Also on Bank Holidays UK: Public Holidays in Germany 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers · Public Holidays in Spain 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers · Public Holidays in Italy 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers

GREECE · PUBLIC HOLIDAYS · ORTHODOX CALENDAR · NATIONAL HOLIDAYS · UK TRAVEL GUIDE

Public Holidays in Greece 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers

Greece has 14 national public holidays in 2026 — one of the highest counts in Europe — all observed nationwide and built around the Greek Orthodox calendar. This guide covers every date, what’s open and closed, how ferries to the islands are affected, and how the calendar compares with UK bank holidays — verified against the Hellenic Ministry of Interior and triangulated with Nager.Date.

Upcoming public holidays in Greece

The next Greek public holidays after 27 May 2026. All 14 dates listed below are national — Greece has no regional public holidays in the Spanish or Italian sense; every date applies across the mainland and the islands. The orthodox calendar means several dates fall on different days from the Western (Catholic/Protestant) calendar UK travellers may know.

Date	Holiday	Type	Bridge / note
Sunday 31 May	Pentecost (Πεντηκοστή)	National religious	Falls on a Sunday — natural 3-day weekend with Whit Monday
Monday 1 June	Whit Monday (Δευτέρα Πεντηκοστής)	National religious	3-day weekend — heavy domestic travel to islands and mainland villages
Saturday 15 August	Dormition of the Mother of God (Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου)	National religious	Falls on a Saturday — lost (Greece does not shift to Monday). Still peak holiday week.
Wednesday 28 October	Ohi Day (Το Όχι)	National civil	Mid-week — pont possible by taking Mon+Tue or Thu+Fri
Friday 25 December	Christmas Day (Χριστούγεννα)	National religious	Natural 3-day weekend with Synaxis on 26 Dec
Saturday 26 December	Synaxis of the Mother of God (Σύναξις Θεοτόκου)	National religious	Falls on a Saturday — lost (not equivalent to UK Boxing Day, see notes)

Multi-year calendar — 2026, 2027, 2028

Greece's 14 national public holidays across 2026, 2027 and 2028. Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Good Friday, Clean Monday, Pentecost and Whit Monday are movable — but they follow the Greek Orthodox calendar, which can differ from Western Easter by up to five weeks. The other eight dates are fixed civil or religious holidays. Greece has 14 national holidays — one of the highest counts in the EU.

Holiday	2026	2027	2028
New Year's Day (Πρωτοχρονιά)	Thursday 1 January	Friday 1 January	Saturday 1 January
Epiphany / Theophany (Θεοφάνεια)	Tuesday 6 January	Wednesday 6 January	Thursday 6 January
Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα)	Monday 23 February	Monday 15 March	Monday 28 February
Annunciation + Independence Day (25 Μαρτίου)	Wednesday 25 March	Thursday 25 March	Saturday 25 March
Good Friday (Μεγάλη Παρασκευή)	Friday 10 April	Friday 30 April	Friday 14 April
Easter Sunday (Κυριακή του Πάσχα)	Sunday 12 April	Sunday 2 May	Sunday 16 April
Easter Monday (Δευτέρα του Πάσχα)	Monday 13 April	Monday 3 May	Monday 17 April
Labour Day (Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά)	Friday 1 May	Saturday 1 May	Monday 1 May
Pentecost (Πεντηκοστή)	Sunday 31 May	Sunday 20 June	Sunday 4 June
Whit Monday (Δευτέρα Πεντηκοστής)	Monday 1 June	Monday 21 June	Monday 5 June
Dormition (Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου)	Saturday 15 August	Sunday 15 August	Tuesday 15 August
Ohi Day (Το Όχι)	Wednesday 28 October	Thursday 28 October	Saturday 28 October
Christmas Day (Χριστούγεννα)	Friday 25 December	Saturday 25 December	Monday 25 December
Synaxis of the Mother of God (Σύναξις Θεοτόκου)	Saturday 26 December	Sunday 26 December	Tuesday 26 December

What's open and closed for UK travellers in Greece

On Greek public holidays, banks, post offices and government services close, but tourist-facing Greece largely stays open in season — tavernas, cafés, archaeological sites and major attractions trade through every holiday except Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. The two things most likely to catch UK travellers out are ferries to the islands (reduced or cancelled on major Orthodox holidays) and supermarkets (closed nationals, open Sundays on tourist islands). Here's the practical breakdown:

