Every public holiday across 14 Asian markets in 2026, from the 17 February Lunar New Year to the 25 December close, with the dates payroll teams, travelers, and remote workers actually need.
The Asian public holiday calendar is not one calendar but four overlapping ones: the Gregorian solar year, the Chinese lunar year, the Islamic lunar year, and a layer of national civic days unique to each country. For the company running payroll across the region, the traveler timing a trip, or the remote worker coordinating with an Asian team, the practical problem is that the three biggest closures, Lunar New Year, Eid al Fitr, and Golden Week, all fall in the first half of 2026, and two of them move every year. This guide lays out all 14 markets we track most, with the confirmed 2026 dates and the caveats on the lunar ones.
One framing note before the dates. The single largest disruption to business across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea is Lunar New Year, which in 2026 falls on 17 February, opening the Year of the Horse. Factories in mainland China close for a full week and many workers travel home for longer, so supply chains slow from 14 February through the end of the month. If you are planning a launch, a shipment, or a hiring start date, route it clear of that window. The Asia continent guide walks the regional picture, and the cost of living 2026 report covers the price context.
Four moveable observances drive most of the cross border disruption. Knowing the 2026 dates for these four resolves the majority of planning conflicts before you look at any single country.
| Observance | 2026 date | Markets affected |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar New Year | 17 February | China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea |
| Eid al Fitr | 20 to 21 March | Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia |
| Eid al Adha | 27 May | Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia |
| Vesak or Buddha Day | 31 May to 1 June | Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia |
The Islamic dates carry a caveat that matters. Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha depend on the sighting of the moon, so the official date in any given country can shift by a day in either direction and is usually confirmed only days ahead. Treat 20 to 21 March and 27 May as the working assumption, then confirm with the local authority closer to the date. The lunar new year and Buddhist dates are computed and stable.
Japan runs 16 national holidays in 2026, the most of any market here, and clusters three of them into Golden Week. The fixed points: New Year on 1 January, Coming of Age Day on 12 January, National Foundation Day on 11 February, the Emperor's Birthday on 23 February, Showa Day on 29 April, then Constitution Day on 3 May, Greenery Day on 4 May, and Children's Day on 5 May, which together with the surrounding weekend gives most of the country a continuous break. Marine Day falls on 20 July, Mountain Day on 11 August, Respect for the Aged Day on 21 September, Sports Day on 12 October, Culture Day on 3 November, and Labor Thanksgiving on 23 November. The Tokyo city profile and the Japan country page walk the wider picture, and the Tokyo cost of living report covers prices during the peak Golden Week travel surge.
China observes seven statutory holidays, several of which the government extends into longer breaks with adjusted working weekends. New Year is 1 January, Spring Festival runs the week of 16 to 22 February surrounding the 17 February Lunar New Year, Qingming Tomb Sweeping falls on 4 to 6 April, Labour Day on 1 May, the Dragon Boat Festival on 19 June, Mid Autumn on 25 September, and National Day from 1 to 7 October, the second great travel week of the year. The Beijing and Shanghai profiles and the China country page walk the detail.
Hong Kong keeps 17 general holidays, blending the Gregorian, Chinese, and Christian calendars: New Year, Lunar New Year on 17 to 19 February, Ching Ming on 5 April, Good Friday on 3 April, Easter Monday on 6 April, Labour Day, Buddha's Birthday on 24 May, Tuen Ng on 19 June, the establishment day on 1 July, Mid Autumn on 26 September, National Day on 1 October, Chung Yeung on 18 October, and Christmas. Taiwan runs New Year, a long Lunar New Year break from 16 to 20 February, the 228 Peace Memorial Day on 28 February, Tomb Sweeping on 4 to 5 April, Dragon Boat on 19 June, Mid Autumn on 25 September, and the Double Ten national day on 10 October. The Hong Kong and Taipei profiles cover the local rhythm.
South Korea anchors its year on two lunar holidays. Seollal, the lunar new year, runs 16 to 18 February in 2026, and Chuseok, the autumn harvest festival, runs from 24 to 26 September. Alongside those sit the Independence Movement Day on 1 March, Children's Day on 5 May, Buddha's Birthday on 24 May, Memorial Day on 6 June, Liberation Day on 15 August, National Foundation Day on 3 October, Hangeul Day on 9 October, and Christmas. The Seoul city profile and the South Korea country page walk the detail, and the Seoul cost of living report covers the Chuseok travel surge.
