Public Holidays in Belarus
Statutory public holidays in Belarus, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.
Belarus at a glance
Belarus’s public holidays retain a number of Soviet-era dates alongside Orthodox Christian observances. Victory Day on 9 May is the most significant national date.
Because Orthodox Christmas and Easter use the Julian calendar, they fall on different dates from Western Europe.
Belarus public holidays 2026
Belarus has 13 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.
| Holiday | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1Thu | National |
| New Year's Day | Jan 2Fri | National |
| Orthodox Christmas Day | Jan 7Wed | National |
| Women's Day | Mar 8Sun | National |
| Catholic Easter | Apr 5Sun | National |
| Orthodox Easter | Apr 12Sun | National |
| Day off (substituted from 04/25/2026) | Apr 20Mon | Substitute |
| Radunitsa (Day of Rejoicing) | Apr 21Tue | National |
| Labor Day | May 1Fri | National |
| Victory Day | May 9Sat | National |
| Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus (Day of the Republic) | Jul 3Fri | National |
| October Revolution Day | Nov 7Sat | National |
Showing 12 of 13 public holidays for 2026.
Major cities in Belarus
The urban centres that anchor most trips to Belarus.
Minsk
A rebuilt capital of Stalinist boulevards, war memorials and a modern riverside.
Brest
A border city with a fortress-memorial to the 1941 siege and a rail gateway.
Grodno
A city of baroque churches and old castles on the Neman river.
Vitebsk
A city associated with Chagall, with an art centre and a riverside.
Gomel
A city on the Sozh with a palace park and river beaches.
Top attractions in Belarus
The places that draw most visitors to Belarus.
Brest Fortress
A vast Soviet war memorial at the fortress that held out in 1941.
Mir Castle
A red-brick castle of towers and lakeside gardens, restored to Renaissance form.
Nesvizh Castle
A baroque palace complex with parks and a church of the Corpus Christi.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Primeval forest shared with Poland, home of the European bison.
Struve Geodetic Arc
Survey markers from a 19th-century meridian measurement across Europe.
Mound of Glory
A hilltop war memorial of earth mounds and an obelisk outside Minsk.
Festivals, food and getting around Belarus
What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.
Festivals behind the holidays
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🎉
New Year's Day
Falls on Jan 1
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New Year Holiday
Falls on Jan 2
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Orthodox Christmas Day
Falls on Jan 7
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🎉
Valentine's Day
Falls on Feb 14
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🎉
Defender of the Fatherland Day
Falls on Feb 23
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Women's Day
Falls on Mar 8
Food & drink
Getting around
Trains and buses are cheap and reliable; hiring a driver is the usual way to reach the forest and castle sites.
Travelling around Belarus’s holidays
What the dates mean once you are there.
Book around the peaks
Transport and hotels in Belarus tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.
Check opening hours
Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.
Carry local currency
Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.
Expect crowded transport
Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.
Confirm the official list
Belarus's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.
Plan the long weekends
Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.
Belarus public holidays: common questions
How many public holidays does Belarus have?
Belarus has 13 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.
Where can I find the full 2026 list?
The complete 2026 calendar for Belarus is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.
Are Belarus's public holidays paid?
Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.
Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?
Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Belarus typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.
Are there regional holidays in Belarus?
Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.
Which years are covered for Belarus?
Calendars are published for 2027, 2026, 2025.
School holidays in Belarus
School term dates in Belarus
School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.