🏦 Banks (National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank)	Closed on all 14 national public holidays. ATMs operate normally and UK debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Revolut, Monzo, Starling, Wise) draw euros without issue — Wise and Revolut waive ATM fees up to a monthly limit, useful given Greek ATM operator fees can reach €3. Greek branches typically open Mon–Thu 08:00–14:30, Fri 08:00–14:00, so weekday banking is the norm in any case. Online banking and SEPA transfers run as usual on holidays.
🛒 Supermarkets (AB Vassilopoulos, Sklavenitis, Lidl, My Market)	Closed on all 14 national holidays by law (Greek Sunday-trading rules also restrict opening on most Sundays). On tourist islands (Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete) and in central Athens, small mini-markets and periptera (kiosks) usually stay open on holidays except Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Local bakeries (φούρνος) typically open holiday mornings — fresh bread and tiropita are reliable even on 25 March or Ohi Day.
🍽️ Tavernas, cafés, restaurants (everywhere)	Almost universally open in tourist areas and Athens, including on national holidays — especially through the May–October season. Greek dining culture treats holidays as social occasions, and Easter Sunday lunch (typically spit-roast lamb) is the biggest meal of the year, served everywhere from tavernas to hotels. The exceptions: many tavernas close on Good Friday evening (Επιτάφιος procession) and on Easter Saturday until after midnight Liturgy. Booking is essential at Easter in Athens, Thessaloniki and major islands.
⛴️ Ferries to the islands (Blue Star, ANEK, Minoan, SeaJets, Hellenic Seaways)	Critical for UK island-hoppers. Ferries run REDUCED schedules on Orthodox Easter (10–13 April 2026), Dormition (15 August) and Christmas Day — and may be CANCELLED entirely on Good Friday afternoon and Easter Sunday on smaller routes. Book Piraeus → Cyclades/Crete crossings 4–6 weeks ahead for Easter and August. The Blue Star and ANEK websites publish revised holiday timetables roughly 7–10 days before the date. Anek Lines also runs Patras ↔ Italy services that are similarly reduced.
🚆 Hellenic Train (Athens–Thessaloniki main line, Proastiakos suburban)	The Greek rail network is much smaller than France's or Italy's — the main service UK travellers use is Athens–Thessaloniki (around 4h on the IC trains) and the Proastiakos airport link to Athens centre. Hellenic Train runs a reduced Sunday-style timetable on national holidays. Airport ↔ Athens metro (Line 3) operates normally on all holidays except 1 January after midnight celebrations. Bookings via hellenictrain.gr or Trainline.
🏛️ Archaeological sites & museums (Acropolis, Delphi, Knossos, Olympia, Archaeological Museum)	Most major Greek archaeological sites and museums open on national holidays with Sunday hours. Universal closure dates: 1 January, 25 March (morning only — parade), Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December. The Acropolis stays open every other day of the year, including 28 October Ohi Day and 15 August Dormition. Booking online (acropoliscave.gr) is essential April–October — same-day queues commonly run 90+ minutes.
✈️ Airports (Athens ATH, Thessaloniki SKG, Heraklion HER, Santorini JTR, Rhodes RHO, Corfu CFU)	All operate 24/7 — Athens Eleftherios Venizelos handles the bulk of UK arrivals year-round. UK–Greece is one of the strongest summer corridors in Europe: easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, British Airways and AEGEAN all serve direct routes. Fares spike +70% during Greek Orthodox Easter week, July, August and the first week of September. Cheapest months from the UK: late October (post-Ohi) and early March. Athens ↔ London routes run year-round; island airports (JTR, RHO, CFU) are heavily seasonal April–November.

UK bank holidays that line up with Greece dates

For UK travellers planning a trip, certain combinations of UK bank holidays and Greek public holidays produce particularly good long-weekend opportunities. Internal cross-reference: see also our complete list of UK bank holidays for 2026.

