Public holidays
Haiti: 16 public holiday dates in 2026 (16 days off) and 16 in 2027 (16 days off), with 250 working days in 2026 and 252 in 2027. National holidays only: regional ones are not included.
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | 2026-W01 | National Independence Day | Yes |
| Friday 2 January 2026 | 2026-W01 | Ancestry Day | Yes |
| Sunday 15 February 2026 | 2026-W07 | Carnival | Yes |
| Monday 16 February 2026 | 2026-W08 | Shrove Monday | Yes |
| Tuesday 17 February 2026 | 2026-W08 | Fat Tuesday | Yes |
| Friday 3 April 2026 | 2026-W14 | Good Friday | Yes |
| Sunday 5 April 2026 | 2026-W14 | Easter Sunday | Yes |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | 2026-W18 | Agriculture and Labor Day | Yes |
| Monday 18 May 2026 | 2026-W21 | Flag Day and University Day | Yes |
| Thursday 4 June 2026 | 2026-W23 | Corpus Christi | Yes |
| Saturday 15 August 2026 | 2026-W33 | Assumption Day | Yes |
| Saturday 17 October 2026 | 2026-W42 | Death of Dessalines | Yes |
| Sunday 1 November 2026 | 2026-W44 | All Saints' Day | Yes |
| Monday 2 November 2026 | 2026-W45 | Day of the Dead | Yes |
| Wednesday 18 November 2026 | 2026-W47 | Armed Forces Day | Yes |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | 2026-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January 2027 | 2026-W53 | National Independence Day | Yes |
| Saturday 2 January 2027 | 2026-W53 | Ancestry Day | Yes |
| Sunday 7 February 2027 | 2027-W05 | Carnival | Yes |
| Monday 8 February 2027 | 2027-W06 | Shrove Monday | Yes |
| Tuesday 9 February 2027 | 2027-W06 | Fat Tuesday | Yes |
| Friday 26 March 2027 | 2027-W12 | Good Friday | Yes |
| Sunday 28 March 2027 | 2027-W12 | Easter Sunday | Yes |
| Saturday 1 May 2027 | 2027-W17 | Agriculture and Labor Day | Yes |
| Tuesday 18 May 2027 | 2027-W20 | Flag Day and University Day | Yes |
| Thursday 27 May 2027 | 2027-W21 | Corpus Christi | Yes |
| Sunday 15 August 2027 | 2027-W32 | Assumption Day | Yes |
| Sunday 17 October 2027 | 2027-W41 | Death of Dessalines | Yes |
| Monday 1 November 2027 | 2027-W44 | All Saints' Day | Yes |
| Tuesday 2 November 2027 | 2027-W44 | Day of the Dead | Yes |
| Thursday 18 November 2027 | 2027-W46 | Armed Forces Day | Yes |
| Saturday 25 December 2027 | 2027-W51 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Sunday 15 February 2026 | Sunday 7 February 2027 | −8 days |
| Shrove Monday | Monday 16 February 2026 | Monday 8 February 2027 | −8 days |
| Fat Tuesday | Tuesday 17 February 2026 | Tuesday 9 February 2027 | −8 days |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April 2026 | Friday 26 March 2027 | −8 days, changes month |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April 2026 | Sunday 28 March 2027 | −8 days, changes month |
| Corpus Christi | Thursday 4 June 2026 | Thursday 27 May 2027 | −8 days, changes month |
A shift ignores the year: +19 days means 19 days later in the calendar.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| February | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| March | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| April | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| May | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| June | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| July | 23 | 22 | −1 |
| August | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| September | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| October | 22 | 21 | −1 |
| November | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| December | 22 | 23 | +1 |
| Q1 | 60 | 60 | 0 |
| Q2 | 61 | 63 | +2 |
| Q3 | 66 | 66 | 0 |
| Q4 | 63 | 63 | 0 |
| Year | 250 | 252 | +2 |
Weekdays by the local weekend (Sunday and Saturday), minus the public holidays most people have off.
1 January commemorates the day in 1804 when Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti's independence and restored the country's native name. It is also New Year's Day, and Haitian Independence Day is one of the two most important holidays for Haitian Americans.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
2 January commemorates ancestors and other loved ones who have died fighting for freedom.
At work: Welcome to mention with respect. A day off.
A festive season before Lent, made up of Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday. It has public parades, street parties, music and dancing, and costumes and masks. It is known for Rio de Janeiro, Venice and Trinidad and Tobago.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Expect parties, travel and quiet offices around the days.
Carnival Monday (Lundi Gras), a movable public holiday before Lent in Haiti.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Expect parties and quiet offices.
Carnival Tuesday (Mardi Gras), a movable public holiday before Lent in Haiti.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Expect parties and quiet offices.
A solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus, observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It falls on the Friday immediately before Easter Sunday.
At work: Fine to mention the long weekend. It is a sombre day for those who observe it, so avoid "Happy Good Friday". Its date moves every year with Easter, so check the calendar when planning spring deadlines.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is the most important feast of the Christian year. Families go to church and share a festive meal, and in many places Easter eggs are decorated and broken together as a symbol of the empty tomb. Easter is a moveable feast, with its date set by a lunisolar calendar. Easter Monday, the day after, is a public holiday in more than 50 predominantly Christian countries.
At work: Widely welcome to mention. Colleagues may be away for the whole long weekend.
1 May is the international Labour Day, known in Haiti as Labour and Agriculture Day.
At work: Welcome to mention. A day off.
18 May celebrates Haiti's educational system and commemorates the creation of the flag at the Arcahaye Conference of 1803.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
The Feast of Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, celebrates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is observed by the Catholic Church and by some Lutheran and Anglican churches, nine weeks after Maundy Thursday.
At work: Fine to mention. A Thursday off where it is a holiday.
The Assumption of Mary is the Catholic dogma that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heaven. It is celebrated on 15 August. The Eastern Churches have an equivalent belief, the Dormition.
At work: Fine to mention. A public holiday in many Catholic countries.
17 October commemorates the death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared Haiti's independence in 1804.
At work: A solemn day; mention it only with respect. A day off.
A Christian holy day celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, on 1 November in the Catholic Church. It is followed by All Souls' Day on 2 November. Where it is a public holiday, cemetery rituals such as offerings of flowers, candles and prayers for the graves of loved ones often take place. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
At work: Fine to mention, but it is a reflective day about remembering loved ones, not a festive one, so avoid "Happy All Saints' Day".
2 November is All Souls' Day, a Roman Catholic holiday that commemorates the faithful departed.
At work: A solemn, family day; mention it only with respect. A day off.
18 November commemorates the Battle of Vertières in 1803, the victory over the French, and is Armed Forces Day.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on 25 December. Eastern Christian Churches that follow the older Julian calendar celebrate it on 25 December of that calendar, which currently corresponds to 7 January. It is a public holiday in many countries, and many non-Christians celebrate it culturally too.
At work: Widely welcome to mention. Plan important meetings before the break. If you're unsure whether someone celebrates it, "Happy holidays" is a safe choice.
Open Haiti in TimeBento, next to the other places you work with.