worldwide public holidays news and updates of the past ten days
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China Releases Official 2026 Public Holidays Schedule Government Portal of the State Council of China (Beijing) The General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China has announced the list of 2026 public holidays and postponed working days in China in the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangements for Some Holidays in 2026 (国务院办公厅关于2026年部分节假日安排的通知 - 国办发明电〔2025〕7号) index number 000014349/2025-00087. That list is in line with last year's overhaul of the Chinese public holidays calendar as set out in the Decision of the State Council on Amending the National Holidays and Commemorative Days Regulations (国务院关于修改《全国年节及纪念日放假办法》的决定) which provided new rules concerning bridge public holidays and compensatory workdays, as "Approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and in accordance with the National Holidays and Memorial Days Regulations revised in November 2024, starting from January 1, 2025" for New Year's Day (元旦), Qingming Festival (清明节), Dragon Boat Festival (端午节), and the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节). As usual, in the aforementioned list of 2026 public holidays, some Saturdays and Sundays are designated as working days to compensate the declaration of one-off bridge public holidays. Private companies are allowed to observe other days off, as long as these are in addition the official holiday calendar ("Organizations and individuals are encouraged to combine paid annual leave with other policies to create longer holidays and promote staggered travel"). Recall that, late last week, we reported that a draft of the soon to be released list of 2026 public holidays and postponed working days in China had been released.
China Releases Official 2026 Public Holidays Schedule Government Portal of the State Council of China (Beijing) The General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China has announced the list of 2026 public holidays and postponed working days in China in the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangements for Some Holidays in 2026 (国务院办公厅关于2026年部分节假日安排的通知 - 国办发明电〔2025〕7号) index number 000014349/2025-00087. That list is in line with last year's overhaul of the Chinese public holidays calendar as set out in the Decision of the State Council on Amending the National Holidays and Commemorative Days Regulations (国务院关于修改《全国年节及纪念日放假办法》的决定) which provided new rules concerning bridge public holidays and compensatory workdays, as "Approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and in accordance with the National Holidays and Memorial Days Regulations revised in November 2024, starting from January 1, 2025" for New Year's Day (元旦), Qingming Festival (清明节), Dragon Boat Festival (端午节), and the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节). As usual, in the aforementioned list of 2026 public holidays, some Saturdays and Sundays are designated as working days to compensate the declaration of one-off bridge public holidays. Private companies are allowed to observe other days off, as long as these are in addition the official holiday calendar ("Organizations and individuals are encouraged to combine paid annual leave with other policies to create longer holidays and promote staggered travel"). Recall that, late last week, we reported that a draft of the soon to be released list of 2026 public holidays and postponed working days in China had been released.
Liberia Declares November 6 National Thanksgiving Day Public Holiday Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Monrovia) The President of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued a proclamation declaring Thursday, November 6, 2025, as a non-working public holidays to be observed throughout the Republic of Liberia as National Thanksgiving Day. As per the aforementioned proclamation, based on an Act of the National Legislation enacted in 1883 declaring the First Thursday in the Month of November of each year as a National Thanksgiving Day, "The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has by Proclamation declared Thursday, November 6, 2025, as National Thanksgiving Day and it is to be observed throughout the Republic as a national holiday". Such last-minute re-confirmation of annual public holidays are a staple of the Liberian public holidays calendar.
Liberia Declares November 6 National Thanksgiving Day Public Holiday Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Monrovia) The President of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued a proclamation declaring Thursday, November 6, 2025, as a non-working public holidays to be observed throughout the Republic of Liberia as National Thanksgiving Day. As per the aforementioned proclamation, based on an Act of the National Legislation enacted in 1883 declaring the First Thursday in the Month of November of each year as a National Thanksgiving Day, "The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has by Proclamation declared Thursday, November 6, 2025, as National Thanksgiving Day and it is to be observed throughout the Republic as a national holiday". Such last-minute re-confirmation of annual public holidays are a staple of the Liberian public holidays calendar.
Morocco Declares October 31 National Unity Day Agence Maroc Arabe Presse (Rabat) The Moroccan Royal Cabinet has issued an official communiqué announcing the decision of King Mohammed VI to make October 31 of each year a national holiday under the name Unity Day (Aid Al Wahda), in commemoration of the UN Security Council Resolution 2797/2025 which supports Morocco's position on the Western Sahara. As per the aforementioned communiqué, "The scheduled celebrations commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the victorious Green March will be maintained, without a Royal Speech being delivered on this occasion", making it unclear if the annual November 6th Green March public holiday will eventually be replaced by one on October 31st.
