From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A public holiday, national holiday or legal holidays is a holiday generally established by law and it designates a non-working day during the year.

French Corvée Day is a notable exception. This holiday became a mandatory working day although the French Council of State confirmed it remains a holiday.

Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history. For example, Australians celebrate Australia Day.

They vary by country and every year can be different. The public holidays are generally days of celebration, like the anniversary of something happened in the past and that had a particular relevance for the country of region in which the public holiday has been established or can be a religious celebration like Christmas. Holidays can land on a specific day of the year, be tied to a certain day of the week in a certain month or follow other calendar systems like the Lunar Calendar.

See also

• Holiday, disambiguation page
• List of holidays by country
• Bank holiday
• National Day