How is Easter Sunday calculated?

Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (21 March). We use the Gauss/Butcher algorithm, based on the 19-year lunar cycle (Metonic cycle) and 400-year solar cycle. It matches the ecclesiastical Easter used by all Western churches. Maundy Thursday is two days before, Good Friday one day before, Easter Monday one day after. Ascension is 39 days after Easter Sunday, Pentecost 49 days after.

Are Saturday and Sunday holidays?

The tool lists only public holidays (red days), not ordinary weekend days. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark Sundays are technically "holy days" by law, but since every Sunday counts we exclude them. In several countries (UK, US) only weekdays are marked as bank holidays. If a fixed holiday like 17 May falls on a Sunday, it stays on 17 May with no substitute day in Norway. In the UK, bank holidays get bumped to the nearest Monday.

Are local or regional holidays included?

No, the tool lists national holidays only. In Germany some states have extra days (Fronleichnam, Reformationstag), Switzerland varies by canton, and Spain’s autonomous regions have their own fiestas locales. Municipal saint’s days or town festivals are not included either. School holidays are not public holidays and are listed separately in school-year calendars.

Can I compute holidays far into the past or future?

Yes, the field accepts years from 1900 to 2100. The Easter algorithm (Gauss/Butcher) is valid for the entire Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582, so the maths works far beyond this range. Note that political changes (Norway no longer marking Liberation Day 8 May as a public holiday, or the introduction of Boxing Day 26 December) can affect historical listings.

Norwegian Public Holidays & Red Days Calendar

How it works

Here you can find an overview of public holidays for various countries. Select a country and year to view the list. Movable holidays are calculated automatically based on the Easter algorithm or national rules.

About this tool

Holidays shows public and bank holidays for a selected country and year. Choose between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Movable feasts (Easter, Ascension, Pentecost) are calculated automatically from Easter Sunday using the Gauss/Butcher algorithm, while fixed dates (New Year, Christmas, national days) always land on the same date. Useful for payroll, holiday planning, shift schedules and to check whether a deadline falls on a public holiday.

How to use it

Pick a country from the dropdown. The default matches your language (Norway for Norwegian, the UK for British English, etc.).
Choose the year. Use the plus/minus buttons to step one year forward or back.
Review the list of date, weekday and holiday name. Movable feasts carry a "movable" tag.
Cross-check against payroll calendars, holiday plans or rota. All dates are computed locally with no network calls.

Examples

Norwegian public holidays 2026

InputNO, 2026

Output

01.01 New Year's Day, 29.03 Palm Sunday, 02.04 Maundy Thursday, 03.04 Good Friday, 05.04 Easter Sunday, 06.04 Easter Monday, 01.05 Labour Day, 14.05 Ascension Day, 17.05 Constitution Day, 24.05 Whit Sunday, 25.05 Whit Monday, 25.12 Christmas Day, 26.12 Boxing Day

Easter falls early in 2026 (5 April), so Ascension and Pentecost also fall early.

Compare Norwegian Constitution Day and Bastille Day

InputNO 2026 vs FR 2026

OutputNorway: 17.05 Constitution Day (Sunday). France: 14.07 Fête nationale (Tuesday).

Fixed national days always fall on the same date, but the weekday rotates from year to year.

Common use cases

Payroll teams calculating holiday premiums and red days on rota plans.
Project managers setting milestones who want to avoid deliveries on a public holiday.
Shift and roster planners in healthcare, transport and manufacturing.
Travel and event planners checking when shops and offices are closed.
Bookkeepers and accountants who need payment deadlines and banking days.

Frequently asked questions

How is Easter Sunday calculated?: Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (21 March). We use the Gauss/Butcher algorithm, based on the 19-year lunar cycle (Metonic cycle) and 400-year solar cycle. It matches the ecclesiastical Easter used by all Western churches. Maundy Thursday is two days before, Good Friday one day before, Easter Monday one day after. Ascension is 39 days after Easter Sunday, Pentecost 49 days after.
Are Saturday and Sunday holidays?: The tool lists only public holidays (red days), not ordinary weekend days. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark Sundays are technically "holy days" by law, but since every Sunday counts we exclude them. In several countries (UK, US) only weekdays are marked as bank holidays. If a fixed holiday like 17 May falls on a Sunday, it stays on 17 May with no substitute day in Norway. In the UK, bank holidays get bumped to the nearest Monday.
Are local or regional holidays included?: No, the tool lists national holidays only. In Germany some states have extra days (Fronleichnam, Reformationstag), Switzerland varies by canton, and Spain’s autonomous regions have their own fiestas locales. Municipal saint’s days or town festivals are not included either. School holidays are not public holidays and are listed separately in school-year calendars.
Can I compute holidays far into the past or future?: Yes, the field accepts years from 1900 to 2100. The Easter algorithm (Gauss/Butcher) is valid for the entire Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582, so the maths works far beyond this range. Note that political changes (Norway no longer marking Liberation Day 8 May as a public holiday, or the introduction of Boxing Day 26 December) can affect historical listings.

Technical background

Movable feasts are computed with the Gauss/Butcher algorithm for Easter Sunday in the Gregorian calendar: G = year mod 19, C = year div 100, H = (C − C div 4 − (8·C + 13) div 25 + 19·G + 15) mod 30, I = H − (H div 28)·(1 − (29 div (H+1))·((21−G) div 11)), J = (year + year div 4 + I + 2 − C + C div 4) mod 7, L = I − J, month = 3 + (L + 40) div 44, day = L + 28 − 31·(month div 4). From this: Maundy Thursday = Easter − 3, Good Friday = Easter − 2, Easter Monday = Easter + 1, Ascension = Easter + 39, Pentecost = Easter + 49, Whit Monday = Easter + 50. Fixed dates (New Year, May Day, national days, Christmas) use calendar dates. Country lists are keyed by ISO 3166 alpha-2 code. All computation happens client-side in the toolkit library, with no server or network calls.