Morocco Declares October 31 National Unity Day Agence Maroc Arabe Presse (Rabat) The Moroccan Royal Cabinet has issued an official communiqué announcing the decision of King Mohammed VI to make October 31 of each year a national holiday under the name Unity Day (Aid Al Wahda), in commemoration of the UN Security Council Resolution 2797/2025 which supports Morocco's position on the Western Sahara. As per the aforementioned communiqué, "The scheduled celebrations commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the victorious Green March will be maintained, without a Royal Speech being delivered on this occasion", making it unclear if the annual November 6th Green March public holiday will eventually be replaced by one on October 31st.
Oman Confirms Shift in National Day Public Holidays Oman News Agency (Muscat) Omani authorities have confirmed that, as per last January's Royal Decree 15/2025 Amending Some Provisions of Royal Decree 88/2022 Determining the Official Holidays (published in the Official Gazette 1581 issued on 26 January 2025), the dates of official holidays for the units of the administrative apparatus of the state, other public legal persons, and establishments of the private sector for the upcoming National Day public holiday would be November 20 and 21, instead of 18-19 as was the case in the past. However, Decree 15/2025 is quite succinct, simply stating that "The text of Article I(First:)(d) of the aforementioned Royal Decree 88/2022 is hereby replaced with the following clause: (d) National Day of the Sultanate of Oman, 20 and 21 November". As Decree 88/2022 was only amended, not abrogated, it means that its other clauses are still valid, namely "If one or both days of the weekend fall within the aforementioned holidays, they are compensated by one day" and "The date of the aforementioned holidays may be modified if public interest so requires". In that context, with weekends in Oman having been changed to Friday-Saturday in 2013, and November 21, 2025, falling on a Friday, we can still expect last-minute amendments to the actual observed date of Oman's 2025 National Day public holidays. Recall that the aforementioned Royal Decree 88/2022 Determining the Official Holidays had replaced the Royal Decree 56/2020 Determining the Dates of Official Holidays which in turn had replaced the Royal Decree 76/96 Determining the Dates of Official Holidays (published in Official Gazette 584 issued on 1 October 1996), which had replaced the Royal Decree 56/91 Determining the Public Holidays (Published in Official Gazette 457 issued on 15 June 1991). Sultan Haitham came to power in early 2020, following the death of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman, and soon thereafter announced that the date of the Omani National Day would remain November 18, a date which corresponds to the date of Sultan Qaboos', his predecessor's, birthday. Note that, despite the Omani National Day having previously been officially set on November 18, the corresponding Omani public holidays are regularly moved to a Wednesday and Thursday, later in the month, and the actual dates of the corresponding dates of that public holiday are usually announced at the last minute.
Oman Confirms Shift in National Day Public Holidays Oman News Agency (Muscat) Omani authorities have confirmed that, as per last January's Royal Decree 15/2025 Amending Some Provisions of Royal Decree 88/2022 Determining the Official Holidays (published in the Official Gazette 1581 issued on 26 January 2025), the dates of official holidays for the units of the administrative apparatus of the state, other public legal persons, and establishments of the private sector for the upcoming National Day public holiday would be November 20 and 21, instead of 18-19 as was the case in the past. However, Decree 15/2025 is quite succinct, simply stating that "The text of Article I(First:)(d) of the aforementioned Royal Decree 88/2022 is hereby replaced with the following clause: (d) National Day of the Sultanate of Oman, 20 and 21 November". As Decree 88/2022 was only amended, not abrogated, it means that its other clauses are still valid, namely "If one or both days of the weekend fall within the aforementioned holidays, they are compensated by one day" and "The date of the aforementioned holidays may be modified if public interest so requires". In that context, with weekends in Oman having been changed to Friday-Saturday in 2013, and November 21, 2025, falling on a Friday, we can still expect last-minute amendments to the actual observed date of Oman's 2025 National Day public holidays. Recall that the aforementioned Royal Decree 88/2022 Determining the Official Holidays had replaced the Royal Decree 56/2020 Determining the Dates of Official Holidays which in turn had replaced the Royal Decree 76/96 Determining the Dates of Official Holidays (published in Official Gazette 584 issued on 1 October 1996), which had replaced the Royal Decree 56/91 Determining the Public Holidays (Published in Official Gazette 457 issued on 15 June 1991). Sultan Haitham came to power in early 2020, following the death of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman, and soon thereafter announced that the date of the Omani National Day would remain November 18, a date which corresponds to the date of Sultan Qaboos', his predecessor's, birthday. Note that, despite the Omani National Day having previously been officially set on November 18, the corresponding Omani public holidays are regularly moved to a Wednesday and Thursday, later in the month, and the actual dates of the corresponding dates of that public holiday are usually announced at the last minute.
