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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 17 briefs in Jan.
Clear filtersFederal holiday(4)
Australia Day - January 26, the national day from 1788 to contested modern observance
Australia Day on January 26 is the national day of Australia, marking the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson. A public holiday in every state and territory; civic ceremonies, Australia Day Honours, citizenship ceremonies, and the Australian of the Year announcement. Increasingly contested as a public observance since the 2010s.
Inauguration Day - January 20 every four years, the swearing-in of the US President and Vice President
Inauguration Day on January 20 every fourth year is the day on which the President and Vice President of the United States are sworn in, beginning a new presidential term. It is a federal public holiday only in the District of Columbia and the immediate surrounding area, but it is observed ceremonially across the country.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - third Monday of January, federal holiday since 1986
Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January is a US federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader. Established in 1983 (effective 1986), it is one of 11 federal holidays under 5 U.S.C. 6103. The most recent federal holiday before Juneteenth in 2021.
Republic Day - January 26, the Indian Constitution coming into force, and how India observes it
Republic Day on January 26 marks the date in 1950 when the Constitution of India came into force, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document. A national public holiday in India, observed with a military parade in New Delhi.
Civic memorial(0)
Cultural celebration(5)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Religious observance(3)
Galungan - the Balinese day of dharma's return, and the 210-day pawukon cycle
Galungan is the Balinese Hindu festival marking the return of dharma after Bhatara Guru's descent into the underworld. It always falls on a Wednesday and recurs on a 210-day pawukon cycle, so Bali sees it roughly twice a Gregorian year.
Epiphany (Three Kings Day) - January 6, the bigger gift-giving day in Spain and Latin America
Epiphany (Día de los Reyes Magos) on January 6 commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. In Spain and most of Latin America it is the bigger gift-giving day, marked by the Cabalgata de Reyes parade on January 5 and the Roscón de Reyes cake.
Pongal - the Tamil harvest festival, the four days of Pongal, and Mattu Pongal
Pongal is a four-day Tamil harvest festival celebrated in mid-January to mark the end of the winter solstice and the harvest of the rice crop. Observed primarily in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora worldwide, the festival honours the Sun God (Surya), the rain god (Indra), and the cattle that enable the harvest.
International observance(5)
New Year - January 1, the Gregorian calendar New Year, origins, and how it is observed worldwide
New Year on January 1 marks the start of the Gregorian calendar year. A federal public holiday in most countries, observed with midnight countdown, family gatherings, fireworks, and resolutions. Replaced older regional new years over the 16th-20th centuries.
International Day of Education - January 24, the UN day for global education
International Day of Education on January 24 is the UN International Day celebrating education as a fundamental human right and global public good. Established by UNGA Resolution 73/25 in 2019, marked by UNESCO. Not a public holiday.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27, UN day since 2005
International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 is a United Nations day of memorial established in 2005 marking the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Observed annually in UN member states with ceremonies, educational programmes, and moments of silence. Not a public holiday.
World Braille Day - January 4, the UN day for Louis Braille and accessible literacy
World Braille Day on January 4 is the UN International Day recognizing the importance of Braille as a means of communication for blind and partially sighted people. Established in 2019 by UNGA Resolution 73/161, marks the 1809 birthday of Louis Braille. Not a public holiday.
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day - January 30, WHO observance launched in 2020
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on January 30 is a WHO observance launched in 2020 to mobilise action against diseases that affect more than one billion people. The date marks the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs. Each year the WHO publishes a flagship progress report. Not a public holiday.