Already trying to plan ahead for next year’s holidays? We’ve got you covered.
Macao’s public holidays amount to 20 days for most people, however, only 10 of the public holidays are “obligatory” under Macao law. As such, employers have discretion over whether their staff are entitled to days off on non-obligatory public holidays.
Employers can also designate the following working day off when a public holiday falls on a rest day, as the Cheng Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) does next year. Public servants get these days automatically.
Thanks to its joint Chinese and Portuguese heritage, Macao gets an eclectic range of holidays – from the Buddha’s birthday to Chong Yeung Festival to the Feast of Immaculate Conception. None of the Western holidays, including Easter and Christmas, are obligatory holidays, however.
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The most highly anticipated holiday, of course, tends to be Lunar New Year. In 2026, its festivities fall across 17 to 19 February (a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). If you take the Friday off, you will have a six-day break including the weekend.
Want to start planning? These are Macao’s public holidays for 2026 (those with an asterisk are obligatory).
*January 1 – Thursday – New Year’s Day
*February 17 – Tuesday – Lunar New Year’s Day
*February 18 – Wednesday – The second day of the Lunar New Year
*February 19 – Thursday – The third day of the Lunar New Year
April 3 – Friday – Good Friday
April 4 – Saturday – The Day before Easter
*April 5 – Sunday – Cheng Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day)
*May 1 – Friday – Labour Day
May 24 – Sunday – The Buddha’s Birthday (Feast of Buddha)
June 19 – Friday – Tung Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival)
*September 26 – Saturday – The Day following Chong Chao (Mid-Autumn) Festival
*October 1 – Thursday – National Day of the People’s Republic of China
October 2 – Friday – The Day following National Day of the People’s Republic of China
*October 18 – Sunday – Chong Yeung Festival (Festival of Ancestors)
November 2 – Monday – All Souls’ Day
December 8 – Tuesday – Feast of Immaculate Conception
*December 20 – Sunday – Macao S.A.R. Establishment Day
December 22 – Tuesday – Winter Solstice
December 24 – Thursday – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Friday – Christmas Day
–With reporting by Weng-U Pun
