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.