HolidayCalendar.ca

About HolidayCalendar.ca

One calendar for every holiday in Canada: the statutory paid days off for each province and territory, the optional and widely observed days, and the holidays of the faiths and communities that make up the country. Built for workers checking their next day off, for employers and schedulers planning around their teams, and for anyone who wants to understand and respect a day that matters to a neighbour.

Frequently asked

Does all of Canada have the same statutory holidays?

Each province and territory sets its own list under its employment standards law, and federally regulated workplaces follow the Canada Labour Code. Only five are paid days off everywhere in Canada: New Year's Day, Good Friday (or Easter Monday in Quebec), Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day. Pick your province to see its full list.

What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend?

In most provinces, if a statutory holiday falls on a day you would not normally work, you get a substitute paid day off, usually the next working day. Most workplaces move the day to the following Monday (or Tuesday when two holidays fall on a weekend). Quebec is an exception: its holidays don't move, but you get a compensatory day off. Each province page explains its exact rule.

Why do some holidays move each year?

Many religious calendars are lunar or lunisolar. The Islamic calendar is purely lunar, so Ramadan and the Eids arrive about 11 days earlier each year. The Hebrew, Hindu and Chinese calendars add a leap month periodically, so their holidays drift within a window of about a month. Easter is set by the first full moon after the spring equinox.

Why do some dates say "approximate"?

Islamic dates depend on the sighting of the new moon and may shift by a day. Several Hindu and Buddhist dates vary by region and tradition. We update these as communities confirm them.

What does "starts at sundown" mean?

Jewish and Islamic days begin at sunset. A holiday shown on a given date actually begins the evening before. We shade the eve on the calendar so you can plan around it.

Who runs this site, and where does the data come from?

Statutory holiday lists come from each province's and territory's employment standards office and the Government of Canada. Religious and cultural dates are compiled from community and interfaith calendars. This is an independent reference, not a government service.

Categories

StatutoryPaid public holidays under your province’s or territory’s employment standards law. Most workers get the day off with holiday pay.
Optional / variesWidely observed but not a statutory holiday where you are. Whether you get the day off depends on your employer.
ChristianFeasts and seasons of the Christian liturgical year, Western and Eastern.
JewishHolidays of the Hebrew calendar. Most begin at sundown the evening before the date shown.
MuslimObservances of the Islamic lunar calendar. Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year and depend on moon sighting.
HinduFestivals of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Regional traditions vary.
SikhGurpurabs and festivals of the Sikh Nanakshahi calendar.
BuddhistObservances across Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. Dates vary by tradition.
IndigenousDays recognising First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, histories and cultures.
CulturalWidely celebrated cultural and seasonal days that are not tied to a single religion.

Sources: each province’s and territory’s employment standards office (linked on every province page), the Government of Canada (Canada Labour Code), and community and interfaith calendars for religious observances. Category icons by Font Awesome (CC BY 4.0). Spotted a date that's off? Let us know and we'll fix it.