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Thursday, October 22, 2026
No federal or major public holiday observed today across tracked regions.
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Library at a glance
259 briefs · 43 iconic · 5 categories · 54 countries
Library by month
259 briefs across the calendar - click a month to filter
Showing 69 briefs in this category.
Clear filtersBon Om Touk - the Cambodian water festival, when racing boats and candle offerings fill the Tonle Sap
Bon Om Touk, the Cambodian Water Festival, marks the reversal of the Mekong flood in the twelfth lunar month. Hundreds of thousands gather in Phnom Penh to race long low-slung racing boats and float candle offerings on the Tonle Sap.
Chuseok - the Korean harvest festival on 15 Chuseok, observed on the 8th month of the lunar calendar
Chuseok (한가위, Han-ga-wi) is the Korean harvest festival observed on the 8th day of the 8th lunar month, plus a one-day pre- and post-period. A 3-day public holiday in South Korea (and North Korea). Marked by charye ancestor rites, songpyeon rice cakes, family visits to ancestral hometowns, and gift-giving between employers and employees.
Dashain - the fifteen-day Nepalese autumn festival that ends with red tika on Vijayadashami
Dashain is the greatest festival in the Nepalese calendar, running fifteen days in the lunar month of Kartika and culminating on Vijayadashami. It opens with Ghatasthapana fire rituals to Shiva and closes with tika, shubha labh and jamara.
Halloween - October 31, Celtic Samhain roots, and how the US observes it
Halloween on October 31 is a US cultural holiday with Celtic Samhain roots. Not a federal holiday. Observed with trick-or-treating, costumes, and decorations. Second-largest commercial holiday in the US after Christmas by consumer spending.
Le Tet - the Vietnamese lunar new year, when the first person to cross into the new year decides the fortune of the house
Le Tet, Tet Nguyen Da, is the Vietnamese lunar new year, observed over five days with a peach tree, banh chung rice cakes, and a first-footing rule that makes who steps through the door first matter.
Lunar New Year - how the date moves, what it celebrates, and how it differs from country to country
Lunar New Year (Chunjie / Seollal / Tet) is the most widely observed non-fixed secular holiday in the world. The exact date moves each year on the Gregorian calendar; in 2026 it falls on February 17.
Midsummer in Sweden - the Saturday between June 20 and 26, when maypoles go up and the whole country takes the day off
Midsummer Day in Sweden is the Saturday falling between June 20 and 26. Families raise a maypole, dance in a ring around it, float decorated wreaths on water, and eat the first strawberries of the season.
Naadam - the Mongolian National Games, three days of wrestling, horse racing and throat singing on the steppe
Naadam is Mongolia's national festival, held over three days from 11 to 13 July. It combines the Three Games of Men - wrestling, horse racing and archery - with the opening ceremony and a public holiday across the country.
Onam - the Kerala harvest festival on Thiruvonam day, and how it is observed
Onam is the annual harvest festival of Kerala (India), observed on Thiruvonam day in the Malayalam month of Chingam. Celebrates the mythic King Mahabali and the return of prosperity. Date moves between late August and mid-September in the Gregorian calendar.
Seollal - the Korean lunar new year, three days of ancestral rites, tteokguk and returning to your ancestral hometown
Seollal is the Korean lunar new year, observed over three days in late January or February. It centres on ancestral rites, eating tteokguk, and the custom of returning to one's ancestral hometown - ibyeong - for the new year.
Tanabata - the Japanese star festival of wish-making, when bamboo streamers and paper wishes cross the Milky Way
Tanabata is a Japanese festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, marking the one night a year that the two lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet across the Milky Way. Colourful wishes are tied to bamboo for the stars to read.
Thingyan - the Burmese water festival, a fixed four-day new year of pouring water and gilded pagodas
Thingyan is the Burmese water festival and Burmese New Year, held over four days from 13 to 16 April. Water is poured over elders and Buddha images for purification, and the dates are a fixed civil holiday rather than a lunar one.
