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Worldwide Public Holidays News and Updates


worldwide public holidays news and updates of the past two weeks
The qppstudio worldwide public holidays database and the worldwide public holidays listings on the qppstudio.net website are constantly updated to reflect changes to public holidays legislation, or ad hoc public holidays changes, anywhere in the world.

The worldwide public holidays news and updates, below, can be accessed via our Android or iPhone apps which are 100% ad-free and whose data feed is updated nightly.

You may also access our lists of worldwide public holidays* by country, by date, or grouped by continent or region. This website also lists global holidays and non-holiday observances for the next 10 years (2024-2034).

April 19, 2024

  • New Zealand
  • New Zealand
  • New Zealand Deputy PM: Matariki Public Holiday Here To Stay
    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Wellington). New Zealand's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Winston Raymond Peters has announced that as far as he's concerned, the Matariki public holiday is staying, despite his coalition partner the ACT having been against the declaration of an additional public holiday in midwinter, and Workplace Relations Minister, Brooke van Velden, currently reviewing the Holidays Act. Recall that the passage of the Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill in 2022 established a new annual public holiday in New Zealand for the Matariki Maori New Year.    
  • New Zealand Deputy PM: Matariki Public Holiday Here To Stay
    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Wellington). New Zealand's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Winston Raymond Peters has announced that as far as he's concerned, the Matariki public holiday is staying, despite his coalition partner the ACT having been against the declaration of an additional public holiday in midwinter, and Workplace Relations Minister, Brooke van Velden, currently reviewing the Holidays Act. Recall that the passage of the Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill in 2022 established a new annual public holiday in New Zealand for the Matariki Maori New Year.    
  • North Korea
  • North Korea
  • North Korea Media Renames Day of the Sun Public Holiday
    Source: The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It would appear that the April 15th Day of the Sun public holiday celebrating the birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung, is slowly being renamed in all media channels. In the run up to last Monday's public holiday, the main North Korean state media outlets (Korean Central News Agency, Rodong Sinmun, Korean Central Television, and Korean Central Broadcasting Station) have been referring to that public holiday using the more generic April Holiday.    
  • North Korea Media Renames Day of the Sun Public Holiday
    Source: The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It would appear that the April 15th Day of the Sun public holiday celebrating the birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung, is slowly being renamed in all media channels. In the run up to last Monday's public holiday, the main North Korean state media outlets (Korean Central News Agency, Rodong Sinmun, Korean Central Television, and Korean Central Broadcasting Station) have been referring to that public holiday using the more generic April Holiday.    

