Is today a public holiday in Belgium?

Belgian Public Holidays Act (1974), Replacement Days (Jours de Remplacement) & Community Holidays

In Belgium, workplace public holidays are governed by the Public Holidays Act of 4 January 1974 (Loi du 4 janvier 1974 relative aux jours fériés / Wet betreffende de feestdagen) and its Royal Decree of 18 April 1974, enforced by the Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue (SPF Emploi / FOD WASO). Two legal features make the Belgian calendar distinct in Europe: first, Belgian law guarantees every full-time employee exactly 10 paid public holidays every year through a mandatory replacement-day mechanism; second, Belgium's regional and language-community holidays apply differently from the 10 federal statutory dates.

Belgium's 10 Nationwide Statutory Public Holidays

Regardless of whether an employee works in Flanders, Wallonia, or the Brussels-Capital Region, the 1974 Act establishes 10 nationwide statutory public holidays on which employing workers is prohibited in principle:

1. New Year's Day (Jour de l'An / Nieuwjaar): 1 January
2. Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques / Paasmaandag): 6 April 2026 / 29 March 2027
3. Labour Day (Fête du Travail / Dag van de Arbeid): 1 May
4. Ascension Day (Ascension / Onze-Lieve-Heer-Hemelvaart): Thursday, 14 May 2026 / Thursday, 6 May 2027
5. Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte / Pinkstermaandag): Monday, 25 May 2026 / Monday, 17 May 2027
6. Belgian National Day (Fête nationale / Nationale feestdag): 21 July
7. Assumption Day (Assomption / Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaart): 15 August
8. All Saints' Day (Toussaint / Allerheiligen): 1 November
9. Armistice Day (Jour de l'Armistice / Wapenstilstand): 11 November
10. Christmas Day (Noël / Kerstmis): 25 December

Important note: Neither Good Friday (Vendredi Saint / Goede Vrijdag) nor Boxing Day / Second Day of Christmas (26 December) is one of Belgium's 10 statutory public holidays, though Euronext Brussels and TARGET2 close on both dates.

Weekend Replacement Days (Jours de Remplacement / Vervangingsdagen)

Under Article 6 of the Act of 4 January 1974, when one of the 10 statutory public holidays falls on a Sunday or on an ordinary day of inactivity in the company (typically Saturday for a Monday–Friday business), the holiday is never lost. It must be replaced by a paid replacement day (jour de remplacement / vervangingsdag) on an ordinary working day within the same calendar year, which then acquires the legal status of a public holiday:

• 2026 Weekend Holidays Requiring Replacement: Assumption Day (Saturday, 15 August 2026) and All Saints' Day (Sunday, 1 November 2026).
• 2027 Weekend Holidays Requiring Replacement: Labour Day (Saturday, 1 May 2027), Assumption Day (Saturday, 15 August 2027), and Christmas Day (Saturday, 25 December 2027).
• How Replacement Dates Are Fixed (15 December Deadline): Replacement days are set by cascading priority: (1) sector Joint Committee (commission paritaire / paritair comité), (2) company Works Council (conseil d'entreprise), (3) agreement with the trade union delegation, (4) collective agreement with all workers, or (5) individual agreement between employer and worker. Employers must post a signed notice of agreed replacement days before 15 December of the preceding year. If no replacement date is agreed at any level, the law automatically transfers the holiday to the first normal working day following the weekend holiday (e.g., Monday 17 August 2026 and Monday 2 November 2026).

Nationwide Statutory Holidays vs. Community & Regional Observances

Belgium's federal structure includes three language communities and three regions, each celebrating its own institutional feast day. Use the Belgium Schedule & Community Filter in the calendar table below to view these dates—and always keep their legal scope clear:

Bridge Days (Faire le Pont / Brugdagen) & Annual Leave Planning

Full-time employees in Belgium accrue 20 statutory vacation days (4 weeks) for a 5-day workweek based on the prior calendar year's service (exercice de vacances / vakantiedienstjaar), often supplemented by working-time reduction days (jours de RTT / ADV-dagen) when working 39 or 40 hours per week instead of 38. Many Belgian companies allocate their two 2026 weekend replacement days (from 15 August and 1 November) directly onto prime bridge days (jours de pont / brugdagen):

• Ascension Bridge (14–17 May 2026 & 6–9 May 2027): Taking Friday 15 May 2026 (or Friday 7 May 2027) turns Thursday Ascension Day into a 4-day break.
• Belgian National Day Bridge (18–21 July 2026): In 2026, National Day (21 July) lands on a Tuesday. Booking Monday 20 July 2026 (or using a replacement day) creates a 4-day mid-summer weekend.
• Armistice Day Midweek Split (11 November 2026): Falls on a Wednesday in 2026, allowing a 5-day break for 2 days of leave (9–10 Nov or 12–13 Nov).