In Belgium, there are ten official public holidays. Other particular days are also celebrated, but these are not official public holidays and employers are not obliged to give their employees a day off. However, some employers do award a day's holiday in accordance with union.
Public holidays Date Name English Dutch French German 1 January (fixed) New Year's Day 23 March – 26 April(floating Monday using Computus) Easter Monday 1 May(fixed) Labour Day 40 days after Easter(floating Thursday) Ascension Day 50 days after Easter(floating Monday) Whit Monday 21 July(fixed) National Day 15 August (fixed) Assumption Day 1 November (fixed) All Saints' Day 11 November (fixed) Armistice Day 25 December (fixed) Christmas Day
In addition to the above, the same legal text names all Sundays as public holidays (which is why Easter and Pentecost, which always fall on Sundays, are "feasted" by extending the Sunday holiday to the following Monday).
Particular days celebrated in Belgium that are not official public holidays
Holiday Date Location Dutch French GermanEpiphany6 JanuaryNationalDriekoningenÉpiphanieErscheinung des HerrnValentine's Day14 FebruaryNationalValentijnsdagSaint-ValentinValentinstagVeterans Day7 AprilNationalVeteranendagJournée des Vétérans Veteranentag Iris Festival8 MayBrussels-Capital RegionIrisfeestFête de l'IrisIris-FestivalDay of the Flemish Community11 JulyFlemish CommunityFeest van de Vlaamse GemeenschapFête de la Communauté flamandeFeiertag der Flämischen GemeinschaftMeyboom9 AugustBrussels-Capital RegionMeyboomMeyboomMeyboomFrench Community Holiday27 SeptemberFrench CommunityDag van de Franse GemeenschapFête de la Communauté françaiseFeiertag der Französischen GemeinschaftDay of the Walloon Regionthird Sunday of SeptemberWallonia Feest van het Waalse GewestFête de la Région wallonneFesttag der Wallonischen RegionHalloween31 OctoberNationalHalloweenHalloweenHalloweenAll Souls' Day2 NovemberNationalAllerzielenJour des mortsAllerseelenSaint Martin's Day11 NovemberOstbelgien, parts of FlandersSint-MaartenSaint-MartinSankt MartinDay of the German-speaking Community15 NovemberOstbelgienDag van de Duitstalige GemeenschapFête de la Communauté germanophoneTag der Deutschsprachigen GemeinschaftKing's FeastNationalKoningsdagFête du RoiFesttag des KönigsSaint Verhaegen20 NovemberBrussels-Capital RegionSint-VerhaegenSaint-VerhaegenSankt VerhaegenSaint Nicholas Day6 DecemberNationalSinterklaasSaint-NicolasSankt NikolausSecond Day of Christmas26 DecemberNationalTweede kerstdagLendemain de Noël2. Weihnachtstag
The days of the three communities are holidays for their civil servants and for employees of institutions controlled, supervised or financed by them (e.g. municipalities, universities) and may also be observed by banks in the community concerned. King's Feast is a holiday observed by all (i.e. federal, community or regional, provincial and local) administrations, including some of the schools they organize.
See also Public holidays in the Netherlands Public holidays in France Public holidays in the European Union
References