A public holiday (also called a bank holiday, national holiday, gazetted holiday, statutory holiday, legal holiday, or federal holiday depending on the country) is an official day off work decreed by a national or regional government. On these days, most businesses, government offices, schools and banks are closed. Is today a public holiday? The answer depends entirely on where you are in the world — and that's exactly what PublicHolidayChecker.com answers instantly.
Public holidays are observed differently around the world. In the United Kingdom, they are called bank holidays. In the United States they are called federal holidays. In Australia and New Zealand they are referred to as public holidays. In Canada they may be called statutory holidays or stat holidays. In Singapore, Malaysia, and many Commonwealth nations they are called gazetted holidays — officially published in the Government Gazette.
When asking "is it a public holiday today?", "is today a bank holiday?", "is today a national holiday?" or "is today a federal holiday?" — this site gives you an instant answer based on your location. We also tell you when the next public holiday is, so you can plan ahead.
Common questions we answer: Which countries have bank holidays today? What country has a public holiday today? Is it a public holiday in France today? Is today a public holiday in the US? Is today a stat holiday? Is today a gazetted holiday? What is the next federal holiday? Which countries have the most public holidays?
Countries with the most public holidays include Cambodia, India, Colombia, and the Philippines — each with 18–22 public holidays per year. The United Kingdom has 8–10 depending on the region. Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays per year. Malaysia has 12 federal public holidays. South Africa has 12 public holidays under the Public Holidays Act.
The terms are often used interchangeably but have subtle differences. A bank holiday originally referred to days when banks (and therefore businesses) were legally closed in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — but it has come to mean any public holiday. A national holiday or national day typically commemorates a country's independence, unification or a significant historical event. A public holiday is the broader umbrella term for any officially recognised non-working day.
Gazetted holidays are those formally published in the Official Gazette — the government journal used in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and many Caribbean nations. Statutory holidays or statutory public holidays are holidays enshrined in legislation. Federal holidays (US, Germany, etc.) are declared at the national federal level.
Commonwealth holidays are public holidays shared across former British Empire nations — such as Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and in some countries, the Sovereign's Birthday.