Period	UK side	Greece side	Trip tip
10–13 April 2026	UK weekend (no UK BH)	Greek Orthodox Easter (Fri 10 – Mon 13 Apr)	4 days · Athens, Nafplio or Hydra for Anastasi (midnight Easter Liturgy) — note Western Easter is 5 April so UK schools may not align
1–4 May 2026	Early May Bank Holiday (Mon 4 May)	Labour Day Greece (Fri 1 May)	4 days · Crete or Rhodes for early-season warmth — flights cheaper than peak summer
23–25 May 2026	Spring Bank Holiday (Mon 25 May)	No Greek BH that week	3 days · Athens city break — Pentecost weekend follows but doesn't overlap
30 May – 2 June 2026	UK weekend (no UK BH)	Pentecost (Sun 31 May) + Whit Monday (Mon 1 Jun)	3 days with Monday off · ferry crowds to Aegina, Hydra and Spetses — book early
14–17 August 2026	Summer leave UK	Dormition (Sat 15 Aug)	Lost Greek holiday but peak season — Tinos and Paros host the biggest Dormition pilgrimages; expect +70% flight fares
24–28 October 2026	UK weekend (no UK BH)	Ohi Day (Wed 28 Oct)	5 days with Mon+Tue off · Thessaloniki military parade is the biggest in Greece — perfect autumn break (still warm)
24 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027	UK Christmas + New Year	Χριστούγεννα (Fri 25 Dec) + Synaxis (Sat 26 Dec) + Πρωτοχρονιά (Fri 1 Jan)	8–10 days · Athens illuminations, Thessaloniki Christmas village, Naxos for quieter island Christmas

Easter timing, name days and other Greek calendar peculiarities

Greece does not have regional public holidays in the Spanish or French sense — all 14 national dates apply uniformly across the mainland and islands. What does vary is the religious overlay on top: name days, local saints' patronal fiestas (panigyri), and the swing of Orthodox Easter away from the Western date. Here are the date-shifts and locally observed days most travel-relevant for UK visitors:

Date	Holiday	Where it matters	What happens
30 Jan	Three Hierarchs (Τριών Ιεραρχών)	Schools and universities (nationwide)	Patron saints of Greek education — schools and universities close, but not banks or businesses
23 Feb	Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα)	Nationwide — special focus in Athens (Filopappou Hill), Thessaloniki	Start of Orthodox Lent — families fly kites and eat lagana flatbread and seafood (no meat or dairy)
25 Mar	Independence Day military parade	Athens (Syntagma to Panathenaic Stadium)	Major civil-religious parade — central Athens traffic closures from early morning
10 Apr	Good Friday Epitaphios procession	Every parish church (especially atmospheric in Pyrgi on Chios, Hydra, Mykonos)	Decorated bier of Christ paraded through villages after evening service — solemn, lit by candles
12 Apr	Anastasi (midnight Easter Liturgy)	Every Greek church — major venues in Athens (Metropolis Cathedral), Patras, Corfu	Saturday-night midnight service into Easter Sunday — fireworks, lit candles, 'Christos Anesti' greetings
21 May	Day of Saints Constantine and Helen	Northern Greece (Macedonia, Thrace), Anastenaria fire-walkers in Aghia Eleni village	Big name day for anyone called Konstantinos/Eleni — not a public holiday, but the Anastenaria ritual is unique
15 Aug	Dormition pilgrimage (Παναγία)	Tinos (biggest), Paros (Ekatontapyliani), Patmos	Largest pilgrimage in Greece — Tinos ferries from Rafina/Piraeus heavily booked from 12 Aug
28 Oct	Ohi Day military parade	Thessaloniki (biggest), Athens, every town	Commemorates Greece's 1940 refusal of Mussolini's ultimatum — major military parade in Thessaloniki

Cultural notes — how Greek holidays differ from UK bank holidays

Five quirks of the Greek calendar that catch UK travellers and expats out:

