Public Holidays in the Czech Republic in 2017: Less Working Days and 6 Long Weekends

2017 brings mere 250 working days and 6 long weekends.

Find here a complete list of Czech national holidays in 2017, spring holidays for children in regions of the Czech Republic, and basic information about remuneration of work during public holidays.

There are 12 bank holidays in the Czech Republic. The dates of the holidays are fixed, except for Good Friday and Easter Monday. The “sliding holiday” concept is not recognized in the Czech Republic, i.e. when a holiday falls on a Saturday/Sunday, the following Monday is a business day.

Only 3 public holidays match the weekends in 2017 – New YearIndependent Czechoslovak State Day (Oct 28), and Christmas Eve. This cuts the number of working days to 250 in 2017 (for example, we had 252 working days in 2016).

The best dates for vacation in 2017 are in the weeks beginning with Mondays of May 1st and 8th; or in the first week of July 2017 – only 3 days off your work schedule will make you a long holiday of a week plus two weekends.

You can start making plans for 4 free days in a row in April or at the Christmas time. In November and December 2017, there are two long weekends – one begins with the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy (Nov 17) and the other is followed by New Year’s Monday of 2018.

Daylight saving time (Central European Summer Time or in Czech letní čas) starts on March 26, 2017 when at 02:00 AM clocks are turned forward 1 hour, and ends on October 29, 2017 at 03:00 AM when the clocks are turned backward.

Don’t forget the new law entered into force in fall 2016 and limits the sales during public holidays in the Czech Republic. All stores bigger than 200 m2 stay closed on New Year’s Day (Jan 1), Easter Monday (Apr 17), Liberation Day (May 8), St. Wenceslas Day (Sept 28), Independent Day (Oct 28), and Christmas (Dec 25 and 26).

Remuneration for Work on Public Holiday and Weekends

An employee is entitled to the regular wages and (paid) time off (one hour of work on a holiday = one hour of time off) for working on a public holiday, or when an employee and company agree, such employee receives an extra payment for work on a public holiday in the amount of at least his/her average earnings (100%).

According to the Czech Labor Code, an employer can request overtime work when there are serious operational reasons for it. A total scope of overtime work required by the employer may not exceed 8 hours per week and 150 hours in the calendar year. In excess of this scope, the employer is allowed to require further overtime work only with a consent of an employee. Learn more about rules and laws regarding overtime work in the Czech Republic.

Czech Public Holidays in 2017

Date Weekday Holiday Name Description Czech
1-Jan Sunday New Year’s Day, Restoration of the Czech Independence Day Czechoslovakia ceases to exist and a new,  independent Czech state is established Den obnovy samostatného českého státu; Nový rok
14-Apr Friday Good Friday Friday before Easter Sunday Velký pátek
17-Apr Monday Easter Monday Monday after Easter Sunday Velikonoční pondělí
1-May Monday Labor Day / 1st of May International Labor Day; May 1st is also celebrated as a day of love in the Czech Republic Svátek práce
8-May Monday Liberation Day End of second world war Den vítězství or Den osvobození
5-Jul Wednesday Saints Cyril and Methodius Slavic missionaries Cyril arrive in Great Moravia bringing a new alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje
6-Jul Thursday Jan Hus Day Anniversary of martyrdom of Jan Hus Den upálení mistra Jana Husa
28-Sep Thursday St. Wenceslas Day St. Wenceslas Day (Czech Statehood Day) Den české státnosti
28-Oct Saturday Independent Czechoslovak State Day Czechoslovakia is established in 1918 Den vzniku samostatného československého státu
17-Nov Friday Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Commemoration of students’ protests in 1939 and 1989 leading to “Velvet Revolution” Den boje za svobodu a demokracii
24-Dec Sunday Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Štědrý den
25-Dec Monday First Christmas Day First Christmas Day 1. Svátek vánoční
26-Dec Tuesday St. Stephen’s Day, Second Christmas Day St. Stephen’s Day, Second Christmas Day 2. Svátek vánoční

Spring Holiday in Cities and Regions in the Czech Republic in 2017

February 6 – 12, 2017 Praha 6 až 10, Cheb, Karlovy Vary, Sokolov, Nymburk, Jindřichův Hradec, Litoměřice, Děčín, Přerov, Frýdek-Místek
February 13 – 19, 2017 Kroměříž, Uherské Hradiště, Vsetín, Zlín, Praha-východ, Praha-západ, Mělník, Rakovník, Plzeň-město, Plzeň-sever, Plzeň-jih, Hradec Králové, Teplice, Nový Jičín
February 20 – 26, 2017 Česká Lípa, Jablonec nad Nisou, Liberec, Semily, Havlíčkův Brod, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Třebíč, Žďár nad Sázavou, Kladno, Kolín, Kutná Hora, Písek, Náchod, Bruntál
February 27 – March 5, 2017 Mladá Boleslav, Příbram, Tábor, Prachatice, Strakonice, Ústí nad Labem, Chomutov, Most, Jičín, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Olomouc, Šumperk, Opava, Jeseník
March 6 – 12, 2017 Benešov, Beroun, Rokycany, České Budějovice, Český Krumlov, Klatovy, Trutnov, Pardubice, Chrudim, Svitavy, Ústí nad Orlicí, Ostrava-město, Prostějov
March 13 – 19, 2017 Praha 1 až 5, Blansko, Brno-město, Brno-venkov, Břeclav, Hodonín, Vyškov, Znojmo, Domažlice, Tachov, Louny, Karviná
Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

Article: Public Holidays in the Czech Republic in 2017: Less Working Days and 6 Long Weekends
Average rating:  
 0 reviews

Sources:
Czech National Bank, 2016. Bank holidays in the Czech Republic at: https://www.cnb.cz/en/public/media_service/schedules/media_svatky.html.
Idnes.cz, 2016: Kalendář roku 2017: Méně pracovních dnů a šest prodloužených víkendů at http://zpravy.idnes.cz/kalendar-rok-2017-svatky-jarni-prazdniny-skolni-rok-oteviraci-doba-zatmeni-letni-cas-volno-gbz-/domaci.aspx?c=A161130_132424_domaci_mav.
Officeholidays, 2016: Public Holidays in Czech Republic in 2017 at: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/czech_republic/2017.php.
Timeanddate.com, 2016: Holidays in Czech Republic in 2017 at: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/czech/2017.

Recommended Video:

Recommended Reading:

salary levels-czech-republic

Salary Levels in the Czech Republic by Regions and Sectors

How to Get a Raise?

prague-people

What I Love About Czech People

relocation-to-prague-with-pets

Relocating with Pets to the Czech Republic

waiting-for-feedback-job-interview

After Interview: How To Deal With Feedback – Or A Lack Of It

how-to-start-a-new-career-czech-republic

Professional Tips from an Expats Career Coach To Find A Job You Deserve, Part 1

Czech Culture