Public Holidays News October 2008

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This monthly recap of October 2008 worldwide public holidays news and updates, covers all the countries of the world, and is based on our daily review of hundreds of online newspapers, government sites, and institutional sources, and over a decade of experience following worldwide public holidays, to place current events in context, and anticipate on possible future changes. Available as free weekly or monthly email newsletters.
Date	Country	News Item Summary
31-Oct-2008	Bolivia	Bolivia Declares November 3 Day In Lieu Public Holiday (Source: Educaci�n Radiof�nica de Bolivia-ERBOL) Late last night, Bolivia's Minister of Labour declared Monday, November 3, 2008, as a one-off public holiday, due to the fact that November 2nd falls on a Sunday in 2008. Links: full story and other Bolivia news and updates.
31-Oct-2008	India	India's Karnataka Makes Kannada Rajyotsava Public Holiday Mandatory Starting This Year (Source: Times of India-Bangalore) The government of the India state of Karnatake (which includes Bangalore) has directed all establishments, public and private, in Karnataka to henceforth declare a holiday annually on November 1 on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava. Links: full story and other India news and updates.
30-Oct-2008	Panama	Panama Amends November 4 Public Holiday For 2008 (Source: Gaceta Oficial-Ministerio de la Presidencia) On October 29, Panama's President, Mart�n Torrijos Espino, signed Executive Decree 416, making Tuesday, November 4, 2008, a public holiday for all government agencies at the national and municipal level. Links: full story and other Panama news and updates.
28-Oct-2008	UK	UK Shelves Plans For "Britishness" Public Holiday (Source: AFP-London) In reply to a written question from an opposition lawmaker, Constitution Minister Michael Wills told the House of Commons that there were no longer plans to create a new "Britishness" public holiday, or rename one of the existing bank holidays as such. Links: full story and other UK news and updates.
28-Oct-2008	Nepal	Nepal Asked To Recognize Sambat New Year As Public Holiday (Source: The Himalayan Times-Kathmandu) Madan Krishna Shrestha, president of the Rastriya Bibhuti Sankhadhar Sakhwa Prathisthan organisation has called on the Nepalese government to recognize as a full-fledged public holiday, the the New Year day of the Nepal Sambat calendar. Links: full story and other Nepal news and updates.
26-Oct-2008	Bangladesh	Bangladesh Could Restore November 7 Public Holiday (Source: The Daily Star-Dhaka) Earlier today, in a move reminiscent of what happened last year, the High Court of Bangladesh issued a rule asking the government to explain, within four weeks, its cancellation of November 7 as a public holiday. Links: full story and other Bangladesh news and updates.
25-Oct-2008	Honduras	Honduras Moves Army Day Public Holiday For Civil Servants To November 10 (Source: El Heraldo-Tegucigalpa) It was announced late last night that Honduras' President, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, had given instructions to the Minister of the Civil Service, V�ctor Meza, to change the date when the public sector will observe this year's Army Day holiday, from Monday, October 27, to Monday, November 10, 2008. Links: full story and other Honduras news and updates.
25-Oct-2008	Spain	Spain's Valencia Region Announces Official Public Holidays For 2009 (Source: Las Provincias) The Plenary Council of the Community of the Spanish autonomous region of Valencia has released its official calendar of public holidays for 2009. Links: full story and other Spain news and updates.
23-Oct-2008	Peru	Peru's San Rom�n Province Declares October 24 Public Holiday (Source: Radio Onda Azul) Earlier today, the government of Peru's Province of San Rom�n declared tomorrow, Friday, October 24, 2008, as a regional public holiday to coincide with the current 82nd anniversary of the founding of the Province of San Rom�n. Links: other Peru news and updates.
23-Oct-2008	Philippines	Philippines Government Clarifies Status Of October 31 and November 3 (Source: Philippines Information Agency-Tacloban City) Reacting to the many queries received about what weekday would be a public holiday, as November 1st falls on a Saturday in 2008, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita re-stated that both Friday, October 31, and Monday, November 3, 2008, would be regular working days. Links: full story and other Philippines news and updates.
23-Oct-2008	Zambia	Zambia Declares October 30 Public Holiday As we had surmised in our post of September 9, late last night, the government of Zambia declared a one-off public holiday on Thursday, October 30, 2008, on the occasion of the upcoming presidential election to replace former President Levy Mwanawasa, who died last August. Links: full story and other Zambia news and updates.
22-Oct-2008	Philippines	Philippines Declares November 10 Public Holiday In Eastern Samar (Source: PIA Press Release-Malaca�ang) President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) has issued Presidential Proclamation No. 1643 making Monday, November 10, 2008 is a special one-off non-working holiday for the Province of Eastern Samar. Links: full story and other Philippines news and updates.
17-Oct-2008	Poland	Poland's Parliament Rejects Reinstatement Of Epiphany Public Holiday (Source: Polskie Radio) The Polish Parliament has rejected a draft bill (see our post of September 22) purporting to restore the Christian public holiday of Epiphany (January 6). Links: full story and other Poland news and updates.
15-Oct-2008	Malawi	Malawi Changes Date Of Mothers' Day Public Holiday (Source: African Press Agency-Lilongwe) Malawi's President, Bingu wa Mutharika, has announced that from this year onward, Malawi's Mothers' Day public holiday would be observed jointly with the UN-designated World Rural Women�s Day, and on the date of the UN day, October 15. Links: full story and other Malawi news and updates.
