Major Foreign Holidays

January -- Australia Day on the last Monday in Australia's calendar

January 1 -- New Year's Day throughout the Western world and in India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand; founding of Republic of China (Taiwan)

January 2 -- Berchtoldstag in Switzerland

January 3 -- Genshi-Sai (First Beginning) in Japan

January 5 -- Twelfth Night (Wassail Eve or Eve of Epiphany) in England

January 6 -- Epiphany, observed by Catholics throughout Europe and Latin America

mid-January -- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, birthday on the third Monday in the Virgin Islands

January 15 -- Adults' Day in Japan

January 20 -- St. Agnes Eve in Great Britain

January 26 -- Republic Day in India

January-February -- Chinese New Year and Vietnamese New Year (Tet)

February -- Hamstrom on the first Sunday in Switzerland

February 3 -- Setsubun (Bean-throwing Festival) in Japan

February 5 -- Promulgation of the Constitution Day in Mexico

February 6 -- New Zealand Day in New Zealand

February 11 -- National Foundation Day in Japan

February 27 -- Independence Day in the Dominican Republic

March 1 -- Independence Movement Day in Korea; Constitution Day in Panama

March 8 -- International Women's Day in U.N. member nations

March 17 -- St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and Northern Ireland

March 19 -- St. Joseph's Day in Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, and Spain

March 21 -- Benito Juarez's Birthday in Mexico

March 22 -- Arab League Day in Arab League countries

March 23 -- Pakistan Day in Pakistan

March 25 -- Independence Day in Greece; Lady Day (Quarter Day) in Great Britain

March 26 -- Fiesta del Arbol (Arbor Day) in Spain

March 29 -- Youth and Martyrs' Day in Taiwan

March 30 -- Muslim New Year in Indonesia

March-April -- Carnival/Lent/Easter: The pre-Lenten celebration of Carnival (Mardi Gras) and the post-Lenten celebration of Easter are movable feasts widely observed in Christian countries.

April 1 -- Victory Day in Spain; April Fools' Day (All Fools' Day) in Great Britain

April 5 -- Arbor Day in Korea

April 6 -- Van Riebeeck Day in South Africa

April 7 -- World Health Day in U.N. member nations

April 8 -- Buddha's Birthday in Korea and Japan; Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival) in Japan

April 14 -- Pan American Day in the Americas

April 19 -- Declaration of Independence Day in Venezuela

April 22 -- Queen Isabella Day in Spain

April 23 -- St. George's Day in England

April 25 -- Liberation Day in Italy; ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand

April 26 -- Union Day in Tanzania

April 29 -- Emperor's Birthday in Japan

April 30 -- Queen's Birthday in The Netherlands; Walpurgis Night in Germany and Scandinavia

April-May -- Independence Day in Israel

May -- Constitution Day on first Monday in Japan

May 1 -- May Day-Labor Day in the Commonwealth of Independent States and most of Europe and Latin America

May 5 -- Children's Day in Japan and Korea; Victory of General Zaragosa Day in Mexico; Liberation Day in The Netherlands

May 8 -- V-E Day in Europe

May 9 -- Victory over Fascism Day in the Commonwealth of Independent States

May 14 -- Independence Day in Paraguay

May 31 -- Republic Day in South Africa

June 2 -- Founding of the Republic Day in Italy

June 5 -- Constitution Day in Denmark; World Environment Day in U.N. member nations

June 6 -- Memorial Day in Korea; Flag Day in Sweden

June 8 -- Muhammad's Birthday in Indonesia

June 10 -- Portugal Day in Portugal

June 12 -- Republic Day in the Commonwealth of Independent States; Independence Day in the Philippines

mid-June -- Queen's Official Birthday on second Saturday in Great Britain; Midsummer Celebrations in Sweden

June 16 -- Soweto Day in U.N. member nations

June 20 -- Flag Day in Argentina

June 29 -- Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Peru, Spain, Vatican City, and Venezuela

July 1 -- Half-year Holiday in Hong Kong; Bank Holiday in Taiwan; Dominion Day in Canada

