For HR professionals in Canada, understanding the calendar in Canada and its array of holidays is crucial for effective workforce planning and employee engagement. Canada’s holiday schedule is a reflection of its cultural diversity, with national holidays in Canada like Canada Day and Thanksgiving fostering national unity, while regional observances such as the Canada August holiday and other local celebrations highlight distinct traditions across provinces. Properly recognizing these holidays ensures that employees feel valued and connected, which can enhance overall workplace satisfaction.

National Holidays (Statutory Holidays): These are mandatory public holidays in Canada, such as Canada Day and Thanksgiving. Most businesses are required to give employees these days off, with some exceptions depending on the industry.

Regional Observances: These holidays are specific to certain provinces or territories, such as the Civic Holiday (often referred to as the Canada August Holiday). These may or may not be mandatory depending on the local laws. For example, in Ontario, Civic Holiday is a statutory holiday, but in other provinces, it might be just an optional day off.

Religious and Cultural Holidays: These holidays, such as Christmas, Eid, or Hanukkah, are important for inclusivity. While Christmas is a statutory holiday across Canada, other religious holidays typically require employers to accommodate employees’ requests for time off, though these are not mandatory public holidays.

For more information, consider an official government page.

Below is a table of all the holidays that will fall in 2025 in Canada.

Date Day Holiday/Event Type Location
1 Jan Monday New Year’s Day Statutory Holiday
1 Jan Monday New Year’s Day (Substitute) Statutory Holiday Quebec
6 Jan Saturday Epiphany Christian
7 Jan Sunday Orthodox Christmas Christian
21 Jan Sunday Martin Luther King Jr. Day Statutory Holiday US
29 Jan Monday Lunar New Year Observance
12 Feb Monday Family Day Statutory Holiday AB, ON, SK
19 Feb Monday Presidents’ Day Statutory Holiday US
25 Feb Sunday Carnival Observance
8 Mar Friday International Women’s Day Observance
17 Mar Sunday St. Patrick’s Day Observance
19 Mar Tuesday Good Friday Christian
21 Mar Thursday International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Observance
29 Mar Friday Easter Friday Christian
31 Mar Sunday Easter Sunday Christian
1 Apr Monday April Fools’ Day Observance
22 Apr Monday Earth Day Observance
1 May Wednesday International Workers’ Day Statutory Holiday
8 May Wednesday Victory in Europe Day Observance Europe
12 May Sunday Mother’s Day Observance
16 May Thursday Ascension Day Christian
20 May Monday Victoria Day Statutory Holiday AB, MB, ON, SK
27 May Monday Memorial Day Statutory Holiday US
1 Jun Saturday Global Running Day Observance
1 Jun Saturday Children’s Day Observance
2 Jun Monday Shavuot Jewish holiday
7 Jun Saturday Eid al-Adha (Tentative Date) Muslim
8 Jun Sunday Pentecost Christian
9 Jun Monday Whit Monday Christian
15 Jun Sunday Trinity Sunday Christian
15 Jun Sunday Fathers’ Day Observance
19 Jun Thursday Corpus Christi Christian
20 Jun Friday June Solstice Season
21 Jun Saturday National Indigenous Peoples Day Observance
21 Jun Saturday National Indigenous Peoples Day Local holiday NT, Yukon
23 Jun Monday June Holiday Local holiday NL
24 Jun Tuesday St. Jean Baptiste Day Local holiday Quebec
27 Jun Friday Muharram/Islamic New Year (Tentative Date) Muslim
1 Jul Tuesday Memorial Day Local holiday NL
1 Jul Tuesday Canada Day Statutory Holiday
6 Jul Sunday Ashura (Tentative Date) Muslim
9 Jul Wednesday Nunavut Day Local holiday Nunavut
14 Jul Monday Orangemen’s Day Local holiday NL
3 Aug Sunday Tisha B’Av Jewish holiday
4 Aug Monday Civic/Provincial Day Statutory Holiday NT, Nunavut
4 Aug Monday Civic/Provincial Day Local observance Ontario
4 Aug Monday Saskatchewan Day Common local holiday Saskatchewan
4 Aug Monday Terry Fox Day Local observance Manitoba
4 Aug Monday New Brunswick Day Prescribed Day of Rest New Brunswick
4 Aug Monday British Columbia Day Common local holiday BC
4 Aug Monday Natal Day Common local holiday Nova Scotia
4 Aug Monday Heritage Day Optional Holiday Alberta
6 Aug Wednesday The Royal St John’s Regatta (Regatta Day) Local holiday NL
15 Aug Friday Assumption of Mary Christian
15 Aug Friday Gold Cup Parade Local holiday PE
18 Aug Monday Discovery Day Local holiday Yukon
1 Sep Monday Labour Day Statutory Holiday
5 Sep Friday Milad un Nabi (Mawlid) (Tentative Date) Muslim
22 Sep Monday September Equinox Season
23 Sep Tuesday Rosh Hashana Jewish holiday
30 Sep Tuesday National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Statutory Holiday BC, NT, NU, PE, YT
30 Sep Tuesday National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Federal Employees Holiday
2 Oct Thursday Yom Kippur Jewish holiday
4 Oct Saturday Feast of St Francis of Assisi Christian
7 Oct Tuesday First day of Sukkot Jewish holiday
13 Oct Monday Hoshana Rabbah Jewish holiday
13 Oct Monday Thanksgiving Day Statutory Holiday All except NB, NS, PE
13 Oct Monday Thanksgiving Day Designated Retail Closing Day Nova Scotia
13 Oct Monday Thanksgiving Day Observance PE
13 Oct Monday Thanksgiving Day Statutory Holiday New Brunswick
14 Oct Tuesday Shemini Atzeret Jewish holiday
15 Oct Wednesday Simchat Torah Jewish holiday
18 Oct Saturday Healthcare Aide Day Local observance BC, Manitoba
20 Oct Monday Diwali/Deepavali Observance
31 Oct Friday Halloween Observance
1 Nov Saturday All Saints’ Day Observance, Christian
2 Nov Sunday All Souls’ Day Observance, Christian
2 Nov Sunday Daylight Saving Time ends Clock change/Daylight Saving Time
8 Nov Saturday National Aboriginal Veterans Day Observance
11 Nov Tuesday Remembrance Day Statutory Holiday All except MB, NS, ON, QC
11 Nov Tuesday Remembrance Day Observance MB, NS, ON, QC
30 Nov Sunday First Sunday of Advent Observance
8 Dec Monday Feast of the Immaculate Conception Christian
11 Dec Thursday Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster Observance
15 Dec Monday First Day of Hanukkah Jewish holiday
21 Dec Sunday December Solstice Season
22 Dec Monday Last day of Hanukkah Jewish holiday
24 Dec Wednesday Christmas Eve Statutory Half Day New Brunswick
24 Dec Wednesday Christmas Eve Observance
25 Dec Thursday Christmas Day Statutory Holiday
26 Dec Friday Boxing Day Statutory Holiday
31 Dec Tuesday New Year’s Eve Observance

 

HR professionals must navigate the complexities of holidays in Canada to create inclusive and supportive work environments. The Canadian holiday in July marks a time of national pride. 

It is a key consideration for scheduling, while the Canada August holiday allows employees to recharge during the summer. By aligning company policies with the national holidays in Canada and understanding the regional variations, HR can ensure smooth operations and foster a positive workplace culture throughout the year.