Tsagaan Sar - the Mongolian lunar new year, where the first morning of the year is greeted with a pinch of salt
Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian lunar new year, marking the first day of the first month of the traditional Mongolian calendar. The celebration runs across the whole lunar month and centres on the Sun Moon and Khadag gifts given to elders.
Valentines Day - February 14, the Saint Valentine legend, and how the US observes it
Valentines Day on February 14 is a US cultural holiday associated with romantic love, card exchange, and gift giving. Not a federal holiday. Originated as the feast of Saint Valentine in the early Christian calendar; transformed into a romantic holiday in the late Middle Ages.
Batik Day - October 2, the Indonesian national observance of UNESCO-listed batik
Batik Day (Hari Batik Nasional) on October 2 is the Indonesian national observance marking the 2009 UNESCO inscription of batik on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Observed across Indonesia with batik-clad ceremonies, exhibitions, and community workshops.
Boxing Day - December 26, the British Commonwealth post-Christmas holiday, origins, and how it is observed
Boxing Day on December 26 is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most Commonwealth countries. Originally a day for tipping servants and giving boxes of food to the poor, now observed as a major shopping and sporting event.
Chongyang Festival - the Chinese Double Ninth Festival, the festival of high places, and the celebration of the long-lived
The Chongyang Festival (Double Ninth Festival) is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, marking the convergence of the auspicious yang number 9 and the autumn season.
Cinco de Mayo - what it actually commemorates and how it is observed in the US vs Mexico
Cinco de Mayo marks the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which a Mexican militia defeated a French force twice its size. In Mexico it is a regional civic holiday with most activity concentrated in Puebla; in the United States it has become a marketing-driven celebration of Mexican-American identity, food, and drink, often confused with Mexican Independence Day.
Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) - November 3, Japan's 1946 Constitution anniversary
Japan's Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) on November 3 commemorates the 1946 promulgation of the postwar Constitution on Emperor Meiji's birthday and was established as a national holiday in 1948. The day features the Order of Culture awards at the Imperial Palace and the rotating Bunka no Saiten national culture festival.
Dano - the Korean May fifth festival, where women rest on their husbands' backs and rice wine marks the day
Dano is a Korean festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Labour traditionally pauses, women rest on their husbands' backs, families play yutnori, and everyone drinks makgeolli rice wine - one of the five major holidays of the Korean calendar.
Day of the Dead - November 1-2, Mesoamerican origins, and how Mexico observes it
Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) on November 1-2 is a Mexican cultural holiday honoring deceased loved ones. Not a US federal holiday. Rooted in Mesoamerican and Catholic traditions. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2008).
Dragon Boat Festival - Duanwu, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, dragon boat races, and zongzi
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month is a Chinese festival commemorating the poet-statesman Qu Yuan (ca. 340-278 BC), observed with dragon boat races, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and hanging calamus and mugwort. A 3-day public holiday in mainland China.
Enkutatash - Ethiopian New Year on September 21, when the daisies bloom and the new year begins with a flatbread and a sheep
Enkutatash, the Ethiopian and Eritrean new year, falls on September 21 in the Ethiopian calendar. It is marked by the meskel daisy, a shared new-year meal, and the passing of the year from one generation to the next.
Fathers Day - third Sunday of June, US origins, and how it is observed
Fathers Day on the third Sunday of June is a US cultural holiday honoring fathers and father figures. Not a federal holiday. Established 1972 (federal recognition). Founded by Sonora Smart Dodd in 1910.
Ferragosto - August 15, the Italian summer holiday and its Roman roots
Italy's Ferragosto on August 15 is the high point of the Italian summer holiday season. The name derives from the Roman Feriae Augusti of 18 BC; the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of Mary was merged with the civic day from the 7th century onward.
Glastonbury Festival - the UK music festival in late June, and how it is observed
Glastonbury Festival is the largest greenfield music festival in the world, held annually near Pilton, Somerset, England in late June. Runs 5 days. Cultural + contemporary, not a religious or federal public holiday. Headline acts from across the music world.
Guy Fawkes Night - the Gunpowder Plot, Bonfire Night tradition, and UK observance on November 5
Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) is observed on November 5 in the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth, marking the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up the House of Lords. Celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, and the burning of "guys" (effigies).
