Day with a military parade in Madrid. Three countries, three completely different meanings, one shared Monday. The Columbus Day debate is worth understanding: while federal offices close, many Americans now use the day to reflect on indigenous history instead — a cultural shift visible in city proclamations across the country.
Dussehra (October 20, India): Celebrating the victory of good over evil, Dussehra is one of India’s major gazetted holidays, marked by the burning of Ravana effigies, processions, and the culmination of the nine-night Navratri festival. In Mysore, the Dasara celebrations are legendary, drawing visitors from across the country. The Tuesday placement makes it a useful midweek break.
German Unity Day (October 3): Falling on a Saturday in 2026, this commemoration of 1990 reunification is ceremonial rather than practical this year — but its historical weight is undiminished, with official celebrations rotating among German cities and a festive civic atmosphere.
Saint Francis of Assisi Day (October 4, Italy): Reinstated as a national holiday from 2026, this Sunday observance honors Italy’s patron saint. Its Sunday placement limits practical impact in its first year back, but its symbolic return — after decades off the calendar — is significant for the country’s Catholic identity.
Gandhi Jayanti (October 2, India): The Friday holiday honoring Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday creates a natural long weekend. It is observed with prayer meetings and memorials at Raj Ghat in New Delhi, and as a day of non-violence reflection.
Planning Tips for October
October is shoulder season in much of the Northern Hemisphere — pleasant weather, thinning crowds, and reasonable prices make it excellent for travel. The October 12 Monday creates long weekends in the US, Canada, and Spain; book ahead for those, especially Canadian Thanksgiving getaways which fill up fast. In India, the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend (October 2–4) followed by Dussehra (October 20) makes October rich with breaks — a good month for domestic travel, with festive markets in full swing ahead of Diwali season. Note the US Columbus Day nuance: federal offices close, but observance varies widely by state and city, so confirm locally rather than assuming a day off. For business, October is a productive month in most of the world — few disruptions outside the dates listed — making it ideal for launches and major meetings before the year-end holiday season begins.