When Will Next Year's Holidays Be Announced: The Scheduling Patterns of Different Regions

Official Announcement Timing Differences

The rhythm of holiday announcements varies around the world. The easiest to predict is the United States, where Federal holidays are directly defined in Title 5, Section 6103 of the U.S. Code. Their dates follow fixed rules and can be calculated without waiting for administrative announcements. The UK's Bank holidays are usually announced several years in advance, giving society ample time to prepare.

In contrast, Mainland China's holiday schedule is issued by the General Office of the State Council in the form of a notice, typically around November of the previous year. For 2026, the "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangement of Some Holidays in 2026" was issued on November 4, 2025. Before this announcement appears, any 'Mainland calendar for next year' is purely speculation.

Taiwan's official calendar is approved by the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration of the Executive Yuan and is usually announced by mid-year of the previous year, several months earlier than the mainland. This is the biggest difference in announcement timing across the strait.

Make-up Workdays: A Unique Arrangement in Mainland China

Mainland China's holiday schedule has a unique mechanism: make-up workdays (調休補班). The announcement explicitly designates certain Saturdays or Sundays as workdays in exchange for consecutive holidays. This system is absent in other Chinese-speaking regions and most other countries.

For 2026, the six designated make-up workdays are:

These dates are not something anyone can 'guess' in advance; they depend on the date of the Lunar New Year that year and the unified scheduling by the State Council. Therefore, before the November announcement, any circulating versions containing specific make-up workdays are necessarily speculative.

Holidays Floating According to Calendar Systems

Another category difficult to confirm in advance are holidays defined by the Islamic or Buddhist calendars. Religious holidays in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand shift dates annually. The relevant authorities in these countries typically make official confirmations only as the date approaches; most early information is an estimate. This is a completely different logic from systems like those in the US or UK, where dates can be derived directly from legal texts.

Why We Mark "Verified Against Official Announcement"

Because of these timing differences and uncertainties, citing the source of holiday data becomes important. Our site marks holiday data as 'verified against official announcement' or 'not yet entered.' The purpose is not to distinguish quality but to honestly state the confirmation status of the data.

When the schedule for a particular region for the following year has not been announced, rather than providing a 'complete-looking' but potentially inaccurate calendar, it is better to let users know that the data is still awaiting official confirmation. This is a basic respect for the timeliness of information.

Query Recommendations

• For the mainland's holiday schedule for the following year, it is advisable to check after mid-to-late November of the current year for an official basis.
• Taiwan's official calendar is usually available by mid-year, with a more stable schedule.
• US and UK holidays can be calculated directly or confirmed years in advance, with less concern about timeliness.
• For religious holidays in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, it is best to rely on the annual announcements from the local authorities.

The different announcement rhythms are the result of the combined effects of institutional design and cultural traditions. Understanding these rhythms prevents the mistake of taking speculation as certainty before information is finalized.