Everyone will be working a little more in 2024 because two of this year’s official holidays take place on the weekend, and it is a leap year as well.

Kings Day takes place on Saturday and Liberation Day on Sunday, making it more difficult to take a week off work by using four days’ holiday rather than five.

The Netherlands has 11 official holidays, of which six always fall on the same day of the week, such as a Monday. But five holidays are fixed to a certain date and this year that means less extra time off work.

2024’s public holidays

· Nieuwjaarsdag (New Year’s Day): Monday, January 1
· Goede vrijdag (Good Friday): Friday, March 29
· Eerste en tweede paasdag (Easter Sunday and Easter Monday): Sunday, March 31 and Monday, April 1
· Koningsdag (King’s Day): Saturday, April 27
· Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day): Sunday, May 5
· Hemelvaartsdag (Ascension Day): Thursday, May 9
· Eerste en tweede pinksterdag (Whit Sunday and Whit Monday): Sunday May 19 and Monday May 20
· Eerste en tweede kerstdag (Christmas Day and Boxing Day): Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December

There is, by the way, no law that says employees must be given a day off work on certain public holidays. So no one has a legal right to a day off on a public holiday anyway. Instead, days off are regulated via pay and conditions agreements.

School breaks

The Netherlands also staggers some of its school holidays across three districts so days off are more evenly spread. In 2024, the spring half term is between February 17 and 25 in the northern and central districts, and February 10-18 in the south. The May holiday takes place from April 27 to May 5, but schools are free to extend it.

The summer break starts on July 6 in the southern district and ends on August 18. In the central region it runs from July 13 to August 25 and in the north from July 20 to September 1.