15-Oct-2008	Maldives	Maldives One-Off Public Holidays October 28-29 (Source: Minivan-Mal�) The President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, acting on a request of the Elections Commission, has declared Tuesday, October 28, the date of second-round voting in presidential elections, and the day after, Wednesday, October 29, 2008, as one-off public holidays. Links: full story and other Maldives news and updates.
14-Oct-2008	Zambia	Zambia Asked To Declare New April 28 Public Holiday The Zambian opposition party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) has proposed to the government that it declare April 28, an annual public holiday, to commemorate the birthday of Zambia's first Republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, often considered to be the "father of the nation". Links: full story and other Zambia news and updates.
13-Oct-2008	India	India Declares Afternoon Public Holiday In Punjab (Source: India Info-Chandigarh) India's Punjab State government has declared this afternoon a public holiday in Government offices, Corporations, Boards and Educational institutions and in the city of Chandigarh. Links: full story and other India news and updates.
12-Oct-2008	The Gambia	Gambia Declares October 13 Football Public Holiday (Source: African Press Agency-Banjul) Earlier today, Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, declared Monday, October 13, 2008, as a one-off public holiday to "properly" celebrate the Gambian national football team's one-all draw against Senegal that qualifies Gambia for the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup Football elimination series. Links: full story and other The Gambia news and updates.
12-Oct-2008	Maldives	Maldives Run-Off Election Could Be Brought Forward (Source: Minivan-Mal�) The Elections Commissioner of the Maldives, Mohamed Ibrahim, is quoted as saying that the second round of presidential elections might be held earlier than the announced October 29 date, due to a conflict with school exams (most schools serve as polling stations). Links: full story and other Maldives news and updates.
11-Oct-2008	Chile	Chile Approves New October 31 Public Holiday (Source: Diario La Tribuna-Santiago) After almost 2 years of tractations (see our post of November 10, 2006), at noon, yesterday, Chile's President, Michelle Bachelet, signed law 20.299 making October 31st a new annual public holiday to coincide with Reformation Day and to be called "D�a Nacional de las Iglesias Evang�licas y Protestantes". Links: full story and other Chile news and updates.
9-Oct-2008	Romania	Romania Adds August 15 Public Holiday (Source: Mediafax) Following the request of Romania's President, Traian Basescu, and of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (our post of August 18) Romania's lower house of Parliament passed a law making August 15 (the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, also know as the Assumption) a public holiday, starting in 2009. Links: full story and other Romania news and updates.
9-Oct-2008	India	India Declares October 17 Women-Only Public Holiday In Himachal Pradesh The Himachal Pradesh government has declared a women-only gazetted public holiday for Friday, October 17, 2008, on the occasion of this year's Karvachauth festival. Links: full story and other India news and updates.
3-Oct-2008	Malaysia	Malaysia's Sabah State Announces Date Of Postponed Malaysia Day Public Holiday (Source: Sabah Tourism) The government of Malaysia's State of Sabah has finally announced the date of Saturday, October 11, 2008, as replacement for the Malaysia Day and Sabah Head of State mid-September public holidays which were postponed this year due to their occurrence during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Links: full story and other Malaysia news and updates.
3-Oct-2008	Australia	Australia Moving Towards A Harmonization Of ANZAC Day Public Holiday (Source: Tasmanian Government Communications-Hobart) The Government of Australia's State of Tasmania is considering allowing a day off work when ANZAC Day falls on a Sunday. This, in line with a recent principle agreement at the Federal level stating that all states should seek to harmonise their treatment of public holidays that fall on a Sunday. Links: full story and other Australia news and updates.
2-Oct-2008	Maldives	Maldives Public Holidays October 8-9 (Source: MinivanNews-Mal�) Following a request from the Elections Commission, Maldives' President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has declared Wednesday and Thursday, October 8 and 9, 2008, as one-off public holidays on the occasion of the nation�s first multi-party election, set for October 8. Links: full story and other Maldives news and updates.
2-Oct-2008	Bangladesh	Bangladesh Elections Set For December 18 (Source: South Asia News) The head of Bangladesh's military-backed government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, announced Thursday, December 18, 2008, as the date of the upcoming elections. Links: full story and other Bangladesh news and updates.
1-Oct-2008	Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands Declares December 8 Western Province Public Holiday (Source: Solomon Star News-Noro) Prime Minister Derek Sikua has announced that a public holiday had been declared, on Monday, December 8, 2008, to commemorate the silver jubilee of the western Province's Second Appointed Day. Links: full story and other Solomon Islands news and updates.
1-Oct-2008	Argentina	Argentina Passes Law Moving October 12 Public Holiday (Source: Diario el Litoral) As announced in our post of September 27, Argentina's parliament voted today to make the October 12 public holiday henceforth move to the following Monday, if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Links: full story and other Argentina news and updates.
1-Oct-2008	Nepal	Nepal Confirm Official End of Ramadan Public Holiday (Source: The Himalayan-Kathmandu) The government of Nepal has officially declared tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1, 2008, as the first occurrence of Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) as a public holiday in Nepal. Links: full story and other Nepal news and updates.
1-Oct-2008	Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan Confirms Restored Date of End of Ramadan Public Holiday (Source: AKI Press) The government of Kyrgyzstan has announced that the 2008 date of the Orozo Ait (End of Ramadan) public holiday would be Wednesday, October 1, 2008. Links: full story and other Kyrgyzstan news and updates.

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