Public holidays in Belarus explained

National holidays in Belarus are classified into state holidays and other holidays and commemorative days, including religious holidays. Nine of them are non-working days.[1]

Public holidays (non-working days)

Date English Name Local Name Remarks
1-2 January Новы год (Novy Hod)
7 January Orthodox ChristmasКаляды праваслаўныя (Kalady pravasłaŭnyja)
8 March Мiжнародны жаночы дзень (Mižnarodny žanočy dzień)
moveable Радунiца (Radunica) 9 days after Orthodox Easter
1 May Дзень працы (Dzień Pracy)
9 May Дзень Перамогi (Dzień Pieramohi) Marks the victory against Germany in World War II
3 July Дзень Незалежнасцi (Dzień Niezaležnasci) Adopted in 1996, in commemoration of the Red Army's 1944 liberation of Minsk during the Minsk Offensive
7 November Дзень Кастрычніцкай рэвалюцыі (Dzień Kastryčnickaj revalucyi)
25 December Каляды каталiцкiя (Kalady katalickija)

Other holidays

State

Date English Name Local Name Remarks
23 February Дзень абаронцы Айчыны і Дзень Узброеных Сіл (Dzień abaroncy Ajčyny i Dzień Uzbrojenych Sil)
4 March Дзень міліцыі Беларусі (Dzień milicyi Bielarusi)
15 March Дзень Канстытуцыi (Dzień Kanstytucyji) Adopted in 1994
2 April Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day Дзень яднання народаў Беларусі i Расii (Dzień jadnańnia narodaŭ Biełarusi i Rasii)
Second Sunday of May State Flag and State Emblem Day Дзень Дзяржаўнага Сцяга i Дзяржаўнага Герба (Dzień Dziaržaŭnaha Sciaha i Dziaržaŭnaha Hierba)
17 September Дзень народнага адзiнства

Commemorative and remembrance days

Date English Name Local Name Remarks
15 February Afghan War Veterans Day Дзень памяці воінаў-інтэрнацыяналістаў (Dzień pamiaci voinaŭ-internacyjanalistaŭ) It commermorates the end of the Soviet-Afghan War.
26 AprilChernobyl tragedy commemorative day Dzień čarnobylskaj trahiedyji
22 June Дзень усенароднай памяці ахвяр Вялікай Айчыннай вайны (Dzień usienarodnaj pamiaci achviar Vialikaj Ajčynnaj vajny) In solemn remembrance of all the victims of the Second World War, and in commemoration of the heroic last stand of Brest Fortress in 1941, on the very country and city (Brest) in which the Eastern Front began.

Traditional holidays

Also, there are a number of traditional holidays.

Date English Name Local Name Remarks
6-7 July Купалле (Kupalle)
2 November Дзяды (Dziady)
moveable Catholic Easter Вялiкдзень каталiцкi (Vialikdzień katalicki)
moveable Orthodox Easter Вялiкдзень праваслаўны (Vialikdzień pravasłaŭny)

Notes and References

  1. http://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/national-holidays "Belarus official holidays"