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Public Holidays in Latvia 2026 – National & Public Holidays

ByUzair ul haq
Public Holidays in Latvia

Latvia’s public holidays in 2026 include statutory national, religious and seasonal holidays established by Latvian law. Most holiday dates are fixed, while Easter, Mother’s Day and Pentecost depend on the calendar. Latvia also has specific rules for substitute holidays and, in 2026, two officially transferred working days that should not be confused with additional statutory public holidays.

Next Public Holiday in Latvia

Date Day Holiday Status
November 18, 2026 Wednesday Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia Confirmed

Public Holidays in Latvia 2026

Date Day Holiday Status
January 1, 2026 Thursday New Year's Day Confirmed
April 3, 2026 Friday Good Friday Confirmed
April 5, 2026 Sunday Easter Sunday Confirmed
April 6, 2026 Monday Easter Monday Confirmed
May 1, 2026 Friday Labour Day, Day of the Convocation of the Constitutional Assembly of the Republic of Latvia Confirmed
May 4, 2026 Monday Day of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia Confirmed
May 10, 2026 Sunday Mother's Day Confirmed
May 24, 2026 Sunday Pentecost Confirmed
June 23, 2026 Tuesday Līgo Day Confirmed
June 24, 2026 Wednesday Jāņi Day (summer solstice) Confirmed
November 18, 2026 Wednesday Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia Confirmed
December 24, 2026 Thursday Christmas (winter solstice) Confirmed
December 25, 2026 Friday Christmas (winter solstice) Confirmed
December 26, 2026 Saturday Christmas (winter solstice) Confirmed
December 31, 2026 Thursday New Year's Eve Confirmed

How Public Holidays Are Defined in Latvia

Latvia’s principal legal basis for public holidays is the Law on Public Holidays, Commemoration Days, and Celebration Days. The law distinguishes statutory public holidays from commemoration days and celebration days, so not every nationally recognised observance is automatically a public holiday or general day off.

The statutory list includes New Year’s Day, the Easter holidays, Labour Day, the Day of the Restoration of Independence, Mother’s Day, Pentecost, Līgo Day, Jāņi Day, the Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Religious Public Holidays in Latvia

Latvian law recognises Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Pentecost as public holidays. In 2026, the Easter holiday period runs from Friday, 3 April through Monday, 6 April. Latvijas Banka’s public holiday information also identifies 3–6 April as the 2026 Easter holiday period.

The law also provides that Orthodox Christians, Old Believers and believers belonging to other denominations celebrate Easter, Pentecost and Christmas on the dates established by their respective denominations. This provision should not be interpreted as creating additional nationwide public holiday dates for the entire population.

Līgo Day and Jāņi Day

Midsummer is one of Latvia’s most important annual holiday periods. Līgo Day on 23 June and Jāņi Day on 24 June are both statutory public holidays.

In 2026, the Government has also transferred the working day of Monday, 22 June to Saturday, 27 June for state-budget-funded institutions operating a standard Monday-to-Friday five-day working week. As a result, affected employees receive 22 June as a rest day immediately before the two statutory Midsummer holidays.

The transferred 22 June rest day is not itself an additional statutory public holiday. The Cabinet recommended that municipalities, businesses and other organisations follow the same working-day arrangement, but the mandatory transfer specified in the Cabinet order applies to the covered state-budget-funded institutions.

Transferred Working Days in Latvia in 2026

Latvia has two officially transferred working days in 2026 under Cabinet Order No. 330 on the Transfer of Working Days in 2026.

  • The working day of Friday, 2 January 2026 is transferred to Saturday, 17 January 2026.
  • The working day of Monday, 22 June 2026 is transferred to Saturday, 27 June 2026.

These arrangements create additional rest days for employees covered by the Cabinet order, but 2 January and 22 June should not be entered in a nationwide public holiday database as statutory public holidays.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend in Latvia?

Latvia does not apply a universal next-working-day substitution rule to every public holiday that falls on Saturday or Sunday.

The public holiday law specifically provides a following-working-day holiday when the Day of the Restoration of Independence on 4 May, the Final Day of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, or the Day of the Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia on 18 November falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

In 2026, 4 May falls on a Monday and 18 November falls on a Wednesday, so neither date requires a weekend substitute holiday.

