The Netherlands recognizes 11 public holidays a year, applied uniformly across all 12 provinces with no regional variation — but there's a catch that surprises a lot of people: there's no law guaranteeing a day off. Whether you actually get the holiday off depends entirely on your employer's collective labour agreement (CAO) or your individual contract. This feed sends you a single reminder covering the calendar, so you at least know what's coming, regardless of whether your workplace observes it. Click the green Configure button and choose how far ahead you want to be alerted.
Why use a reminder for Dutch public holidays?
- Some holidays aren't guaranteed days off, even when they're "official": Good Friday is recognized but many people still work it, and King's Day itself isn't a statutory day off — a reminder helps you check your specific agreement ahead of time rather than assume.
- Catch the bridge-day opportunities: Several holidays land close to the weekend, and taking just one extra day off can turn a single holiday into a multi-day break.
- Don't get caught out by closures: Even with no legal day-off requirement, many shops, schools, and government services still close on these dates.
- One feed, the whole year: Instead of separately tracking 11 dates, get them covered in one setup.
The list of official holidays
New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, King's Day, Liberation Day, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
The holiday that only "counts" once every five years
Liberation Day, observed May 5th, commemorates the end of Nazi occupation in 1945. To limit the economic cost of an extra nationwide day off every year, the Dutch government made it an official paid holiday for everyone only in "lustrum" years — years divisible by five. In the years between, it remains a day of remembrance, but most people still go to work.
King's Day isn't quite what you'd expect either
Unlike most national holidays, King's Day (Koningsdag) isn't a statutory day off at all — employers aren't legally required to give it, even though it's one of the most widely celebrated days in the country, marked by orange-clad street parties, flea markets, and canal celebrations nationwide.
Worth knowing
Popular Dutch traditions like Sinterklaas and Christmas Eve aren't official public holidays at all, even though they're deeply embedded in Dutch culture and many people still take time off around them informally.
So whether you're checking what your CAO actually covers or just want a heads-up before King's Day, click that green Configure button and let the dates come to you.