How to Remove Holidays from Apple Calendar: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2024

Hey there, holiday lovers! It’s your Holiday Little Assistant here. I know how excited everyone gets about public holidays… until those pesky auto-populated events start cluttering up your Apple Calendar. Today, we’re tackling a question I get all the time: how to remove holidays from Apple Calendar. Whether you’re trying to clean up your schedule or just prefer a minimalist view, I’ve got you covered with this complete walkthrough.

First off, let’s talk about why Apple Calendar includes holidays by default. It’s actually meant to be helpful – keeping you informed about important dates without having to manually add them. But I totally get it! Sometimes you might be using your work calendar and don’t need to see all the public holidays, or maybe you’re planning a project timeline and want a cleaner view. Whatever your reason, removing these holidays is simpler than you might think.

How to Remove Holidays from Apple Calendar on iPhone

Here’s the step-by-step scoop for iPhone users:
1. Open your Calendar app (that’s the one with the date on the icon)
2. Tap “Calendars” at the bottom center of your screen
3. Scroll down until you see “Holidays” under the “SUBSCRIBED CALENDARS” section
4. Tap the colorful circle next to “Holidays” to deselect it
And poof! All those holiday events disappear instantly. Want them back later? Just tap that circle again to make them reappear. Pro tip: If you don’t see the Holidays calendar listed, it might be because you haven’t enabled it in your settings first.

Disabling Holidays on Mac Calendar

For my Mac users, the process is just as easy:
1. Open the Calendar application
2. In the menu bar at the top, click “Calendar” then “Preferences”
3. Select the “General” tab
4. Uncheck the box next to “Show holidays calendar”
5. Close the preferences window
Boom! Your Mac calendar is now holiday-free. Remember, this only removes the default holiday calendar – any personal holiday events you’ve added manually will stay put.

Alternative Option: Create a Custom Holiday Calendar

Here’s a cool trick if you only want certain holidays: Instead of removing all holidays completely, you can create a custom holiday calendar with just the events you care about. Head to “Add Calendar” > “New Calendar” and manually add your preferred holidays. This way, you keep the dates that matter to you (maybe just the big ones like Christmas and New Year’s) while ditching the rest. It’s perfect for folks who want a middle ground between all holidays and no holidays.

Why Can’t I Remove Some Holidays?

Occasionally, users tell me they’re still seeing holidays even after following these steps. This usually happens when holidays are coming from another subscribed calendar (like from your work email account) or if you’ve manually synced holidays from another service. The fix? Check all your subscribed calendars in the Calendar app and turn off any that might be supplying those stubborn holiday events.

To wrap it up, customizing your Apple Calendar’s holiday display is super simple once you know where to look. Whether you’re going for a completely clean slate or just trimming down to the holidays you actually celebrate, these quick adjustments can make your calendar work better for your needs. Remember, you can always toggle holidays back on whenever you need them – like when you’re planning that much-needed vacation!

FAQpro Thank you for reading, I hope this guide helped you take control of your Apple Calendar holidays. If you’re still having trouble or have more questions about calendar customization, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your Holiday Little Assistant is always here to help make your scheduling life easier!