The calendar
Iceland's year is shaped by a long Easter, the First Day of Summer in April, the 17 June national day and Commerce Day at the start of August.
Country view
Iceland · 2026
16 recorded days · 16 public · 0 bank · 0 school · 0 regional
SponsoredYour ad here · 728 × 90
24In 99 days
Aðfangadagur
Thursday · 24 Dec 2026 · Public
DateHolidayTypeShops shut?
01JanNýársdagur
New Year's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Skírdagur
Maundy Thursday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Föstudagurinn langi
Good Friday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Páskadagur
Easter Sunday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Annar í páskum
Easter Monday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Sumardagurinn fyrsti
First Day of Summer · Nationwide
PublicShut
Verkalýðsdagurinn
May Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Uppstigningardagur
Ascension Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Hvítasunnudagur
Pentecost · Nationwide
PublicShut
Annar í hvítasunnu
Whit Monday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Þjóðhátíðardagurinn
Icelandic National Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Frídagur verslunarmanna
Commerce Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Aðfangadagur
Christmas Eve · Nationwide
PublicShut
Jóladagur
Christmas Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Annar í jólum
St. Stephen's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Gamlársdagur
New Year's Eve · Nationwide
PublicShut
● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates
Bridge days worth booking
One day of leave, four days off. These are the 2026 dates where the maths works.
Aðfangadagur
Thursday · 24 Dec 2026
Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.
Book off: 25 Dec 2026
Gamlársdagur
Thursday · 31 Dec 2026
Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.
Book off: 1 Jan 2027
How the holiday year works in Iceland
How people take the days
Easter runs Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday, and Whitsun gives another long weekend. Commerce Day weekend is the single biggest travel weekend of the Icelandic year.
If you're visiting
17 June brings parades and street theatre in Reykjavík, rain permitting. Over Easter and Commerce Day weekend, expect restricted alcohol sales and some rural services to stop entirely.
If you live here
Vínbúðin state liquor stores close on every holiday, and supermarket hours shrink sharply on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
What these days actually mean
Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.
Christmas Eve
24 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Christmas Day
25 Dec 2026
- Observance
- The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
- Business
- Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
- Transport
- Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.
St. Stephen's Day
26 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
New Year's Eve
31 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.