By Michael Dembinski, BPCC
POLAND
Public holidays (days off work)
- 1 January (Thursday) – New Year’s Day
- 6 January (Tuesday) – Three Kings (Trzech Króli)
- 5 April (Sunday) – Easter Sunday
- 6 April (Monday) – Easter Monday
- 1 May (Friday) – Labour Day
- 3 May (Sunday) – Constitution Day
- 4 June (Thursday) – Corpus Christi
- 15 August (Saturday) – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Armed Forces Day
- 1 November (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day (Wszystkich Świętych)
- 11 November (Wednesday) – Independence Day (Dzień Niepodległości)
- 25 December (Friday) – Christmas Day
- 26 December (Saturday) – Second Day of Christmas
Public holidays falling on a Saturday entitle employees to take a day off in lieu. Public holidays falling on a Sunday are not compensated with an additional day off.
Trading Sundays (assuming no legislative change)
- 25 January – winter sales
- 29 March – Sunday before Easter
- 26 April – Sunday before the May public holidays
- 28 June – summer sales
- 30 August – Sunday before the new school year
- 13 December – Sunday before Christmas
- 20 December – last Sunday before Christmas
School calendar highlights
Poland operates a two-semester school system. There are no half-term breaks; instead, a two-week winter break (ferie) is staggered by voivodship between mid-January and early March. Summer holidays begin at the end of June and run until the end of August. Christmas and Easter school breaks are shorter than in the UK.
UNITED KINGDOM
Bank holidays
- 1 January (Thursday) – New Year’s Day
- 2 January (Friday) – New Year Holiday (Scotland only)
- 3 April (Friday) – Good Friday
- 6 April (Monday) – Easter Monday
- 4 May (Monday) – Early May Bank Holiday
- 25 May (Monday) – Spring Bank Holiday
- 3 August (Monday) – Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)
- 31 August (Monday) – Summer Bank Holiday (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
- 25 December (Friday) – Christmas Day
- 28 December (Monday) – Boxing Day (substitute day)
In the UK, bank holidays normally fall on Mondays. When Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls at a weekend, a substitute weekday applies.
Operational notes for BPCC members
- Early May in Poland (1–3 May) is traditionally a period of reduced business activity.
• Easter, Corpus Christi and All Saints’ Day are particularly significant in Poland and often involve travel congestion.
• UK summer bank holidays can affect logistics and staffing levels, especially at ports and in road haulage.
• HR teams should anticipate requests for bridging days around mid-week public holidays in Poland.
Month by month in detail
This expanded, month-by-month calendar provides BPCC members with a practical overview of public holidays and key calendar dates in Poland and the UK in 2026. It is intended as a reference document for HR, logistics, marketing and management teams.
JANUARY
1 January (Thursday) is New Year’s Day in both Poland and the UK. In Scotland only, 2 January (Friday) is also a public holiday. 6 January (Tuesday) is Three Kings (Trzech Króli) in Poland, a public holiday since 2011. January is typically a quieter month commercially, though winter sales and planning activities dominate. From 19 January through to 22 February, Poland takes its winter school holidays (ferie), which are held on a staggered, voivodship-by-voivodship basis. The winter holidays in Poland are one of the most important periods of increased tourism. For UK firms doing business with Poland, this time of year means potentially reduced employee availability, increased road traffic and greater strain on transport infrastructure.
Here are the ferie dates for 2026, by voivodship:
| Dolnośląskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Zachodniopomorskie: | 19 January – 1 February
|
| Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie: | 26 January – 8 February |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubuskie, Małopolskie, Świętokrzyskie, Wielkopolskie: | 2 February – 15 February |
| Lubelskie, Łódzkie, Podkarpackie, Pomorskie, Śląskie: | 9 February – 22 February |
And by date:
| 19 January – 1 February | Dolnośląskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Zachodniopomorskie |
| 26 January – 8 February | Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie |
| 2 February – 15 February | Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubuskie, Małopolskie, Świętokrzyskie, Wielkopolskie |
| 9 February – 22 February | Lubelskie, Łódzkie, Podkarpackie, Pomorskie, Śląskie |
FEBRUARY
February contains no public holidays in either country. In the UK, many local authorities schedule spring half-term during this month, which can affect logistics. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 18 February, marking the start of the run-up to Easter.
MARCH
March remains free of public holidays. It is traditionally a period of steady business activity in both markets. Companies should note the approach of Easter and associated seasonal demand. At 2am on the last Sunday of the month, 29 March 2026, clocks move forward in Poland and the rest of the EU; in the UK at 1am, clocks move forward to 02:00 British Summer Time. As usual, despite both countries changing on the same night, Poland remains one hour ahead of the UK after the switch.
APRIL
Easter falls early in April in 2026. Good Friday (3 April) and Easter Monday (6 April) are public holidays in the UK. In Poland, Easter Monday (6 April) is a public holiday, while Good Friday is not. Easter is a major religious and family holiday in Poland and significantly affects business activity.
MAY
Early May is one of the most disrupted business periods in Poland. 1 May (Friday) is Labour Day and 3 May (Sunday) Constitution Day. In the UK, the Early May Bank Holiday falls on Monday 4 May, followed by the Spring Bank Holiday on 25 May.
JUNE
Corpus Christi falls on Thursday 4 June and is a major public holiday in Poland, often prompting extended weekends. June is otherwise a strong business month, though schools in Poland begin to prepare for summer holidays. Schools break up on Friday 26 June; holidays continue through to the end of August.
JULY
July has no public holidays. UK schools break up for summer at varying dates depending on local authority; school summer holidays begin at the end of June and continue through to the end of August as in Poland.
AUGUST
15 August (Saturday) is a public holiday in Poland, marking the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Armed Forces Day. The UK observes Summer Bank Holidays on 3 August (Scotland) and 31 August (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
SEPTEMBER
Tuesday 1 September marks the start of the new school year in Poland. In the UK, schools go back during that first week of September, but exact start date differs from one local authority to another. Business activity generally returns to full pace after the summer holiday period, and continues at a heightened tempo until the start of the run-up to Christmas.
OCTOBER
There are no public holidays in either country. The clocks go back across the EU and in the UK at 2am on Sunday 25 October, marking the return to winter time.
NOVEMBER
1 November (Sunday) is All Saints’ Day in Poland, one of the most important national holidays. 11 November (Wednesday) is Polish Independence Day. The UK has no public holidays this month.
DECEMBER
25 December (Friday) and 26 December (Saturday) are public holidays in both countries. In the UK, Boxing Day is observed on Monday 28 December as a substitute day. Christmas Eve (24 December) is not a public holiday in either country but often involves reduced working hours.
