Public Holidays in North Macedonia 2026 – National & Religious Days

North Macedonia’s 2026 public holiday calendar includes nationwide non-working days that apply to all citizens, together with additional religious and community-specific days that apply only to particular groups. The official 2026 programme issued by the Ministry of Economy and Labour separates these categories, so they should not be treated as one nationwide holiday list.

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Next Public Holiday in North Macedonia

[next_public_holiday country="North Macedonia"]

Public Holidays in North Macedonia 2026

[public_holidays country="North Macedonia" year="2026"]

How Public Holidays Work in North Macedonia

North Macedonia’s holiday system distinguishes between state and national public holidays that apply generally and additional non-working days provided for particular religious or ethnic communities. The country’s Holidays Law establishes the principal public holidays, while the government publishes an annual programme showing the dates that will be non-working days during the year.

For 2026, the Ministry of Economy and Labour published a Programme of Non-Working Days that separately identifies dates applying to all citizens and dates applying only to specified religious or ethnic communities. This distinction is important when determining which dates belong in a nationwide public holiday calendar.

Substitute and Observed Public Holidays in North Macedonia

North Macedonia applies a Sunday substitution rule to the holidays covered by Article 2 of the Holidays Law. When one of these holidays falls on a Sunday, the following day is treated as a non-working day.

This rule affects several holidays in 2026. Saints Cyril and Methodius Day falls on Sunday, 24 May, so Monday, 25 May is the non-working day. People’s Uprising Day falls on Sunday, 11 October, so Monday, 12 October is the non-working day.

Republic Day also falls on Sunday, 2 August 2026. The published 2026 programme contains a typographical inconsistency in the month given for the following Monday. Under the statutory Sunday-substitution rule, however, the following day is Monday, 3 August 2026, making that the observed non-working day.

Religious Holidays in North Macedonia

Some religious holidays are nationwide public holidays in North Macedonia. Orthodox Christmas, the second day of Orthodox Easter and the first day of Ramadan Bayram are included among the holidays applying to all citizens under the national holiday framework.

Other religious non-working days apply only to members of a particular faith. The 2026 government programme therefore lists these separately rather than treating them as general public holidays for every citizen.

Orthodox Christian Non-Working Days

The 2026 programme provides additional non-working days specifically for Orthodox Christian citizens. These include Orthodox Christmas Eve, Epiphany, Orthodox Good Friday, the Friday before Pentecost and the Dormition of the Mother of God.

Catholic Non-Working Days

Catholic citizens have separate non-working days under the holiday framework, including the second day of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, All Saints’ Day and the first day of Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar.

Muslim Non-Working Days

The first day of Ramadan Bayram is a nationwide public holiday. The first day of Kurban Bayram is separately provided as a non-working day for citizens of the Muslim faith rather than as a nationwide holiday for all citizens.

Community-Specific Non-Working Days

North Macedonia also recognizes non-working days for members of particular ethnic communities. The 2026 programme includes separate dates for the Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Vlach, Jewish, Bosniak and Turkish communities.

These dates should not be confused with nationwide public holidays. They apply to the communities identified by the official programme and are therefore excluded from the main nationwide holiday schedule.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on Sunday?

When a holiday covered by Article 2 of North Macedonia’s Holidays Law falls on Sunday, the following day is considered a non-working day. This statutory rule is the basis for observed Monday holidays such as Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, Republic Day and People’s Uprising Day in 2026.

Who Announces Public Holidays in North Macedonia?

The national holiday framework is established by North Macedonia’s Holidays Law. The Ministry of Economy and Labour publishes the annual programme of non-working days and also issues individual announcements concerning upcoming non-working days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nationwide public holiday dates are there in North Macedonia in 2026?

The official 2026 programme produces 11 nationwide non-working dates for all citizens when observed Monday dates are used for holidays that fall on Sunday. Religious or community-specific non-working days are not included in that nationwide total.

What is the next public holiday in North Macedonia?

The next public holiday changes throughout the year. The live holiday section near the top of this page displays the current upcoming public holiday from the VisaBoards holiday database.

Are all religious holidays public holidays for everyone in North Macedonia?

No. Some religious holidays, including Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Easter Monday and the first day of Ramadan Bayram, apply nationwide. Other religious non-working days apply only to members of the relevant faith.

Does North Macedonia provide substitute holidays?

Yes. Under the Holidays Law, when an Article 2 holiday falls on Sunday, the following day is treated as a non-working day.

Is Republic Day observed on Monday in 2026?

Yes. Republic Day falls on Sunday, 2 August 2026. Under the statutory Sunday-substitution rule, Monday, 3 August 2026 is the resulting non-working day.

Is Kurban Bayram a nationwide public holiday in North Macedonia?

No. The 2026 official programme lists the first day of Kurban Bayram as a non-working day specifically for citizens of the Muslim faith. It is separate from the holidays designated for all citizens.

Are community holidays nationwide public holidays?

No. Holidays associated with specific Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Vlach, Jewish, Bosniak and Turkish communities apply to members of those communities rather than automatically to every citizen.

Are public holiday dates the same every year?

Not entirely. Fixed-date holidays retain their statutory calendar dates, while Easter-related and Islamic holidays can move between Gregorian calendar dates. Observed days can also change when a qualifying holiday falls on Sunday.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in North Macedonia

The primary source for the 2026 calendar is the Programme of Non-Working Days for 2026 published by the Ministry of Economy and Labour of the Republic of North Macedonia. It identifies nationwide non-working days and separately lists religious and community-specific dates.

The Holidays Law provides the underlying legal classification of national holidays and the rule stating that when an Article 2 holiday falls on Sunday, the following day is considered a non-working day.