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What Is Hanukkah? The Festival of Lights — Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of Friday, 4 December, and ends on Saturday, 12 December. Learn the history of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights and how it's celebrated worldwide.

What Is Diwali? Festival of Lights — Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. Learn the history of the Festival of Lights, the five days of Diwali, and how it's celebrated across India and the diaspora.

What Is Thanksgiving? History, Date & 2026 Traditions (US & Canada)

US Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, 26 November. Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, 12 October. Learn the history of both, the differences, and how they're celebrated.

What Is Halloween? History, Date & 2026 Traditions

Halloween falls on Saturday, 31 October 2026. Learn the Celtic Samhain origin, how All Hallows' Eve became a global commercial festival, and traditions from Ireland to Japan.

What Is Independence Day? The 4th of July & 2026 Semiquincentennial

US Independence Day 2026 falls on Saturday, 4 July — the 250th anniversary of the United States. Learn the history of the Declaration of Independence, why fireworks, and how Americans observe the Fourth of July.

Bastille Day 2026: France's National Day

Bastille Day 2026 falls on Tuesday, 14 July. Learn what France's national day commemorates and how 14 July is observed.

Canada Day 2026: Date, History & Statutory Observance

Canada Day 2026 falls on Wednesday, 1 July. Learn what the holiday commemorates, how it is celebrated, and where it is a statutory holiday.

Cinco de Mayo 2026: What It Commemorates

Cinco de Mayo 2026 falls on Tuesday, 5 May. The date commemorates Mexico's 1862 victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla.

Father's Day 2026: Dates Around the World

Father's Day 2026 falls on Sunday, 21 June in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, and many other countries. Compare dates worldwide.

Memorial Day 2026: Date, History & Observance

Memorial Day 2026 falls on Monday, 25 May. Learn why the US holiday is observed on the last Monday in May and how it is marked.

Mother's Day 2026: Dates Around the World

Mother's Day 2026 falls on Sunday, 10 May in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, India, Japan, and many other countries. Compare dates worldwide.

What Is Good Friday? Date, History & 2026 Observance

Good Friday 2026 falls on Friday, 3 April. Learn the history of Christianity's most solemn day, why it's called 'Good,' and how it's observed across the Christian world.

What Is Easter? Date, History & Global Traditions in 2026

Easter Sunday 2026 falls on April 5. Learn the history of Easter, why the date moves each year, and how it's celebrated around the world.

What Is Eid Al-Fitr? Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Eid Al-Fitr 2026 is expected around 20 March, marking the end of Ramadan. Learn the history of Eid Al-Fitr, why dates shift, and how it's celebrated around the world.

What Is Saint Patrick's Day? Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Saint Patrick's Day falls on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. Learn the history of Ireland's patron saint, why people wear green, and how the holiday spread from Dublin to Chicago.

Bank Holiday vs Public Holiday vs Statutory Holiday: A Global Glossary

Bank holidays, federal holidays, statutory holidays, public holidays, gazetted holidays — what each term means, where they're used, and why it matters.

30 Unique Public Holidays You Probably Didn't Know Existed

From Iceland's National Sweater Day to Bhutan's National Day, 30 lesser-known public holidays that reveal something distinctive about each country's culture and history.

What Is Holi? Festival of Colours — Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Holi 2026 falls on Wednesday, 4 March (Holika Dahan on 3 March). Learn the mythology behind the Festival of Colours, the two-day structure, and how it's celebrated across India and the diaspora.

The 15 Most-Searched Holidays in 2026: Dates, Origins, and How They're Observed

From Easter to Eid Al-Fitr, Diwali to Chinese New Year — the 15 holiday queries with the highest search volume in 2026, with dates, origins, and a brief guide to each.

What Is Ramadan? The Holy Month of Fasting in 2026

Ramadan 2026 begins around 17 February and ends around 18 March. Learn the history and significance of the Islamic holy month, fasting rules, and how it's observed worldwide.

2026 vs 2027: What Changes in the Global Holiday Calendar

Year-over-year comparison: 2027 has 11 fewer Eid days, Easter shifts forward by 9 days, and Christmas falls on a Saturday. Country-by-country differences for major economies.

What Is Valentine's Day? Date, History & 2026 Traditions

Valentine's Day falls on Saturday, 14 February 2026. Learn the saint behind the day, the Roman pagan origins, and how the festival of romantic love is observed worldwide.

How to Maximise Your Vacation Days in 2026: The Bridge Day Strategy

Turn 12 vacation days into 32 days off in 2026 by strategically bridging public holidays. Country-by-country playbook for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Australia, Canada, and Japan.

Public Holidays Falling on Weekends in 2026: A Country-by-Country Guide

When public holidays fall on Saturday or Sunday, some countries shift the day off to Monday — and others just lose it. Here's what happens in 2026 across major economies.

10 Countries with the Fewest Public Holidays in 2026

Mexico (7), Netherlands and England (8 each) lead the OECD's leanest holiday calendars. How they make up for it — and what the data says about labour productivity.

10 Countries with the Most Public Holidays in 2026

Cambodia, Iran, and Myanmar lead the world with 25+ public holidays each. A ranked breakdown with cultural and religious context.

What Is Chinese New Year? Lunar New Year 2026 — Year of the Horse

Chinese New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, 17 February, beginning the Year of the Horse. Learn the history of Lunar New Year, the 15-day Spring Festival, and how it's celebrated.

Best Long Weekends in 2026: A Global Guide

The longest natural long weekends of 2026, ranked. From Saudi Arabia's 8-day Eid Al-Adha break to Japan's Golden Week, with the bridge days that turn 1 day off into 4.

The 2026 Global Holiday Calendar: A Data Report on 190 Countries, 3,149 Observances, and the Patterns of Time Off

Original analysis of the 2026 public-holiday data across 190 countries: 3,149 holiday observances on 344 unique calendar dates. Regional breakdowns, religious clusters, and the holidays that connect — or divide — the working world.

What Is Eid Al-Adha? History, Meaning & 2026 Date

Eid Al-Adha is one of Islam's two major festivals, observed by over 2 billion Muslims worldwide. Learn its meaning, the story of Ibrahim, and when it falls in 2026.

What Is New Year's Day? History, Date & Global Celebrations

New Year's Day is a public holiday on 1 January in nearly every country on Earth. Discover its history, why we celebrate it at midnight, and how traditions vary worldwide.

What Is Christmas? History, Traditions & 2026 Date

Christmas is observed on 25 December in over 160 countries. Learn the history of Christmas, why it falls on December 25, and how it is celebrated around the world.