The European Union, known for its motto ‘United in Diversity,’ reveals its cultural variances most vividly during the Easter holiday season. Despite Easter’s diminishing religious significance in an increasingly secular Europe, the way it is observed varies significantly across the continent, with different countries designating different days as public holidays.
While many Europeans might wish for more holidays, the Easter holiday map across the EU is a patchwork of days off, reflecting both historical and cultural differences. The divide is particularly noticeable between Northern and Southern Europe, with a clear pattern emerging: Northern European countries, especially those with Protestant backgrounds, generally offer more days off during Easter compared to their Southern Catholic counterparts.
This is somewhat surprising given the Protestant work ethic that has been historically associated with Northern Europe. For instance, Germany, a traditionally industrious nation, observes a comprehensive Easter holiday schedule, including Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, and Pentecost Monday. However, Easter Sunday itself is not a nationwide public holiday, except in the state of Brandenburg, as it typically falls on a non-working day.
Germany is not alone in this regard. In many EU countries, Easter Sunday is not officially recognized as a public holiday for the same reason. Instead, Easter Monday is widely celebrated as a public holiday across the EU, though there are exceptions. In Spain, for example, Easter Monday is a holiday only in certain autonomous regions like Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Navarre, whereas Portugal does not officially recognize it at all.
Good Friday presents another layer of complexity. Malta stands out by not observing Easter Monday but recognizing Good Friday as a national public holiday. In contrast, several prominent EU nations, including Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia, and Lithuania, do not consider Good Friday a public holiday, despite their Catholic heritage. In Ireland, Good Friday is not a statutory holiday, yet it is often observed informally, with many businesses opting to close.
Austria once treated Good Friday as a selective holiday for specific religious groups, such as the Old Catholic Church and Methodists. However, this changed following a 2019 ruling by the EU Court of Justice, which deemed such selective holidays as discriminatory.
The Easter celebrations do not conclude with Easter Sunday for some countries. Ascension Day, observed 40 days after Easter, and Pentecost Monday, 50 days later, are celebrated with public holidays in countries like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. However, Greece, Hungary, and Portugal do not observe these days as holidays. In Denmark, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, only Ascension Day is recognized as a holiday.
Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, is generally not a public holiday across most of the EU. However, Denmark, where it is known as “Skærtorsdag,” treats it as a national holiday. In Spain, regions such as Andalusia and Castilla and León also observe it as a day off, reflecting the diverse ways in which Easter is celebrated across Europe.