Hangul Day in South Korea (Hangulnal) - October 9, the proclamation of the Korean alphabet
Hangul Day (한글날, Hangulnal) on October 9 is a South Korean national public holiday marking the 1446 proclamation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet, by King Sejong the Great. Originally a national holiday from 1945 to 1991, it was reinstated in 2013 after a 22-year lapse.
Hinamatsuri - the Japanese doll festival of March third, when tiered doll displays guard the girls of the household
Hinamatsuri is a Japanese festival on March 3 celebrating the health and happiness of young girls. Families display tiered Hinamatsuri dolls, and the day is also known as the Doll's Day or Girls' Day.
Japan Mountain Day - August 11, the 2014 addition to the national calendar
Japan's Mountain Day (Yama no Hi) on August 11 is a national public holiday established in 2014 and first observed in 2016. The day reflects Japan's deep cultural and spiritual relationship with its mountainous landscape.
Losar - the Tibetan and Bhutanese New Year that follows the Chinese one by a month
Losar is the Tibetan New Year, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, usually in February or March. In Bhutan it is a national public holiday marked by Bara Lachi dancing and the raising of a new prayer flag.
Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the Carnival season before Lent
Mardi Gras (literally "Fat Tuesday" in French) is the pre-Lenten Carnival on the day before Ash Wednesday, observed worldwide with parades, masquerade balls, and rich traditional foods. The New Orleans tradition is the most famous in the US; Carnival is observed worldwide on the local Fat Tuesday.
Marine Day (Umi no Hi) - third Monday of July, the Happy Monday system
Japan's Marine Day (Umi no Hi) on the third Monday of July was established in 1996 to give thanks to the ocean. Originally fixed on July 20, the date was moved to a Monday in 2003 under the Happy Monday reform. The day is the ocean counterpart to Mountain Day in Japan's natural-landscape holiday pair.
Matariki - the Maori New Year, the Pleiades, and the Matariki public holiday
Matariki is the Maori New Year, observed when the Pleiades star cluster (Matariki) rises in the New Zealand sky in late June or early July. It became a public holiday in New Zealand in 2022, observed on a Friday closest to the first rising of Matariki. The day is marked by remembrance of the dead, celebration of the present, and reflection on the year ahead.
May the Fourth - Star Wars Day, the pun holiday born from a London Evening News typo
Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You) on May 4 is a fan-recognised observance of the Star Wars franchise, anchored on a date-pun that circulated in political and tabloid contexts from the late 1970s and became a global commercial event in the 2010s through Lucasfilm and Disney.
Mid-Autumn Festival - the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, moon cakes, and how Asia observes it
Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu / Tết Trung Thu) falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Celebrated across China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Chinese diaspora with moon cakes, lanterns, and family reunions. Date moves between mid-September and early October in the solar calendar.
Mothers Day - second Sunday of May, Anna Jarvis origin, and how the US observes it
Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May is a US cultural holiday honoring mothers and motherhood. Not a federal holiday. Established 1914. One of the largest commercial gifting events of the US calendar. Originated by Anna Jarvis in 1908.
National Foundation Day in South Korea (Gaecheonjeol) - October 3, the mythic founding of Gojoseon
National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol, 개천절) on October 3 is a South Korean national public holiday marking the mythic founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE by Dangun. Established as a holiday in 1909 under Japanese rule and revived in 1949 by the ROK government.
National Pizza Day - February 9, US informal observance
National Pizza Day on February 9 is an informal US observance celebrating pizza. Not a public holiday. Observed with pizza-chain promotions and social media activity.
Notting Hill Carnival - the August Bank Holiday Caribbean festival in London
Notting Hill Carnival is the annual Caribbean-style carnival in west London, held on the August Bank Holiday weekend (last Sunday and Monday of August). Europes largest street festival. Cultural + Caribbean, not a religious or federal public holiday.
