It’s the first week of December and Budapest is slipping into Christmas-party mode. Between the Irish-Hungarian Business Circle’s glittering celebration and XpatLoop’s big charity event this weekend, my calendar already looks like it’s had a confetti cannon fired at it. As an entrepreneur, public holidays don’t change my workload much. I tend to work most days in some shape or form, usually with a coffee in my hand and Sümi sleeping beside me. But I know for many people – including my own sister, whose employer likes holiday requests submitted months in advance – planning matters. So I’ve pulled together a clear overview of Hungarian Public Holidays 2026 to help anyone mapping out long weekends, family travel, or simply when not to expect government offices to answer the phone.

The Rhythm of Hungarian Public Holidays 2026

Hungary observes 13 public holidays in 2026, and several come with shifted rest days and the occasional working Saturday to create longer breaks. Whether you’re scheduling school holidays, booking flights before prices spike, or coordinating with colleagues across borders, having the full picture early makes life much easier.

A few of these holidays cluster nicely into four-day weekends. Others land on a Sunday and pass quietly unless you work in hospitality. And then there are the swapped rest days — the Hungarian speciality where a Monday becomes a day off and a Saturday becomes an unexpected workday. If you’re new here, it can take a moment to adjust.

The Year in Long Weekends (And the Odd Saturday Surprise)

New Year’s Day – 1 January (Thursday)
A clean, quiet start to the year. Many shops stay closed until the 2nd.

1848 Revolution Memorial Day – 15 March (Sunday)
No extended break this year, though commemorations will be visible across the city.

Easter long weekend – 3–6 April (Friday–Monday)
Good Friday through Easter Monday forms a neat four-day weekend. Saturday 4 April is an official rest day.

Labour Day – 1 May (Friday)
One of the few guaranteed long weekends that doesn’t require any rest-day swapping.

Whit Monday (Pentecost) – 9 June (Monday)
Often accompanied by rest days on the preceding Saturday and Sunday (7–8 June), depending on employer policy.

State Foundation Day (St Stephen’s Day) – 20 August (Thursday)
A long weekend is created with rest days on 21–23 August. The trade-off is a working Saturday on 8 August.

1956 Revolution Memorial Day – 23 October (Friday)
Another four-day weekend (23–26 October), thanks to a working Saturday on 18 October.

All Saints’ Day – 1 November (Sunday)
Shops close or shorten hours, but no extended break.

Christmas holidays – 24–27 December (Thursday–Sunday)
Christmas Eve is an official rest day again. Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Friday and Saturday, stretching through Sunday the 27th. One working Saturday (12 or 13 December) is expected as compensation.

Planning Real Life Around the 2026 Holiday Calendar

Whether you submit leave requests months in advance (like my sister), juggle school schedules, or run your own business and simply hope offices reopen when you need them, the holiday pattern affects everything. Government offices have their own rhythm. Shops adjust hours. Local clients disappear until Tuesday. International clients forget Hungarian holidays exist. It’s all part of the dance.

Working for myself, I keep projects moving year-round, but I still plan around closures. It saves frustration – and unexpected trips to the post office that result in standing before a locked door.

If your children are in Hungarian schools, these dates shape:

• School closures
• Camp and childcare planning
• Travel windows that align with official rest days

The June and August holidays are particularly helpful for summer travel, offering extra breathing room without dipping into annual leave.

When Hungary Stops Moving 

This is the stuff that catches most newcomers: silent post offices, supermarkets closing early, and residency appointments that vanish into the ether because the office isn’t working overtime before or after a public holiday. Hungary is reliable – just not in the same way every day.

From Easter to Christmas, opening times vary widely. Even large chains like Tesco or Auchan reduce hours. Check before you go.

For more on life logistics, my guide to Hungarian Electricity Providers is a good example of the kind of practical detail you’ll run into here: Hungarian Electricity Providers: Who to Call and When

What Trips Up Newcomers (It’s the Saturdays)

Every international remembers their first swapped Saturday. You walk outside, see half the city in business attire, and wonder if you’ve missed an entire memo. These working Saturdays are the real curveball in the 2026 calendar: 8 August, 18 October, and a mid-December date to be confirmed. Once you learn to expect them, they’re manageable. Until then, they’re baffling.

Flights around Easter, late August, and October tend to rise quickly, so book early. And if you’re working in an international environment, warn your clients ahead of time – they’ll be confused, but grateful.

The Links You’ll Actually Use

• Official list (in Hungarian): Government announcements for 2026 rest days and working Saturdays will appear here:
  https://magyarkozlony.hu

• External overview: A reliable international reference for public holidays is:
  https://publicholidays.hu

• Internal HOW TO HUNGARY link:
  Whit Monday Hungary: Closures, Customs & Calm

FAQs

How many Hungarian public holidays are there in 2026?

There are 13 public holidays in Hungary in 2026, including Easter, Pentecost, the 20 August national holiday, and the Christmas period.

Which holidays create long weekends in 2026?

Easter, Labour Day, Whit Monday, the 20 August holiday, and 23 October all create long weekends due to rest-day adjustments.

Are there working Saturdays in 2026?

Yes. Working Saturdays compensate for shifted rest days. In 2026 these include 8 August, 18 October, and a mid-December date that will be announced closer to the time.

And Then There’s Real Life

With Christmas party season in full swing and my December calendar already testing the limits of good judgement, mapping out next year’s public holidays feels oddly grounding. Even though I work through most of them, knowing when the country collectively slows down helps me plan meetings, travel, and those rare weekends when Andrew and I both step away from our screens. If you’re organising your own 2026 – whether for family holidays, citizenship appointments, or simply a few quiet days by Lake Balaton – keep this guide handy.

And if you want the full picture of how life here actually works, my comprehensive ebook HOW TO HUNGARY: Budapest & Beyond pulls everything together in one place.