The Czech holiday calendar 2026 includes 13 non-working days. By law, they fall into two categories: 7 state holidays (státní svátky) and 7 other official holidays (ostatní svátky), but January 1 belongs to both categories, so the number of unique holiday dates comes out to exactly 13. It's a lucky year: 11 of the 13 holidays fall on weekdays, so there will be plenty of days off in Czechia and long weekends.
Below you'll find a complete table of all Czech holidays 2026 with exact dates and weekdays, a breakdown of long weekends, store closure rules, and the Czech tradition of name days (jmeniny). All dates have been checked against Act No. 245/2000 Sb. and confirmed by official sources.
Each of these days is a den pracovního klidu (day of rest). Employees are paid for it, banks and government offices are closed, and public transport runs on a holiday (Sunday) schedule.
| Holiday | 2026 date | Day of week | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day / Day of Renewal of the Independent Czech State (Nový rok / Den obnovy samostatného českého státu) | January 1 | Thursday | Yes |
| Good Friday (Velký pátek) | April 3 | Friday | Yes |
| Easter Monday (Velikonoční pondělí) | April 6 | Monday | Yes |
| Labour Day (Svátek práce) | May 1 | Friday | Yes |
| Victory Day (Den vítězství) | May 8 | Friday | Yes |
| Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje) | July 5 | Sunday | Yes |
| Jan Hus Day (Den upálení mistra Jana Husa) | July 6 | Monday | Yes |
| Czech Statehood Day (Den české státnosti) | September 28 | Monday | Yes |
| Independent Czechoslovak State Day (Den vzniku samostatného československého státu) | October 28 | Wednesday | Yes |
| Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day (Den boje za svobodu a demokracii) | November 17 | Tuesday | Yes |
| Christmas Eve (Štědrý den) | December 24 | Thursday | Yes |
| Christmas Day (1. svátek vánoční) | December 25 | Friday | Yes |
| St. Stephen's Day (2. svátek vánoční) | December 26 | Saturday | Yes |
Czech law splits holidays into two groups, but for an employee there's almost no practical difference — both mean a paid day off.
Seven dates tied to Czech history and statehood: January 1, May 8, July 5, July 6, September 28, October 28, and November 17. These are the "main" national dates, when the state flag is flown.
Also seven dates, mostly of a religious or labour-related nature: New Year's Day (Nový rok), Velký pátek, Velikonoční pondělí, May 1, plus December 24, 25, and 26. Legally, they are just as much non-working days. Note that January 1 combines both categories — it's simultaneously the ostatní svátek New Year's Day and the state holiday Den obnovy samostatného českého státu. That's exactly why 7 + 7 dates add up to not 14, but 13 unique non-working days.
2026 is a generous year for "bridge" days. Here are the blocks worth planning your leave around:
By taking just 1–2 days of leave around May 8 or September 28, you can stretch your break to 4–5 days.
Under Act No. 223/2016 Sb., large stores (with retail space over 200 m²) are required to close on seven days of the year:
On December 24 (Christmas Eve), large stores are open only until 12:00. On the remaining holidays — Good Friday (April 3), May 1, July 5, July 6, and November 17 — large chains operate on their usual schedule, but it's always worth checking the hours of a specific hypermarket.
The ban does not apply to small shops under 200 m², petrol stations, hospital pharmacies, or retail outlets at airports and train stations. So for essential groceries on a holiday, you can head to a corner shop (večerka), a train station, or a petrol station. Banks, the post office (Česká pošta), and government offices are closed on holidays.
Besides public holidays, Czechia keeps the tradition of name days. In the jmenný kalendář, each calendar day is linked to a first name, and people with that name celebrate their own special day — a small "second birthday": colleagues and loved ones offer congratulations, flowers, or sweets. Name days aren't days off, but they're a charming part of local culture: printed and wall calendars in Czechia always show the name of the day. For example, July 15 is Jindřich's day, and St. Wenceslas (Václav) is celebrated on September 28, which coincides with the state holiday.
School holiday dates are set by the Ministry of Education (MŠMT). Key periods for the 2025/2026 school year:
During holiday periods and staggered break weeks, mountain accommodation prices and road traffic increase noticeably — plan your trips ahead of time.
13 non-working days. By law, this breaks down into 7 state holidays (státní svátky) and 7 other holidays (ostatní svátky), but January 1 falls into both categories, so there are 13 unique holiday dates. All of them are paid days off.
The main day is December 24, Christmas Eve (Štědrý den), when gifts are exchanged and carp is served for dinner. The official days off are December 24, 25, and 26. In 2026 these fall on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Large stores over 200 m² are required to close on these days by law. Small shops, petrol stations, and hospital pharmacies may stay open.
July 5 is Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, and July 6 is Jan Hus Day. Both are days off; in 2026 they fall on Sunday and Monday, making for a long weekend.
The official portal of the Czech Chamber of Pharmacists, lekarnici.cz, publishes a list of pharmacies with round-the-clock service (pohotovostní služba 24/7); there are only about 15–16 such pharmacies nationwide, most of them in Prague. It's easiest to check the address of the nearest open pharmacy via Mapy.cz or Google Maps by searching for lékárna. On holidays, it's mainly the non-stop pharmacies at major hospitals that stay open.
Comments (0)
Please be polite. Spam and insults will be removed.