• Orthodox Easter is NOT the same date as Western Easter. The Greek Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar for Paschalion (Easter calculation), so Greek Easter can fall up to five weeks later than the Western (Catholic/Anglican) Easter most UK travellers know. In 2026 the two dates fall close: Western Easter is Sunday 5 April, Greek Easter is Sunday 12 April — one week apart. But in other years the gap is much larger: 2024 they shared the same date, 2025 Greek Easter was a week later (20 April vs 13), 2027 they diverge sharply (Western 28 March vs Greek 2 May — five weeks). UK schools and tour operators follow Western Easter, so Greek tavernas and ferries may already be in 'Holy Week mode' while UK school holidays haven't started.
• Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα) — a public holiday found nowhere else in Europe. Clean Monday (23 February 2026) marks the start of Greek Orthodox Lent — a 7-week fasting period (the strictest in any major Christian tradition). It's unique to Greece and Cyprus among EU countries. Tradition: families head outdoors and fly elaborate kites, picnic on lagana (unleavened flatbread), olives, seafood (octopus, squid, shellfish — allowed because they have no blood), taramasalata and halva. The dish list is sea-heavy because meat, eggs and dairy are forbidden. Athens' Filopappou Hill is the city's main kite-flying spot. A wonderful day to be in Greece but a near-total business shutdown.
• Name days are traditionally more important than birthdays. Every Greek named after an Orthodox saint celebrates their onomastiki giorti (name day) — the feast day of that saint — and historically this matters more than the birthday. Anyone called Maria celebrates on 15 August (Dormition); Giorgos/Georgia on 23 April (Saint George); Konstantinos/Eleni on 21 May; Dimitris/Dimitra on 26 October. On the morning of a name day, the celebrant typically hosts an open house with sweets and drinks — including for unannounced visitors. UK visitors invited to a Greek home around a name day should bring sweets (loukoumia, baklava) rather than wine.
• Ferries to the islands run reduced or cancelled schedules on major holidays. This is the single biggest practical risk for UK island-hoppers. Around Orthodox Easter weekend (10–13 April 2026), Dormition (15 August) and Christmas, Blue Star, ANEK, Minoan and SeaJets run reduced or 'Sunday-style' timetables — and on Good Friday afternoon and Easter Sunday, some smaller inter-island routes are cancelled outright. Always check openseas.gr or ferryhopper.com for the revised schedule, which appears 7–10 days before the holiday. Athens (Piraeus, Rafina, Lavrio) ↔ Cyclades/Crete is the busiest corridor — book 4–6 weeks ahead for Easter and August.
• Ohi Day (28 October) — the most underrated holiday for UK visitors. Ohi Day commemorates Greece's 'Όχι' (No) on 28 October 1940, when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas refused Mussolini's ultimatum to allow Italian troops to occupy strategic locations — bringing Greece into the Second World War on the Allied side. The largest military parade in modern Greece takes place in Thessaloniki (not Athens — Athens has a student parade on 27 October and military parade on 25 March instead). It is rarely on UK traveller radar but the autumn weather (still 20–22°C in northern Greece) makes it one of the smartest late-season city-break weeks of the year.

UK travellers and residents in Greece

Greece hosts a smaller British resident population than Spain or France — approximately 15,000 UK nationals, concentrated in Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Athens. The reverse flow is more significant: around 35,000 Greeks live in the UK, with North London (Camden, Wood Green, Palmers Green) and Manchester the largest communities — the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Bayswater is the spiritual centre. UK–Greece tourist travel reaches roughly 4.5 million visits per year from the UK alone, making Greece the UK's 5th or 6th largest outbound destination by volume — and by far the most seasonally concentrated, with 70%+ of arrivals between June and September. Post-Brexit, UK passport holders are subject to the 90/180-day Schengen limit and should monitor day-counts carefully across summer trips. The UK FCDO travel advice for Greece is the official reference for entry, health and safety; the British Embassy in Athens plus consulates on Crete (Heraklion), Corfu, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Zakynthos and Mykonos close on both UK bank holidays and Greek national holidays — around 22 closures per year.

Frequently asked questions — Public holidays in Greece

How many public holidays does Greece have in 2026?

Greece has 14 national public holidays in 2026 — one of the highest counts in the EU, alongside Cyprus and the Czech Republic. Unlike Spain or Germany, Greece has no regional public holidays: all 14 dates apply uniformly across the mainland and the islands. Of the 14 holidays, four fall on a weekend in 2026 (Easter Sunday on 12 April, Pentecost on 31 May, Dormition on Saturday 15 August, and Synaxis on Saturday 26 December) — Greece does not shift weekend holidays to a Monday, so those days are effectively lost.

When is Greek Easter 2026?

Greek Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday 12 April 2026, with Good Friday on 10 April and Easter Monday on 13 April. This is one week later than Western Easter (Sunday 5 April 2026 in the UK and most of Western Europe). The two calendars use different Paschalion (Easter calculation) systems — the Greek Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar — so the dates can diverge by up to five weeks in some years. In 2027 the gap is much wider: Western Easter is 28 March, Greek Easter is 2 May. UK travellers booking around Easter should always check which Easter their tour operator is referring to.

