Before moving to Poland, it’s worth learning the local calendar of public holidays: some feel familiar, others don’t. Here’s the current list for 2026-2027, plus the biggest recent change: since 2025, Christmas Eve is officially a day off.

Quick summary: Poland has 14 public holidays a year; since January 1, 2025, Christmas Eve (December 24, Wigilia) has officially been added to the list under a law passed on December 6, 2024; the Sunday trading ban still applies, with a limited number of exempt “trading Sundays”; the ELIXIR bank transfer system doesn’t process payments on public holidays.

Are businesses open on public holidays and weekends

On public holidays and Sundays, most banks, offices, and small shops are closed: mainly gas stations, on-duty pharmacies, and businesses covered by exceptions to the Sunday trading ban (in force largely unchanged since 2018-2020) stay open. Large shopping malls are generally closed on ordinary Sundays, except for a handful of designated “trading Sundays” each year (usually before Christmas and Easter).

For more on how holidays affect bank transfer processing times (the ELIXIR system), see our article “Bank Transfers in Poland”.

Full list of Poland’s public holidays in 2026

  • January 1 (Thursday): New Year’s Day
  • January 6 (Tuesday): Epiphany
  • April 5 (Sunday): Easter Sunday (Wielkanoc)
  • April 6 (Monday): Easter Monday
  • May 1 (Friday): Labour Day
  • May 3 (Sunday): Constitution Day
  • May 24 (Sunday): Pentecost (Whit Sunday)
  • June 4 (Thursday): Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało)
  • August 15 (Saturday): Assumption of Mary / Polish Armed Forces Day
  • November 1 (Sunday): All Saints’ Day
  • November 11 (Wednesday): Independence Day
  • December 24 (Thursday): Christmas Eve (Wigilia): a holiday since 2025
  • December 25 (Friday): Christmas Day
  • December 26 (Saturday): Second Day of Christmas

The key change: a law passed on December 6, 2024 (Dz.U. 2024, poz. 1965) amended the 1951 Public Holidays Act: since January 1, 2025, December 24 (Wigilia) has officially been a non-working day on par with the other public holidays.

Holidays in 2027

The same set of 14 holidays applies in 2027: only the weekdays they fall on change, along with the “movable” dates tied to the Easter calendar (Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi).

Long weekends (“długi weekend”)

When a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, many employers let staff take a single vacation day to turn it into a four-day weekend. Unlike some post-Soviet countries, Poland has no official system of shifting or making up workdays: it’s entirely up to the employer.

Epiphany

Epiphany (January 6) marks the arrival of the three wise men to the infant Jesus. Cities traditionally hold parades featuring camels, and in early January many Polish households chalk “C+B+M” or “K+B+M” plus the year on their front doors.

Easter and spring holidays

Easter (Wielkanoc) dates change every year according to the church calendar. In 2026, Easter Sunday falls on April 5 and Easter Monday on April 6. Both are nationwide non-working days.

May holidays

May 1 is Labour Day; May 3 is Constitution Day (Święto Konstytucji 3 maja), marking the 1791 constitution and one of Poland’s most important national holidays.

Summer religious holidays

Pentecost (Zesłanie Ducha Świętego / Zielone Świątki) and Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) are movable Catholic holidays whose dates depend on Easter. In 2026 they fall on May 24 and June 4 respectively.

August 15: Assumption of Mary and Armed Forces Day

August 15 combines a religious holiday (Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny) with a state one (Święto Wojska Polskiego): Warsaw hosts an official military parade that day.

All Saints’ Day

On November 1, Poles traditionally visit cemeteries and the graves of relatives; near large cemeteries, streets are often closed and extra bus lines are added.

Independence Day

November 11 marks the restoration of Polish statehood in 1918. Warsaw holds an official parade at Piłsudski Square.

Christmas and Christmas Eve

Since 2025, three consecutive days are holidays: December 24 (Christmas Eve, Wigilia), and December 25-26 (the first and second days of Christmas). Previously, December 24 wasn’t officially a holiday, though many employers already let staff leave early or closed for the day on their own initiative.

New Year’s Day

January 1 is an official day off. New Year’s Eve (Sylwester, named after Saint Sylvester, whose feast day is December 31) is not itself a holiday, but many employers shorten that working day.

If you run a business under a JDG/B2B contract, remember: long holiday weekends don’t exempt you from contractual obligations, and with the PIP 2026 reform in mind, it’s worth thinking ahead about how your working hours and availability under the contract are documented, so they don’t start looking like an employment relationship.

FAQ

Are gas stations open on holidays?
Yes, by law gas stations operate on every public holiday, and the small shops attached to them are usually open too.

Is the Sunday trading ban still in force in 2026?
Yes, the ban remains largely unchanged since 2018-2020, with a limited number of designated “trading Sundays” each year and the usual exceptions (gas stations, pharmacies, small owner-operated shops, etc.).

What happens to a bank transfer sent right before a long weekend?
A transfer sent after 2 PM on the Friday before a holiday will most likely only be processed on the first business day after the break.

Author: MojaFirma content team.