Public holidays in the Netherlands

The national holidays in the Netherlands are the following:

While there are other holidays which are widely celebrated, these are not officially recognised national holidays. They are as follows:

• Saint Nicholas's Eve (the eve of Sinterklaas, also called Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond) on 5 December is not a national holiday, it is widely celebrated. Saint Nicholas' traditional name day is on 6 December; however, it is Saint Nicholas' Eve, the day before, which is the focus of celebrations in the Netherlands.
• In the south and east of the Netherlands, Carnival is celebrated on the three days before Ash Wednesday. The earliest possible date is on 1 February, the latest possible date is 9 March. Though not an official holiday, many people, particularly in the south, take the week off to celebrate. Schools in both regions schedule their spring holiday at the same time.
• There has been some debate over whether the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Dutch: Suikerfeest; lit.'Sugar festival') should be a national holiday. This was met by opposition from right-wing political parties such as the PVV and SGP. For now, Eid ul-Fitr is not an official national holiday, but it usually justifies a day off for Islamic employees. Schools are still able to give additional days off for this purpose.