Long Weekends in Latvia in 2026

Several public holidays create extended breaks for people who normally work Monday to Friday. Actual days off can vary by employer and work schedule.

  • New Year: Employees covered by the official working-day transfer can have a four-day break from 1 to 4 January, because the 2 January working day is transferred to 17 January.
  • Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday create a four-day holiday period from 3 to 6 April.
  • May holidays: Labour Day falls on Friday, 1 May, while the Day of the Restoration of Independence falls on Monday, 4 May, creating a four-day period around the weekend for standard Monday-to-Friday workers.
  • Midsummer: Employees covered by the official transfer of the 22 June working day can have an extended break leading into Līgo Day and Jāņi Day on 23 and 24 June.
  • Christmas: Latvia’s statutory Christmas holidays run from 24 to 26 December. In 2026, these fall from Thursday through Saturday, followed by Sunday, 27 December.

Are Public Holidays Paid in Latvia?

Latvian labour rules protect employees from losing remuneration when a statutory public holiday falls on a day on which they would normally have worked. The State Labour Inspectorate explains that a public holiday falling on an employee’s scheduled working day is treated as a justified absence for which the applicable remuneration rules must be observed.

Employees are generally not required to work on statutory public holidays. Where continuous operations or other permitted circumstances require work on a public holiday, Latvian labour rules provide compensation through paid rest on another day or the applicable additional remuneration.

Working on a Public Holiday in Latvia

The State Labour Inspectorate explains that an employee working on a public holiday may receive paid rest on another day or additional remuneration. Where the remuneration option applies, the statutory supplement for work on a public holiday is generally at least 100% of the employee’s established hourly or daily wage rate, subject to the applicable employment arrangements.

Employment contracts or collective agreements may provide more favourable terms. Employees working shifts, reduced hours or aggregated working time are also covered by the public-holiday compensation framework.

Public Holidays and Commemoration Days Are Different

Latvia recognises many important commemoration and celebration days in addition to statutory public holidays. Examples include Lāčplēsis Day, Europe Day and several national remembrance dates.

These observances should not automatically be added to a public holiday calendar. The Latvian public holiday law separately classifies public holidays and commemoration or celebration days, and the VisaBoards holiday schedule above contains nationwide statutory public holidays rather than every nationally recognised observance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the next public holiday in Latvia?

The next public holiday changes throughout the year. Check the Next Public Holiday in Latvia section above for the current VisaBoards database-generated result.

How many public holiday dates does Latvia have in 2026?

The verified VisaBoards 2026 dataset contains 15 statutory public holiday dates. The count treats each calendar date in the three-day Christmas period separately and includes public holidays that fall on Sundays.

Is Mother’s Day a public holiday in Latvia?

Yes. Latvia’s public holiday law expressly designates the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day and classifies it as a public holiday. In 2026, the second Sunday of May is 10 May.

Is Pentecost a public holiday in Latvia?

Yes. Pentecost is expressly included among Latvia’s statutory public holidays. In 2026, it falls on Sunday, 24 May.

Are 2 January and 22 June public holidays in Latvia in 2026?

No. They are officially designated rest days for covered state-budget-funded institutions because their working days are transferred to Saturdays later in the same month. They are not additional statutory nationwide public holidays.

Does Latvia give a substitute holiday whenever a public holiday falls on a weekend?

No. The statutory following-working-day rule applies specifically to 4 May, the Final Day of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, and 18 November when one of those holidays falls on Saturday or Sunday.

When are the Easter public holidays in Latvia in 2026?

Good Friday falls on 3 April 2026, Easter Sunday on 5 April and Easter Monday on 6 April. These dates are statutory public holidays in Latvia.

When are the Midsummer public holidays in Latvia?

Līgo Day is observed on 23 June and Jāņi Day on 24 June each year. Both dates are statutory public holidays under Latvian law.

Are employees normally required to work on public holidays in Latvia?

Employees are generally not employed on statutory public holidays. Where work is required to maintain continuous operations, Latvian labour rules provide for paid rest on another day or applicable additional remuneration.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Latvia

Uzair ul haq

CEO Visaboards & IT Consultant

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