Public holidays
Madagascar: 16 public holiday dates in 2026 (16 days off) and 15 in 2027 (15 days off), with 253 working days in 2026 and 255 in 2027. National holidays only: regional ones are not included.
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | 2026-W01 | New Year's Day | Yes |
| Sunday 8 March 2026 | 2026-W10 | Women's Day | Yes |
| Sunday 29 March 2026 | 2026-W13 | Martyrs' Day | Yes |
| Sunday 5 April 2026 | 2026-W14 | Easter Sunday | Yes |
| Monday 6 April 2026 | 2026-W15 | Easter Monday | Yes |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | 2026-W18 | Labor Day | Yes |
| Thursday 14 May 2026 | 2026-W20 | Ascension Day | Yes |
| Sunday 24 May 2026 | 2026-W21 | Pentecost | Yes |
| Monday 25 May 2026 | 2026-W22 | Pentecost Monday | Yes |
| Sunday 31 May 2026 | 2026-W22 | Mother's Day | Yes |
| Sunday 21 June 2026 | 2026-W25 | Father's Day | Yes |
| Friday 26 June 2026 | 2026-W26 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Saturday 15 August 2026 | 2026-W33 | Assumption Day | Yes |
| Sunday 1 November 2026 | 2026-W44 | All Saints' Day | Yes |
| Friday 11 December 2026 | 2026-W50 | Republic Day | Yes |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | 2026-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January 2027 | 2026-W53 | New Year's Day | Yes |
| Monday 8 March 2027 | 2027-W10 | Women's Day | Yes |
| Sunday 28 March 2027 | 2027-W12 | Easter Sunday | Yes |
| Monday 29 March 2027 | 2027-W13 | Martyrs' Day | Yes |
| Saturday 1 May 2027 | 2027-W17 | Labor Day | Yes |
| Thursday 6 May 2027 | 2027-W18 | Ascension Day | Yes |
| Sunday 16 May 2027 | 2027-W19 | Pentecost | Yes |
| Monday 17 May 2027 | 2027-W20 | Pentecost Monday | Yes |
| Sunday 30 May 2027 | 2027-W21 | Mother's Day | Yes |
| Sunday 20 June 2027 | 2027-W24 | Father's Day | Yes |
| Saturday 26 June 2027 | 2027-W25 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Sunday 15 August 2027 | 2027-W32 | Assumption Day | Yes |
| Monday 1 November 2027 | 2027-W44 | All Saints' Day | Yes |
| Saturday 11 December 2027 | 2027-W49 | Republic Day | Yes |
| Saturday 25 December 2027 | 2027-W51 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April 2026 | Sunday 28 March 2027 | −8 days, changes month |
| Ascension Day | Thursday 14 May 2026 | Thursday 6 May 2027 | −8 days |
| Pentecost | Sunday 24 May 2026 | Sunday 16 May 2027 | −8 days |
| Pentecost Monday | Monday 25 May 2026 | Monday 17 May 2027 | −8 days |
| Mother's Day | Sunday 31 May 2026 | Sunday 30 May 2027 | −1 day |
| Father's Day | Sunday 21 June 2026 | Sunday 20 June 2027 | −1 day |
A shift ignores the year: +19 days means 19 days later in the calendar.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 20 | −1 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| March | 22 | 21 | −1 |
| April | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| May | 18 | 19 | +1 |
| June | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| July | 23 | 22 | −1 |
| August | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| September | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| October | 22 | 21 | −1 |
| November | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| December | 21 | 23 | +2 |
| Q1 | 63 | 61 | −2 |
| Q2 | 60 | 63 | +3 |
| Q3 | 66 | 66 | 0 |
| Q4 | 64 | 65 | +1 |
| Year | 253 | 255 | +2 |
Weekdays by the local weekend (Sunday and Saturday), minus the public holidays most people have off.
The first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian calendar, 1 January. Cultures and religions that follow a lunisolar or lunar calendar celebrate their New Year at other points of the year. Japan celebrates New Year on 1 January, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, instead of with the Chinese calendar that was in use until 1873.
At work: Fine to mention, and a natural moment to wish colleagues well.
29 March marks the beginning of the 1947 uprising.
At work: A solemn day, so avoid "enjoy" wishes.
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.
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.
International Workers' Day, on 1 May, honours workers and the labour movement. The date was chosen to commemorate the 1886 general strike in the United States that culminated in the Haymarket affair, and the day was adopted in support of a "great international demonstration" for the eight-hour day.
At work: Fine to mention the day off. In some countries it has a political side, so keep it about the break.
Ascension Day is a Christian feast commemorating Jesus's ascension into heaven. It is held 39 days after Easter Sunday, which is the 40th day of Easter, so it always falls on a Thursday.
At work: Where it is a holiday, everyone is off on Thursday.
Pentecost, also called Whit Sunday, is a Christian holiday on the 49th day (50th, counting inclusively) after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus's followers. It is a Sunday, with a public holiday on the Monday in many countries.
At work: Mostly a weekend event with services and family time. Where it is a holiday it comes with Whit Monday, so expect a slow Monday too.
Whit Monday is the day after Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus's followers on the 50th day after Easter. Pentecost is a Sunday, so the holiday is the Monday that follows.
At work: A long weekend. Plan around slower replies.
A day to honour mothers. The date differs by country: in the United States it is the second Sunday of May, in Lithuania the first Sunday of May, in Latvia and Samoa the second Sunday of May, and in Madagascar the last Sunday of May. Other countries tie it to another day: Costa Rica to 15 August (the Assumption of Mary), Panama to 8 December (the Immaculate Conception), Syria to the spring equinox, and Georgia to 3 March. Tajikistan celebrates it on 8 March, with International Women's Day.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Check which day the colleague celebrates, since it is not the same everywhere; the card shows the date.
A day to honour fathers. Dates differ: June in Lithuania, Madagascar and El Salvador, and the second Sunday of August in Samoa. The modern day began in the United States, where Sonora Smart Dodd campaigned for it from 1909 and it became a national holiday in 1972. In some Catholic countries fathers are celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day instead.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off where it is a holiday; the card shows the date.
Marks 26 June 1960, when Madagascar became independent from France.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
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.
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".
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 Madagascar in TimeBento, next to the other places you work with.