Public holidays in Zambia are nationwide days off recognised by the government, when most banks, schools and government offices close and many businesses adjust their hours. They mark historical, cultural, religious or civic occasions and are a standard reference point for market research teams tracking regional business cycles working with Zambia.

The exact number varies year to year — some holidays fall on a fixed date, while Easter-based, Islamic-calendar or other lunar observances shift annually, and some are added by regional decree. See the live calendar above for the current list of upcoming and recently observed dates.

Usually, yes — public holidays in Zambia typically mean banks and government offices close for the day, and many private businesses follow suit, though retail and hospitality hours can vary by local custom. Always confirm directly with a specific bank or business before an important transaction.

Some do and some don't. Fixed-date holidays repeat on the same calendar day annually, while others follow the Easter calculation, the Islamic lunar calendar, or an "nth weekday of the month" rule — so their date moves from year to year. See how public holidays work above for the full explanation of why, or check the calendar itself for each year's actual date.

It's embedded directly from Google's official public holiday calendar for Zambia — the same source Google Calendar itself uses. We don't copy or store the holiday data ourselves; Google serves it live, so it always reflects their current information.

Yes — the calendar opens on today's date showing what's upcoming. Use the ◀ back arrow in its toolbar to browse earlier dates in the current year, or the date selector to jump to a different year entirely.

Check the day of the week shown next to each entry in the calendar above: holidays falling on a Monday or Friday create an automatic three-day weekend, while a Tuesday or Thursday holiday can often be extended to four days by taking the day in between off — a common practice known as a "bridge day" in many countries. See the Zambia travel guide once you've picked a date worth planning a trip around.

This calendar is a reliable public reference drawn from Google's holiday calendar service, but it isn't a substitute for an official government gazette. For payroll, legal or compliance purposes, always confirm exact dates against Zambia's official government publication.

Many countries observe additional regional, state or provincial holidays alongside national ones. Zambia is divided into states and provinces — see the Zambia states & provinces directory for region-specific pages with more local detail.