April 18, 2024

  • Brazil
  • Brazil
  • Brazil G20 Public Holidays November 18-19
    Source: Ministério do Planejamento Orçamento e Gestão (Brasilia). The Rio de Janeiro City Council has approved the executive's proposal PL 2857/2024 which declares November 18 and 19, 2024, as municipal public holidays in the city of Rio de Janeiro, on account of the G20 Meeting being held on those dates. The project now goes to final drafting before being sent for sanction or veto by Rio's Mayor, Eduardo Paes.    
  • Brazil G20 Public Holidays November 18-19
    Source: Ministério do Planejamento Orçamento e Gestão (Brasilia). The Rio de Janeiro City Council has approved the executive's proposal PL 2857/2024 which declares November 18 and 19, 2024, as municipal public holidays in the city of Rio de Janeiro, on account of the G20 Meeting being held on those dates. The project now goes to final drafting before being sent for sanction or veto by Rio's Mayor, Eduardo Paes.    
  • Colombia
  • Colombia
  • Colombia Confusion About Status Of Civic Day Holiday
    Source: Presidencia de la República (Bogota). Earlier today, Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, issued a decree establishing the Civic Day of Peace with Nature and specifying that, from now on, "the third Friday of the month of April of each year is considered a Non-Business day, for work purposes". In announcing the aforementioned decree, President Petro expounded that "Tomorrow, we want to decree a Civic Day in Colombia, so that people do not use electricity as much as possible, we can save energy that we need in the coming days, and above all so that people reduce, as much as possible, the consumption of drinking water in these large cities, not so that we do not drink water because we would die, but so that we drink it in a place other than where there is water stress". This decree, in effect declaring tomorrow a non-working day, has immediately been criticized as business days in Colombia are "those that run from Monday to Friday, except for certain holidays that are established by law" and as reiterated by the president of the National Federation of Merchants (Fenalco), Jaime Alberto Cabal, "The President of the Republic does not have the power to establish holidays. Holidays are provided for in Law 51 of 1983 and this law has not been modified so that April 19, 2024 becomes a holiday".    
  • Colombia Confusion About Status Of Civic Day Holiday
    Source: Presidencia de la República (Bogota). Earlier today, Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, issued a decree establishing the Civic Day of Peace with Nature and specifying that, from now on, "the third Friday of the month of April of each year is considered a Non-Business day, for work purposes". In announcing the aforementioned decree, President Petro expounded that "Tomorrow, we want to decree a Civic Day in Colombia, so that people do not use electricity as much as possible, we can save energy that we need in the coming days, and above all so that people reduce, as much as possible, the consumption of drinking water in these large cities, not so that we do not drink water because we would die, but so that we drink it in a place other than where there is water stress". This decree, in effect declaring tomorrow a non-working day, has immediately been criticized as business days in Colombia are "those that run from Monday to Friday, except for certain holidays that are established by law" and as reiterated by the president of the National Federation of Merchants (Fenalco), Jaime Alberto Cabal, "The President of the Republic does not have the power to establish holidays. Holidays are provided for in Law 51 of 1983 and this law has not been modified so that April 19, 2024 becomes a holiday".    
  • Egypt
  • Egypt
  • Egypt Announces Sinai Liberation Public Holiday For Private Sector
    Source: Egypt State Information Service (Cairo). Egyptian Minister of Labour, Hassan Shehata, has announced that the Egyptian private sector will observe a public holiday on Thursday, April 25, 2024, on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day and that "if employers decide not to give that day off to employees, the employees should be paid twice their daily wages". Today's announcement follows on the heels of yesterday's declaration by Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, that Thursday, April 25, 2024, would be a paid public sector holiday to celebrate the anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day. Recall that, since 2020, the Egyptian government moves most mid-week public holidays to Thursday (except for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, and Coptic Christmas). But, in the present case, this was not necessary, as April 25, 2024, falls on a Thursday.    
  • Egypt Announces Sinai Liberation Public Holiday For Private Sector
    Source: Egypt State Information Service (Cairo). Egyptian Minister of Labour, Hassan Shehata, has announced that the Egyptian private sector will observe a public holiday on Thursday, April 25, 2024, on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day and that "if employers decide not to give that day off to employees, the employees should be paid twice their daily wages". Today's announcement follows on the heels of yesterday's declaration by Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, that Thursday, April 25, 2024, would be a paid public sector holiday to celebrate the anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day. Recall that, since 2020, the Egyptian government moves most mid-week public holidays to Thursday (except for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, and Coptic Christmas). But, in the present case, this was not necessary, as April 25, 2024, falls on a Thursday.    
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kazakhstan Publishes May 2024 Public Holidays Extension
    Source: Electronic government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana). The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan has announced that it had finalized and approved last week's draft decree On the postponement of the day of rest in 2024 (О переносе дня отдыха в 2024 году) which proposed to declare Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a one-off public holiday to bridge the gap between the May 7 Homeland Defender Day and the May 9 Victory Day public holidays, to be compensated by Saturday, May 4, 2024, being declared a regular working day (Перенести день отдыха с субботы 4 мая 2024 года на среду 8 мая 2024 года). Usually, the Government of Kazakhstan announces the list of one-off bridge public holidays and compensatory working Saturdays in December for the following year, but no such announcement was made in December 2023.    
  • Kazakhstan Publishes May 2024 Public Holidays Extension
    Source: Electronic government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana). The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan has announced that it had finalized and approved last week's draft decree On the postponement of the day of rest in 2024 (О переносе дня отдыха в 2024 году) which proposed to declare Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a one-off public holiday to bridge the gap between the May 7 Homeland Defender Day and the May 9 Victory Day public holidays, to be compensated by Saturday, May 4, 2024, being declared a regular working day (Перенести день отдыха с субботы 4 мая 2024 года на среду 8 мая 2024 года). Usually, the Government of Kazakhstan announces the list of one-off bridge public holidays and compensatory working Saturdays in December for the following year, but no such announcement was made in December 2023.    
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Trinidad and Tobago Renames August 1st Public Holiday
    Source: Trinidad and Tobago Government Portal (Port of Spain). At today’s Post Cabinet Media Briefing, hosted at Whitehall, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, has announced that the annual Emancipation Day public holiday, observed on August 1st, since 1985, would be renamed as African Emancipation Day from this year onward. As per the aforementioned announcement, "The time has come for us to make it quite clear what Emancipation means, and who’s being emancipated and from what.".    
  • Trinidad and Tobago Renames August 1st Public Holiday
    Source: Trinidad and Tobago Government Portal (Port of Spain). At today’s Post Cabinet Media Briefing, hosted at Whitehall, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, has announced that the annual Emancipation Day public holiday, observed on August 1st, since 1985, would be renamed as African Emancipation Day from this year onward. As per the aforementioned announcement, "The time has come for us to make it quite clear what Emancipation means, and who’s being emancipated and from what.".    

April 17, 2024

  • Ecuador
  • Ecuador
  • Ecuador Banks To Remain Open During Load Shedding Public Holidays
    Source: Agencia de Noticias del Ecuador y Sudamérica (ANDES). Ecuador's Superintendencia de Bancos has issued the Circular No. SB-IG-2024-0026 which instructs the private banking sector to guarantee the continuous provision of banking services on the upcoming load shedding public holidays of Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, 2024. Earlier today, Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa Azín, declared Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, 2024, as one-off non-working public holidays in Ecuador to ration electricity and upgrade the country's electrical installations.    
  • Ecuador Banks To Remain Open During Load Shedding Public Holidays
    Source: Agencia de Noticias del Ecuador y Sudamérica (ANDES). Ecuador's Superintendencia de Bancos has issued the Circular No. SB-IG-2024-0026 which instructs the private banking sector to guarantee the continuous provision of banking services on the upcoming load shedding public holidays of Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, 2024. Earlier today, Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa Azín, declared Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, 2024, as one-off non-working public holidays in Ecuador to ration electricity and upgrade the country's electrical installations.    
  • Ecuador
  • Ecuador
  • Ecuador Declares April 18-19 Load Shedding Public Holidays
    Source: Agencia de Noticias del Ecuador y Sudamérica (ANDES). Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa Azín, has signed an Executive Decree declaring Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, 2024, as one-off non-working public holidays in Ecuado