There are holidays of cultural, religious and historical significance throughout the year in the Netherlands — but when should you officially celebrate? No worries, we’ve got the full guide to all public, national, and school holidays in the Netherlands for 2024.
So, get ready to jot some of these dates down in your calendar — you surely don’t want to miss King’s Day in the Netherlands or have your mom remind you about Mother’s Day.
Public holidays in the Netherlands in 2024
Whether you’re already looking forward to holidays or trying to find out when you can get a day off work, we’ve compiled a list of official holidays in the Netherlands for this year. Relax, sit back, sharpen your pencil, and grab your agenda.
- January 1, 2024: New Year’s Day
- March 29, 2024: Good Friday
- March 31, 2024: Easter Sunday
- April 1, 2024: Easter Monday
- May 5, 2024: Liberation Day
- May 9, 2024: Ascension Day
- May 19, 2024: First day of Pentecost
- May 20, 2024: Second day of Pentecost
- December 25, 2024: Christmas day
- December 26, 2024: Second day of Christmas
Other noteworthy national dates
Even if they’re not national days off, they’re certainly just as important.
- March 31, 2024: Daylight Savings Time starts (set your clocks forward!)
- April 1, 2024: April Fools Day
- May 4, 2024: National Remembrance Day
- May 12, 2024: Mother’s Day
- June 16, 2024: Father’s Day
- July 1, 2024: Keti Koti
- October 27, 2024: Daylight Savings Time ends (set your clocks back!)
- December 5, 2024: Sinterklaas
School holidays in the Netherlands
These dates include primary, secondary, and special education — independent schools set their own specific dates.
READ MORE | Going camping with kids: the ultimate Dutch holiday guide
When it comes to school holidays in the Netherlands, it’s key to remember that the holidays are generally divided into three regions (North, Middle, and South) so that the whole country doesn’t go on holiday in the same week.
Spring holiday 2024 (voorjaarsvakantie, carnavalsvakantie, or krokusvakantie)
- North: February 17 – February 25, 2024
- Central: February 17 – February 25, 2024
- South: February 10 – February 18, 2024
May holidays 2024 (meivakantie)
- North: April 27 – May 5, 2024
- Central: April 27 – May 5, 2024
- South: April 27 – May 5, 2024
Summer holidays 2024
- North: July 20 – September 1, 2024
- Central: July 13 – August 25, 2024
- South: July 6 – August 18, 2024
Autumn holidays 2024 (herfstvakantie)
- North: October 26 – November 3, 2024
- Central: October 26 – November 3, 2024
- South: October 19 – October 27, 2024
Christmas break 2023-2024
- North: December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Central: December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- South: December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Note: the above dates come from the Ministry for Education, but individual schools may have slight deviations. We advise double-checking dates with your school before booking any tickets!
What will you be doing over this year’s holidays? Letting the kids escape, or escaping the kids? Tell us in the comments below!
[…] schools understand that you may have a life that involves travel – either relocating to different countries or only being an expat on a year-by-year basis. It’s […]
[…] you to be flexible with the school hours if you think that your child is finding it too much. Also holidays from Dutch schools can be taken during term time without issue as they are not legally required to be at […]
You’ve forgotten to inform that Dutch companies decide on which public holidays will be non-working. The list above doesn’t apply to everyone, it’s different per company. Also, number of Dutch holidays compared to other countries, Austria with 15, Germany with 14 non-working days… 😉