July 5 -- Independence Day in Venezuela

July 9 -- Independence Day in Argentina

July 10 -- Bon (Feast of Fortune) in Japan

July 12 -- Orangemen's Day in Northern Ireland

July 14 -- Bastille Day in France

mid-July -- Feria de San Fermin during second week in Spain

July 17 -- Constitution Day in Korea

July 18 -- National Day in Spain

July 20 -- Independence Day in Colombia

July 21-22 -- National Holiday in Belgium

July 22 -- National Liberation Day in Poland

July 24 -- Simon Bolivar's Birthday in Ecuador and Venezuela

July 25 -- St. James Day in Spain

July 28-29 -- Independence Day in Peru

August -- Bank Holiday on first Monday in Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Malawi; Discovery Day on first Monday in Trinidad and Tobago; Independence Day on first Tuesday in Jamaica

August 1 -- Lammas Day in England; National Day in Switzerland

August 9 -- National Day in Singapore

August 10 -- Independence Day in Ecuador

August 14 -- Independence Day in Pakistan

August 15 -- Independence Day in India and Korea; Assumption Day in Catholic countries

August 16 -- National Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic

August 17 -- Independence Day in Indonesia

August 31 -- Independence Day in Trinidad and Tobago

September -- Rose of Tralee Festival in Ireland

September 7 -- Independence Day in Brazil

September 9 -- Choxo-no-Sekku (Chrysanthemum Day) in Japan

September 14 -- Battle of San Jacinto Day in Nicaragua

mid-September -- Sherry Wine Harvest in Spain

September 15 -- Independence Day in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua; Respect for the Aged Day in Japan

September 16 -- Independence Day in Mexico and Papua New Guinea

September 18-19 -- Independence Day in Chile

September 28 -- Confucius' Birthday in Taiwan

October -- Thanksgiving Day in Canada on second Monday; Kruger Day in South Africa during second week

October 1 -- National Day in People's Republic of China; Armed Forces Day in Korea; National Holiday in Nigeria

October 2 -- National Day in People's Republic of China; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday in India

October 3 -- National Day in the Federal Republic of Germany; National Foundation Day in Korea

October 5 -- Republic Day in Portugal

October 9 -- Korean Alphabet Day in Korea

October 10 -- Founding of Republic of China in Taiwan

October 12 -- Columbus Day in Spain and widely throughout Latin America

October 19 -- Ascension of Muhammad Day in Indonesia

October 20 -- Revolution Day in Guatemala; Kenyatta Day in Kenya

October 24 -- United Nations Day in U.N. member nations

October 26 -- National Holiday in Australia

October 28 -- Greek National Day in Greece

November 1 -- All Saints' Day, observed by Catholics in most countries

November 2 -- All Souls' Day in Ecuador, El Salvador, Luxembourg, Macao, Mexico, San Marino, Uruguay, and Vatican City

November 3 -- Culture Day in Japan

November 4 -- National Unity Day in Italy

November 5 -- Guy Fawkes Day in Great Britain

November 11 -- Armistice Day in Belgium, French Guiana, and Tahiti; Veterans Day in France; Remembrance Day in Canada and Bermuda

November 12 -- Sun Yat-sen's Birthday in Taiwan

November 15 -- Proclamation of the Republic Day in Brazil

November 19 -- National Holiday in Monaco

November 20 -- Anniversary of the Revolution in Mexico

November 23 -- Kinro-Kansha-No-Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) in Japan

November 30 -- National Heroes' Day in the Philippines

December 5 -- Discovery by Columbus Day in Haiti

December 6 -- Independence Day in Finland

December 8 -- Feast of the Immaculate Conception, widely observed in Catholic countries

December 10 -- Constitution Day in Thailand; Human Rights Day in U.N. member nations

mid-December -- Nine Days of Posada during third week in Mexico

December 25 Christmas Day, widely observed in all Christian countries

December 26 -- St. Stephen's Day in Austria, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, San Marino, and Switzerland; Boxing Day in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

December 28 -- National Day in Nepal

December 31 -- New Year's Eve throughout the world; Omisoka (Grand Last Day) in Japan; Hogmanay Day in Scotland