Nowruz - March 20-21, the Persian New Year on the spring equinox
Nowruz is the Persian / Iranian New Year on the spring equinox (March 20-21). Celebrated across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, parts of Iraq, Turkey, and the Kurdish regions. Rooted in Zoroastrian tradition. UN International Day of Nowruz.
Oktoberfest - the Munich beer festival, mid-September to early October, and how it is observed
Oktoberfest is the worlds largest folk festival, held annually in Munich, Bavaria from mid-September to the first Sunday in October. Runs 16-18 days. Public holiday in Munich on the first day. Cultural + beer festival, not a religious or federal holiday.
Pi Day - March 14, the math celebration
Pi Day on March 14 (3/14) celebrates the mathematical constant pi (π ≈ 3.14159). Observed informally worldwide on the date that matches pi's first digits. Not a public holiday.
Qingming - April 4 or 5, the Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day, ancestor veneration, and the Cold Food Festival
Qingming (also Tomb Sweeping Day) on April 4 or 5 is a Chinese festival of ancestor veneration, observed by sweeping graves, offering food, and burning paper money. A 3-day public holiday in mainland China, also observed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and the Chinese diaspora.
Running of the Bulls - the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, July 6-14
Running of the Bulls (Encierro) is part of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, held July 6-14 annually. Bull runs through the old town each morning. Cultural + regional, not a national public holiday.
Saint Andrew's Day - November 30, Scotland's national day, and the patron saint who fishermen invoked before they were Christian
Saint Andrew's Day on November 30 is Scotland's national day, commemorating the apostle Andrew who is said to have brought Christianity to the Slavs and Scots. It is a bank holiday in Scotland only and is observed with haggis suppers, ceilidhs, and the Saltire flag.
Sham el-Nessim - the Egyptian spring festival, the Monday after Easter when the Nile goes out and eggs are dyed
Sham el-Nessim is the Egyptian Coptic spring festival held on the Monday after Easter. Families dye and eat eggs, spend the whole holiday at the Nile or the coast, and celebrate the first warm days of spring.
Singles' Day - November 11, the world's largest shopping holiday and its origins in Chinese university culture
Singles' Day (Shuangshi, Guanggun Jie) on November 11 is a Chinese cultural and shopping holiday that began as an anti-Valentine's celebration among university students in the 1990s and has grown into the world's largest annual online retail event. Observed by Alibaba, JD.com, and increasingly by Western retailers; recognised in 60+ countries.
Songkran - Thai New Year water festival, April 13-15, and how Thailand observes it
Songkran is the Thai New Year water festival on April 13-15. Celebrated across Thailand, Laos (Pi Mai), Cambodia (Chaul Chnam Thmey), Myanmar (Thingyan), and the Shan / Dai / Tai diaspora. Public holiday in Thailand. Mass water-throwing tradition reflects Buddhist and Brahmanical roots.
Spring Bank Holiday - the last Monday of May in the UK, what it actually commemorates, and how it differs across Britain
The Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday of May is a UK public holiday distinct from the Early May Bank Holiday. It has no single fixed commemoration; it was created as a movable long-weekend in 1971 and currently falls on the Monday following Pentecost in the liturgical calendar.
St Patrick's Day - March 17, the Irish national saint, the dyed-green river, and the diaspora parades
St Patrick's Day on March 17 commemorates Saint Patrick (5th century), the patron saint of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. The day was originally a religious feast day; the cultural expansion (parades, wearing green, drinking) developed in the 19th century, particularly among the Irish diaspora in the US.
Summer Bank Holiday - the last Monday of August in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the first Monday in Scotland
The Summer Bank Holiday is the UK's late-summer public holiday. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland it falls on the last Monday of August; in Scotland it falls on the first Monday of August. It traditionally closes the British summer holiday season.
Towel Day - May 25, Douglas Adams tribute
Towel Day on May 25 honours the late author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Towel-carriers are a global fandom tradition since 2001. Not a public holiday.
World Backup Day - March 31, the data-protection reminder
World Backup Day on March 31 is an informal reminder to back up digital data before April 1. Founded in 2011 by digital strategist Maitham Al-Husaini. Not a public holiday.