Are shops open on Greek public holidays?

Most banks, supermarkets (AB Vassilopoulos, Sklavenitis, Lidl), large stores and government offices close on all 14 national holidays. On tourist islands (Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu) and in central Athens, small mini-markets, periptera (kiosks) and bakeries usually stay open on holidays except Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Tavernas, cafés, restaurants and beach bars remain open throughout the May–October season — Greek hospitality culture treats holidays as the biggest social-dining days of the year. The strictest closures are Easter Sunday and 25 December; on Easter Saturday most tavernas open only after the midnight Anastasi liturgy.

What's the biggest public holiday in Greece?

Easter (Πάσχα) — by a wide margin. In Greek Orthodox tradition, Easter is more important than Christmas, both spiritually and as a family event. The week from Good Friday (Μεγάλη Παρασκευή) through Easter Monday is the year's biggest social calendar moment: the candlelit Epitaphios procession on Good Friday evening, the midnight Anastasi liturgy on Saturday with 'Christos Anesti' greetings, the spit-roast lamb lunch on Easter Sunday. Civically, 25 March (Independence Day) and 28 October (Ohi Day) are the major parade days — Ohi's biggest parade is in Thessaloniki rather than Athens. For pilgrimage scale, 15 August (Dormition) on Tinos draws more people than any other religious event.

Do banks close on Greek public holidays?

Yes — all Greek banks (National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank) close on all 14 national public holidays. ATMs operate normally and UK card holders (Visa, Mastercard, Revolut, Monzo, Starling, Wise) can withdraw euros without issue, though Greek ATM operator fees can reach €3 per transaction — Wise and Revolut waive these up to a monthly limit. Online banking and SEPA transfers run as usual. Greek branch hours are normally Mon–Thu 08:00–14:30 and Fri 08:00–14:00, so weekday banking is the norm even outside holidays.

Are ferries to the Greek islands running on public holidays?

Yes, but on REDUCED schedules — and this is the single biggest practical issue for UK island-hopping itineraries. Blue Star, ANEK, Minoan, SeaJets and Hellenic Seaways all publish revised holiday timetables typically 7–10 days before each major date. Around Orthodox Easter (10–13 April 2026), Good Friday afternoon and Easter Sunday see the heaviest cuts — some smaller inter-island routes are cancelled entirely. Dormition (15 August) and Christmas Day are similarly affected. For Piraeus/Rafina ↔ Cyclades/Crete crossings, book 4–6 weeks ahead for Easter and August. Always check openseas.gr or ferryhopper.com close to your travel date.

Is Boxing Day (26 December) a public holiday in Greece?

Yes — but it is not the equivalent of UK Boxing Day. In Greece, 26 December is the Synaxis of the Mother of God (Σύναξις της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου), a religious feast honouring the Virgin Mary's role in the Nativity. It is a national public holiday — banks, schools and offices close — but it is a quiet religious observance, not a shopping or family-sport tradition like the UK Boxing Day. Some sources mistakenly translate the day as 'St Stephen's Day' (which is the equivalent in many Western European countries) but in Greece the feast is dedicated to the Theotokos, not Saint Stephen.

Do I need a visa to travel from the UK to Greece on a public holiday?

Post-Brexit, UK passport holders can enter Greece for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa — Greece is in the Schengen Area. Passport must be issued less than 10 years before the entry date and valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure. From mid-2026, ETIAS (the EU's electronic travel authorisation, around €7 for 3 years) is expected to be required for short stays — check gov.uk and the EU's official ETIAS site before booking. Greek public holidays do not affect entry rules or border processing — Athens ATH, Thessaloniki SKG and the major island airports run with full passport control on all holidays. The FCDO travel advice for Greece is the official UK reference.

Link to this page

If you've found this guide useful and would like to reference it on your own site, blog or article, here's the link to use:

Related guides

• All UK bank holidays 2026 — Bank Holidays UK homepage
• Complete List of UK Bank Holidays 2026 — all 8 days explained
• Public Holidays in Spain 2026 — the UK's #1 outbound destination

---

Updated for 2026 · Sources: Hellenic Ministry of Interior, Nager.Date, UK FCDO travel advice for Greece · Last verified: 27 May 2026 · Bank Holidays UK Editorial Team · ← All UK bank holidays