Public Holidays & Regional Observances in Belgium 2026

Belgian National Day (21 July) is a federal public holiday observed across all of Belgium, marking the day in 1831 when King Leopold I took the oath as the first King of the Belgians. It is the country's primary national celebration, bringing together all three linguistic communities under a shared sense of Belgian identity. A military parade on the Brussels city centre boulevard is the centrepiece of the official programme, followed by an evening fireworks display.

• ✦The Royal Palace in Brussels opens its doors to the public in the weeks surrounding National Day, a popular annual tradition.
• ✦Fireworks displays take place in cities and municipalities throughout the country on the evening of 21 July.

The Assumption of Mary (15 August) is a federal public holiday in Belgium, recognising the Catholic doctrine that the Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. It remains one of the most widely observed religious public holidays in Belgium, with church services held across the country. Many Belgians also use this mid-August date as a peak summer holiday period.

• ✦Special masses and processions dedicated to the Virgin Mary are held in numerous Belgian parishes and basilicas.
• ✦The Assumption falls during the main summer holiday season, meaning many businesses and local services operate on reduced schedules for several days around this date.

French Community Holiday (27 September) is a public holiday specific to the French-speaking Community (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles) of Belgium, marking the anniversary of the September Revolution of 1830 that sparked Belgian independence. It commemorates the popular uprising against Dutch rule that began in Brussels on 25 August 1830. This holiday applies to residents and workers in the French-speaking Community and is not a federal public holiday observed across all of Belgium.

• ✦Official ceremonies and cultural events are organised by the Government of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles on this date each year.
• ✦Schools and public institutions within the French Community are closed on this day.

Halloween (31 October) is a popular cultural observance in Belgium that has grown significantly in visibility since the 1990s, largely through commercial and media influence from the United States. It carries no public holiday status. Children go trick-or-treating in many neighbourhoods, and themed parties, shop window decorations, and pumpkin carvings are now commonplace across all three linguistic regions. ---

All Saints' Day (1 November) is a federal public holiday in Belgium and one of the most sombre dates in the Belgian calendar. It is a Catholic feast day honouring all saints and is deeply connected to the tradition of visiting and tending to the graves of family members. Cemeteries across Belgium are packed with people laying chrysanthemums — the traditional flower of remembrance — on graves throughout this period.

• ✦Chrysanthemums are so strongly associated with All Saints' Day in Belgium that giving them as a gift at any other time of year is generally considered a faux pas.
• ✦Many Belgians take the surrounding days off work to travel and visit family graves, making this one of the busiest travel periods of the autumn.

Armistice Day (11 November) is a federal public holiday in Belgium marking the end of World War One on 11 November 1918 at 11:00 a.m. Belgium, having been occupied and fought over during much of the war, holds this date with particular solemnity. Official ceremonies take place at war memorials across the country, with especially significant commemorations at the Menin Gate in Ypres (Ieper), where the Last Post has been sounded every evening since 1928.

• ✦The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres is a world-renowned act of remembrance attended by thousands of visitors each year.
• ✦Poppies and official wreaths are laid at war memorials in towns and cities across Belgium on Armistice Day.

King's Feast / German-speaking Community Day (15 November) is an observance that carries dual significance in Belgium. The day marks both the feast day of Saint Albert — patron of the Belgian royal family, giving it the informal name "King's Feast" — and the official Community Day of the German-speaking Community (Ostbelgien), celebrated with cultural events in the cantons of Eupen, Sankt Vith, and surrounding municipalities. It is a public holiday exclusively within the German-speaking Community and is not a federal public holiday across all of Belgium. ---

Saint Nicholas Day (6 December) is one of the most beloved children's observances in Belgium and is celebrated with great enthusiasm, though it carries no public holiday status. Saint Nicholas — *Sinterklaas* in Dutch, *Saint-Nicolas* in French — is said to arrive from Spain with his helpers and visit children on the night of 5–6 December, leaving sweets, chocolate, mandarins, and small gifts in shoes left by the fireplace or front door. The tradition is particularly strong in the Flemish and German-speaking communities. ---

Christmas Eve (24 December) is a widely observed cultural and religious occasion in Belgium but is not an official public holiday. Many shops close early in the afternoon, and Belgians gather with family for the traditional *Réveillon* or *Kerstavond* dinner, which often features seafood, game, or other festive dishes. Midnight mass on Christmas Eve is still attended by many Catholic families across the country. ---

Christmas Day (25 December) is a federal public holiday in Belgium and one of the most widely celebrated dates of the year across all three linguistic communities. Family gatherings, gift exchanges, and festive meals are the heart of the celebration, combining religious tradition with secular customs. Most businesses, shops, and public services are closed for the day.

• ✦Belgian chocolatiers and pâtisseries prepare elaborate Christmas confections — including the traditional *bûche de Noël* (Yule log cake) — throughout December.
• ✦Christmas markets (*Marchés de Noël* / *Kerstmarkten*) operate across Belgian cities from late November through Christmas Day, with Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels among the most visited.

New Year's Eve (31 December) is a popular social observance in Belgium with no official public holiday status, though many employers grant the afternoon off as a courtesy. Belgians celebrate with parties, dinners, and public countdown events in city squares. Brussels hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in the country, drawing large crowds to the Grand Place and surrounding streets. ---