7 countries with the most public holidays

People enjoy public holidays as it’s a great time to spend with family no matter the celebration. Picture: Unsplash

People enjoy public holidays as it’s a great time to spend with family no matter the celebration. Picture: Unsplash

Published Aug 25, 2022

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It’s no secret that as South Africans we love our public holidays and long weekends. Contrary to popular belief, we are not in the running of countries with the most public holidays, and after September we will have used up all our free days until “The Big Days” in December.

As the rest of the world patiently waits for a four-day working week from the powers that be, here is a list of countries with the most public holidays.

The list was compiled by researchers from holiday car rental experts StressFreeCarRental.com.

1. Myanmar – 30

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma). A mix of British colonial architecture, modern high-rises and gilded Buddhist pagodas define its skyline. Picture: Unsplash

At the top of the list with the highest number of public holidays is Myanmar. Here, you can receive a full month’s worth of paid free days in a year to celebrate different holidays.

One of the biggest occasions in Myanmar is the water festival, Thingyan, in the middle of April, which is also the hottest time of the year.

2. Sri Lanka – 29

Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. Picture: Unsplash

Sri Lanka offers its workers 29 public holidays per year. Their public holiday calendar is filled with Poya holidays, which occur every full moon, thus they have at least one day off per month.

They commemorate significant Buddhist events, and during Poya, the sale of alcohol, meat and fish is forbidden.

3. Iran and Nepal – 27

Kashan is a city in the northern part of Isfahan province, Iran. It is known for Persian architecture and the manufacture of carpets, silk and other textiles. Picture: Unsplash

The third place is shared between two countries, Iran and Nepal. Novruz, or the Iranian new year, is celebrated for two weeks in the spring.

An interesting fact about the public holidays in Nepal is that there is a day off dedicated solely for women.

The Haritalika Teej festival is a day when Nepalese Hindu women all around the country fast, worship Lord Shiva, sing, and dance.

4. Azerbaijan – 25

Baku, the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan, is a low-lying city with coastline along the Caspian Sea. Picture: Unsplash

Azerbaijanis also celebrate Novruz, which is the Persian New Year that marks the beginning of spring. By law, workers must receive five days off from work for Novruz.

Azerbaijanis celebrate the Gregorian New Year at the beginning of January in addition to the Persian New Year, so they are given an additional four days off from work for that as well.

5. Egypt, Bangladesh and Lebanon – 23

A pyramid and sphinx. Egypt is known for its ancient cultural heritage. Picture: Unsplash

These three countries share the same number of public holidays and since Islam is the predominant religion in all three nations, they all celebrate the most significant feast in the Muslim calendar.

The three-day Feast of Sacrifice, or Eid-ul-Adha, which is commemorated in July, honours the sacrifices made by Prophet Abraham for God.

6. Philippines – 22

A crowd celebrating a cultural festival in the City of Cebu in the Philippines. Picture: Unsplash

In the Philippines there are two types of holiday, regular holidays and special non-working days.

One example of a special non-working day is the Chinese New Year, which isn’t an automatically paid holiday for everyone, but those who work on the day are entitled to 30% extra pay. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are also special non-working days.

7. Cambodia and Argentina – 21

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. Picture: Unsplash

Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and Buddhism is the most popular religion there.

This may be seen in the country's public holidays, many of which are dedicated to the monarchy or Buddhism. One of the royal holidays is the King’s Mother’s birthday on June 18.

In Argentina, however, you can get two days off from work because of the annual carnival.

The festival marks the start of Lent, which is a 40-day-period when many Argentines refrain from eating meat on Fridays.

A spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “Some countries are very generous with how many days off they grant for their employers. If you’re going for a holiday, then it’s good to familiarise yourself with the cultural calendar of your chosen destination in order to plan your trip more efficiently.”

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