World Photography Day - August 19, the daguerreotype anniversary
World Photography Day on August 19 marks the 1839 announcement of the daguerreotype process by the French Academy of Sciences. Observed worldwide with photography exhibitions and community events.
Yalda Night - the Persian winter solstice, the birth of Mithra, and the family vigil
Yalda Night is the Persian winter solstice celebration, observed on the longest night of the year (December 20-21). The festival marks the birth of Mithra, the ancient sun god, and the triumph of light over darkness.
April Fools Day - April 1, the global prank festival, its origin, and how it is observed
April Fools Day on April 1 is the informal western prank-and-joke tradition observed in many countries. First attested in the 1500s, with a US media tradition going back to the 1700s; now surfaces in newspapers, brands, and online platforms worldwide. Not a public holiday.
Beltane - the Gaelic May Day, the fires of purification, and the union of earth and sky
Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival, observed on April 30-May 1 in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival marks the beginning of summer and the union of the Earth Mother and Sky Father, with the lighting of bonfires, the Maypole dance, and the symbolic protection of livestock as they are moved to summer pastures.
Boun Bang Fai - the Lao Rocket Festival, the celebration of the rains, and the rocket competitions of Southeast Asia
Boun Bang Fai (the Rocket Festival) is a traditional Lao festival celebrated in May or June, marking the beginning of the rainy season and the start of the rice-growing season. The festival is observed with the firing of homemade rockets (bang fai), which are believed to encourage the rain gods to send the rains needed for the rice crop.
Imbolc - the Gaelic beginning of spring, the festival of Brigid, and the returning light
Imbolc is the Gaelic beginning of spring, observed on February 1-2 in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival marks the midpoint of winter and the first signs of spring, and is associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid and her role as patron of poetry, healing, and smithcraft.
Litha - the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the summer solstice, the longest day, and the power of the sun
Litha is the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the summer solstice, observed around June 20-22 in the Northern Hemisphere. The festival marks the longest day of the year and the point at which the sun is at its maximum power, associated with the triumph of light over darkness and the peak of the growing season.
Lughnasadh - the Gaelic beginning of autumn, the festival of Lugh, and the first harvest
Lughnasadh is the Gaelic beginning of autumn, observed on August 1 in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival marks the beginning of the harvest season and is associated with the god Lugh, the sun god and patron of skill and craftsmanship.
Mabon - the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the autumnal equinox, the second harvest, and the descent into darkness
Mabon is the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the autumnal equinox, observed around September 22-23 in the Northern Hemisphere. The festival marks the point in the year when day and night are of equal length, and the beginning of the autumn season.
NAIDOC Week - the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
NAIDOC Week is an annual celebration of the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, held every July.
Ostara - the Wiccan and Germanic celebration of the vernal equinox, the spring goddess, and the rebirth of the year
Ostara is the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the vernal equinox, observed around March 20-21 in the Northern Hemisphere. The festival marks the point in the year when day and night are of equal length, and the beginning of the spring season.
Raksha Bandhan - the Hindu festival of sibling bonds, observed on the full moon of Shravan
Raksha Bandhan (literally "the bond of protection") is a Hindu festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters, observed on the full moon (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Shravan (July-August). Sisters tie a protective thread (rakhi) on their brothers' wrists; brothers pledge to protect. Observed across India, Nepal, and the Hindu diaspora.
Samhain - the Gaelic beginning of winter, the festival of the dead, and the source of Halloween
Samhain is the Gaelic beginning of winter, observed on October 31-November 1 in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and is the traditional time when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest.
Talk Like a Pirate Day - September 19, the internet-originated observance
Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19 is an international informal observance created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy) in Albany, Oregon. Promoted to a public event in 2002 after a syndicated columnist's mention. Not a public holiday; observed online and at themed events.
Yule - the Wiccan and Germanic celebration of the winter solstice, the rebirth of the sun, and the longest night of the year
Yule is the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan celebration of the winter solstice, observed around December 20-23 in the Northern Hemisphere. The festival marks the longest night of the year and the point at which the days begin to lengthen again, associated with the rebirth of the sun and the return of light.