Public Holidays

Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Jamaica and start planning to make the most of your time off.

2026 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Thu	New Year's Day
18 Feb	Wed	Ash Wednesday
3 Apr	Fri	Good Friday
6 Apr	Mon	Easter Monday
23 May	Sat	Labour Day
25 May	Mon	Labour Day Holiday
1 Aug	Sat	Emancipation Day
6 Aug	Thu	Independence Day
19 Oct	Mon	National Heroes Day
25 Dec	Fri	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Sat	Boxing Day
The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2026 are released.

2027 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Fri	New Year's Day
10 Feb	Wed	Ash Wednesday
26 Mar	Fri	Good Friday
29 Mar	Mon	Easter Monday
23 May	Sun	Labour Day
24 May	Mon	Labour Day Holiday
1 Aug	Sun	Emancipation Day
2 Aug	Mon	Emancipation Day Holiday
6 Aug	Fri	Independence Day
18 Oct	Mon	National Heroes Day
25 Dec	Sat	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Sun	Boxing Day
The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2027 are released.

2028 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Sat	New Year's Day
1 Mar	Wed	Ash Wednesday
14 Apr	Fri	Good Friday
17 Apr	Mon	Easter Monday
23 May	Tue	Labour Day
1 Aug	Tue	Emancipation Day
6 Aug	Sun	Independence Day
16 Oct	Mon	National Heroes Day
25 Dec	Mon	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Tue	Boxing Day
The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2028 are released.

Jamaica currently celebrates 10 national holidays each year. All national holidays are governed by the Public Holiday Laws of Jamaica 1895, with an amendment adding two holidays in 1963.

It should be noted that the Public Holiday Laws of Jamaica do not include Christmas Day as an official holiday in the country, however it has always been celebrated as one and acknowledged as a public holiday by the government and all employers.

The Holidays with Pay Act of 1947 guarantees all workers in Jamaica a paid day off for all nationally recognised holidays. In the event that a worker is required to work due to the nature of their job, employees are guaranteed a different paid day off in lieu of the holiday or a premium pay rate for all hours worked on the holiday. Choice in how the employee will be paid for the holiday is determined by the work contract.

All public holidays which occur on a Sunday are celebrated on the following Monday. Holidays which occur on a Saturday remain on that date. The government of Jamaica has retained the right to establish one-time holidays in the case of national emergency or special event.