Public holidays are considered the most important nationwide events. Below you’ll find a list of the public holidays in the Netherlands from 2022-2023. We’ve also compiled some useful cultural insights for travelers and expats.

Types of Public Holidays in the Netherlands

There are two types of public holidays in the Netherlands. While most public holidays fall on the same day every year, others vary from year to year.

Holidays with a Fixed Date

Public holidays with a fixed date are based on the so-called Gregorian calendar. That’s the calendar used in the Netherlands (and many parts of the worlds) consisting of 365 days. These are the public holidays recurring every year on the same day:

DatePublic HolidayName in Dutch
1 JanuaryNew Year’s DayNieuwjaarsdag
27 AprilKing’s DayKoningsdag
5 MayLiberation Day (every 5 years!)Bevrijdingsdag
25 DecemberChristmas (First Christmas Day)Eerste kerstdag
26 DecemberChristmas (Boxing Day)Tweede kerstdag

Note: National Remembrance Day (4 May), Sinterklaas (5 December), Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year’s Eve (31 December) are not official public holidays in the Netherlands.

Holidays with a Variable Date

Public holidays with a variable date are based on a centuries-old tradition. The first date to be determined is Easter. Easter takes place on the first Sunday after the full moon falling on or after 21 March. That being said, Easter always takes place between 22 March and 25 April each year. The dates of any other public holidays in the Netherlands which are related to Easter are based accordingly.

Below is the full list of public holidays in the Netherlands for which you need to check the date each year.

Public HolidayName in Dutch
Good FridayGoede Vrijdag
Easter SundayEerste Paasdag
Easter MondayTweede Paasdag
Ascension DayHemelvaartsdag
Whit Sunday (Pentecost)Eerste Pinksterdag (Pinksteren)
Whit Monday (Pentecost)Tweede Pinksterdag (Tweede Pinksteren)

Public Holidays Netherlands 2022

Public Holiday 2022Occasion
1 January 2022New Year’s Day
15 April 2022Good Friday
17 April 2022Easter Sunday
18 April 2022Easter Monday
27 April 2022King’s Day
26 May 2022Ascension Day
5 June 2022Whit Sunday (Pentecost)
6 June 2022Whit Monday (Pentecost)
25 December 2022Christmas
26 December 2022Christmas (Boxing Day)

Public Holidays Netherlands 2023

Public Holiday 2023Occasion
1 January 2023New Year’s Day
7 April 2023Good Friday
9 April 2023Easter Sunday
10 April 2023Easter Monday
27 April 2023King’s Day
18 May 2023Ascension Day
28 May 2023Whit Sunday (Pentecost)
29 May 2023Whit Monday (Pentecost)
25 December 2023Christmas
26 December 2023Christmas (Boxing Day)
The dates mentioned in the above table are estimations and will be updates once the official public holiday dates are made available.

About Kitty & Yogesh

Hoi! We’re Kitty and Yogesh, expats in the Netherlands. HollandDreams is a blog dedicated to traveling and living in the Netherlands. Together with our beagle dog Pépa, we travel across the country to explore exciting destinations and gather useful tips for travelers and expats.

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