Bank and public holidays in Belgium: 2017-2018 guide

Belgium is a melting pot of French, German and Flemish people, and that certainly affects the holidays that are celebrated in the country. Some holidays are only celebrated by certain communities within Belgium, which can make it a little confusing to know whether banks and public offices will be closed. There are a number of holidays celebrated in Belgium that change days depending on the year, as well. If a holiday falls on a weekend, generally no weekday time off is given. When they fall on weekdays, though, it’s important to know the local customs surrounding them, like whether banks will be open. Read on to find out everything you need to know about public and bank holidays in Belgium.

National holidays in Belgium

There are 12 national holidays in Belgium each year.

• Belgian public holidays: 15
• Belgian bank holidays: 13

Celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Belgium

Mother’s Day in Belgium is celebrated by some on the second Sunday in May, and by others on August 15th. The week before the day, children make small crafts in school to give to their mothers as gifts first thing in the morning. Fathers will usually pick up croissants or pastries to give to mothers in bed and then mothers are pampered for the rest of the day.

Father’s Day in Belgium is generally recognized on the second Sunday in June but it isn’t celebrated as much as in many other Western countries. Small children might make crafts or small gifts in school to give to their fathers, but beyond that, there isn’t much traditional celebration on Father’s Day.

In Belgium, neither Mother’s Day nor Father’s Day is an official public holiday.

The most important holidays and dates in Belgium

One of the most important and widely celebrated holidays in Belgium is the Belgian National Holiday. While it’s celebrated across the country, the largest celebration by far is held in Brussels, including fireworks, a military parade, live music, street performers and more.

People in Belgium also often celebrate Saint Nicholas Day in addition to Christmas. Families exchange gifts on Christmas, but children often also receive a gift on Saint Nicholas Day.

Due to the mix of cultures that are prevalent in Belgium, there are days of celebration for the Flemish, French and German communities. These are extra days of rest for those communities, and some banks and businesses will be closed. None of these days are considered official public holidays in Belgium.

List of public holidays in Belgium for 2017

Holiday	Name of holiday in Dutch	2017 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Nieuwjaarsdag	1 January, 2017	Yes
Easter	Eerste paasdag	16 April, 2017	Yes
Easter Monday	Easter Monday	17 April, 2017	Yes
Labour Day or May Day	Dag van de Arbeid	1 May, 2017	Yes
Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag	25 May, 2017	Yes
Ascension Friday	Hemelvaart vrijdag	26 May, 2017	Not a public holiday, but banks are closed
Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday	Eerste pinksterdag	4 June, 2017	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Tweede pinksterdag	5 June, 2017	Yes
Celebration of the Golden Spurs		11 July, 2017	Sometimes, in the Flemish community
Belgian National Day	Nationale feestdag van België	21 July, 2017	Yes
Assumption Day	Veronderstelling dag	15 August, 2017	Yes
French Community Holiday		27 September, 2017	Sometimes, in the French community
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2017	Yes
Armistice Day	Dodenherdenking	11 November, 2017	Yes
German Community Day		15 November, 2017	Sometimes, in the German community
Christmas Day	Eerste kerstdag	25 December, 2017	Yes

List of public holidays in Belgium for 2018

Holiday	Name of holiday in Dutch	2018 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Nieuwjaarsdag	1 January, 2018	Yes
Easter	Eerste paasdag	1 April, 2018	Yes
Easter Monday	Easter Monday	2 April, 2018	Yes
Labour Day or May Day	Dag van de Arbeid	1 May, 2018	Yes
Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag	10 May, 2018	Yes
Ascension Friday	Hemelvaart vrijdag	11 May, 2018	Not a public holiday, but banks are closed
Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday	Eerste pinksterdag	20 May, 2018	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Tweede pinksterdag	21 May, 2018	Yes
Celebration of the Golden Spurs		11 July, 2018	Sometimes, in the Flemish community
Belgian National Day	Nationale feestdag van België	21 July, 2018	Yes
Assumption Day	Veronderstelling dag	15 August, 2018	Yes
French Community Holiday		27 September, 2018	Sometimes, in the French community
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2018	Yes
Armistice Day	Dodenherdenking	11 November, 2018	Yes
German Community Day		15 November, 2018	Sometimes, in the German community
Christmas Day	Eerste kerstdag	25 December, 2018	Yes

List of public holidays in Belgium for 2019

Holiday	Name of holiday in Dutch	2019 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Nieuwjaarsdag	1 January, 2019	Yes
Easter	Eerste paasdag	21 April, 2019	Yes
Easter Monday	Easter Monday	22 April, 2019	Yes
Labour Day or May Day	Dag van de Arbeid	1 May, 2019	Yes
Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag	30 May, 2019	Yes
Ascension Friday	Hemelvaart vrijdag	31 May, 2019	Not a public holiday, but banks are closed
Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday	Eerste pinksterdag	9 June, 2019	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Tweede pinksterdag	10 June, 2019	Yes
Celebration of the Golden Spurs		11 July, 2019	Sometimes, in the Flemish community
Belgian National Day	Nationale feestdag van België	21 July, 2019	Yes
Assumption Day	Veronderstelling dag	15 August, 2019	Yes
French Community Holiday		27 September, 2019	Sometimes, in the French community
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2019	Yes
Armistice Day	Dodenherdenking	11 November, 2019	Yes
German Community Day		15 November, 2019	Sometimes, in the German community
Christmas Day	Eerste kerstdag	25 December, 2019	Yes

Sending money home for the holidays in Belgium?

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Knowing Belgium’s holidays and customs means you’re ready to celebrate without the stress of not knowing whether you’ll be caught needing a bank when all of them are closed. Celebrate stress-free like a local in Belgium for a truly memorable time. Happy holidays!