Singapore observes 11 public holidays in 2026, the most religiously balanced calendar in the region: New Year, Lunar New Year on 17 to 18 February, Good Friday on 3 April, Hari Raya Puasa on 20 March, Labour Day, Vesak Day on 31 May, Hari Raya Haji on 27 May, National Day on 9 August, Deepavali on 8 November, and Christmas. Malaysia adds federal layers on top of state ones: alongside the shared Islamic and Chinese dates, it marks the Agong's birthday on 1 June, Merdeka on 31 August, and Malaysia Day on 16 September. The Singapore and Kuala Lumpur profiles walk the local read, and the Kuala Lumpur vs Singapore comparison covers the relocation choice.
Thailand runs New Year, Makha Bucha on 3 March, the Songkran water festival on 13 to 15 April, which is the country's largest closure, Visakha Bucha in late May, Chulalongkorn Day on 23 October, the King's Birthday on 5 December, and Constitution Day on 10 December. Vietnam centers on Tet, the lunar new year, which runs 16 to 20 February and slows the entire country for a week, plus Hung Kings Commemoration on 26 April, Reunification Day on 30 April, Labour Day, and National Day on 2 September. The Bangkok, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City profiles cover the detail.
Indonesia carries the busiest religious calendar: New Year, the Balinese day of silence Nyepi on 19 March, Eid al Fitr on 20 to 21 March with a long government extension, Pancasila Day on 1 June, Eid al Adha on 27 May, Independence Day on 17 August, and Christmas. Nyepi is unique to Bali and shuts the island down completely for 24 hours, including the airport. The Philippines runs New Year, Holy Week with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on 2 to 3 April, Araw ng Kagitingan on 9 April, Labour Day, Independence Day on 12 June, National Heroes Day on 31 August, Bonifacio Day on 30 November, Rizal Day on 30 December, and Christmas. The Bali, Jakarta, and Manila profiles walk the read, and the is Bali safe in 2026 guide covers the Nyepi shutdown for travelers.
India layers national holidays over a vast set of regional and religious ones, but four are observed nationwide: Republic Day on 26 January, Independence Day on 15 August, Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October, and the major festivals. Holi falls on 3 to 4 March, Diwali on 8 November, and the two Eids track the regional Islamic dates. Because India's holiday list varies by state, payroll teams should confirm the local calendar for each office. The Mumbai and Delhi profiles and the India country page walk the detail.
The Gulf calendar runs on the Islamic year plus a short list of civic days. The UAE observes New Year, Eid al Fitr on 20 to 22 March, Arafat Day and Eid al Adha on 26 to 28 May, the Islamic New Year on 16 June, the Prophet's Birthday on 25 August, Commemoration Day on 1 December, and National Day on 2 and 3 December. Saudi Arabia centers on Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, and Saudi National Day on 23 September, with Founding Day on 22 February. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi profiles and the UAE country page walk the read, and the UAE Golden Visa 2026 guide covers the residence pathway.
Three windows account for most of the regional disruption in 2026: Lunar New Year on 17 February across East Asia, Eid al Fitr on 20 March across the Muslim majority markets, and Japan's Golden Week from 3 to 5 May. Route shipments, launches, and start dates clear of these, and confirm every Islamic date with the local authority because the moon sighting can move it a day.
For the remote worker or the company building an Asian team, the deeper read is that the holiday calendar is a real cost input, not a footnote. A team split across Tokyo, Singapore, and Mumbai will lose overlapping working days to three different sets of holidays, and the February to May stretch is the densest. The best month to visit tool returns the optimal travel window for any single city about these dates, and the best digital nomad visas 2026 guide covers the visa side for the worker basing in the region. The Asia medical tourism 2026 guide covers a related planning question for the longer stay.
School calendars add a second layer the relocating family should map early. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan run an April to March academic year, China and Hong Kong run September to July, and the international schools across Singapore, Bangkok, and Dubai mostly follow an August to June Northern Hemisphere calendar. That mismatch means a mid year move can drop a child into the wrong term, so families weighting a 2026 relocation should align the move date with the destination's school start rather than the home one. The cities for international schools ranking and the relocating with children guide walk the timing in detail.
Finally, a note on data. These dates reflect the calendars published by each national authority as of May 2026. The fixed Gregorian and computed lunar dates are stable; the Islamic dates depend on the moon and are confirmed locally closer to the day. We refresh this calendar each quarter against the official gazettes, and the next update ships in August 2026. For the city by city cost and lifestyle context behind any destination here, the cheapest cities in Asia ranking and the safest cities in Asia ranking are the place to start.
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