lastUpdated: 2026-06-22
Complete Netherlands Public Holiday Calendar for 2023
Understanding which dates count as official public holidays in the Netherlands, and which are simply widely observed traditions, is essential for planning business operations, school schedules, and travel throughout 2023. The Dutch holiday calendar combines a relatively short list of statutory public holidays with a rich layer of cultural and religious observances that shape daily life without necessarily closing offices or shops. This guide lays out every key date for 2023, with the context needed to plan around them with confidence.
Official Public Holidays vs. Observances in the Netherlands
The Netherlands recognises a core set of public holidays under Dutch law and collective labour agreements, including New Year's Day, Easter Sunday and Monday, King's Day, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday and Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day (Second Christmas Day). Liberation Day on May 5th is a notable exception, as it is only a statutory public holiday for public sector employees every five years, though many private employers choose to give staff the day off regardless.
Beyond this official list, the Netherlands has a calendar full of widely observed traditions that are not public holidays in the legal sense but still shape daily life significantly. Sinterklaas celebrations in early December, Carnival in the southern provinces, and Prinsjesdag in September are all deeply embedded in Dutch culture without triggering nationwide closures. Employers planning 2023 schedules should also note that Good Friday, while observed by many companies as a paid day off, is not a statutory public holiday in the Netherlands the way it is in several neighbouring countries.
Long Weekends and School Holidays in 2023
The Dutch public holiday calendar creates several reliable long weekends throughout 2023, particularly in spring, when Easter, King's Day, Liberation Day, Ascension Day, and Whit Monday cluster together between late March and early June. Ascension Day in particular often becomes a four-day weekend, as many workers also take the following Friday off.
School holidays in the Netherlands are scheduled regionally, split into northern, central, and southern zones to stagger demand on roads and at tourist destinations, and they do not always align with public holidays. Families planning travel around both public holidays and school breaks in 2023 should check the relevant regional school holiday calendar published by the Dutch government, since dates can shift by one to two weeks between zones.
Plan Ahead with the Printable PDF Calendar
A printable PDF version of the 2023 Netherlands holiday calendar is a useful reference for HR teams, schools, and families trying to keep statutory holidays, regional observances, and school breaks organised in one place. Having everything mapped out in advance makes it far easier to plan around King's Day, the Easter and Pentecost long weekends, and the busy Sinterklaas and Christmas season. Download our free printable 2023 Netherlands holiday calendar to keep every public holiday and cultural observance within easy reach throughout the year.