Public Holidays in Bahamas in [2026]

Are you living in the Bahamas or planning a trip there? Here’s a list of the public holidays you need to know in 2026, plus the currently available dates for 2027 and 2028. In the Bahamas, public holidays are set by law, and when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following day is observed as the holiday.

Whether you live in the Bahamas or are just visiting, it helps to mark these dates in advance. On some public holidays, offices, banks, and shops may close or run reduced hours. The Public Holidays Act says these days are to be kept as close holidays in public offices, banks, and shops, with limited exceptions.

To make sure you do not miss anything important, this guide brings together the Bahamas public holidays for 2026 and the next two years. For 2026, the official government notice and current business calendars show 11 public holiday dates being observed because Majority Rule Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Monday, 12 January.

How many public holidays are there in the Bahamas?

The Bahamas’ Public Holidays Act includes holidays such as New Year’s Day, Majority Rule Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Independence Day, Labour Day, Emancipation Day, National Heroes Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. The same law states that when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following day is observed as the public holiday.

For 2026, the published holiday calendars show 11 observed public holiday dates. That is because Majority Rule Day falls on Saturday, 10 January 2026, and an observed holiday is listed on Monday, 12 January 2026.

The most popular public holidays in the Bahamas

Some of the best-known holidays in the Bahamas are New Year’s Day, Majority Rule Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Randol Fawkes Labour Day, Independence Day, Emancipation Day, National Heroes Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. These are the dates consistently shown in the 2026 government notice and current Bahamas holiday calendars.

Public Holidays in Bahamas in 2026

The table below follows the 2026 Bahamas public holiday notice and the published 2026 Bahamas holiday calendar.

What are the public holidays in the Bahamas?

New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day on 1 January is one of the public holidays listed under Bahamian law.

Majority Rule Day

Majority Rule Day falls on 10 January each year. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, and the 2026 holiday calendar also lists an observed holiday on Monday, 12 January.

Good Friday

Good Friday is one of the main Christian public holidays in the Bahamas and is listed in the 2026 holiday calendar on Friday, 3 April.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday is also a public holiday and falls on Monday, 6 April 2026.

Whit Monday

Whit Monday is one of the annual public holidays in the Bahamas. In 2026 it falls on 25 May.

Randol Fawkes Labour Day

The current 2026 calendar uses the name Randol Fawkes Labour Day and places it on Friday, 5 June 2026.

Independence Day

Independence Day is celebrated on 10 July. In 2026 it falls on a Friday.

Emancipation Day

Emancipation Day is listed on Monday, 3 August 2026.

National Heroes Day

National Heroes Day is listed on Monday, 12 October 2026.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026, and Boxing Day falls on Saturday, 26 December 2026. The Bahamas government’s general holiday page includes both Christmas Day and Boxing Day among the country’s public holidays.

Public Holidays in Bahamas in 2027

The dates below are shown in currently published Bahamas holiday calendars for 2027. Timeanddate notes that future holiday information may still be preliminary.

Public Holidays in Bahamas in 2028

These are the currently published Bahamas holiday dates for 2028. As with 2027, future dates may still be updated later.

Conclusion

The Bahamas holiday calendar is fairly easy to follow once you keep two rules in mind: some dates are fixed, while others move each year, and holidays that fall on a Sunday are generally observed on the following day. For 2026, the current published calendar shows the updated holiday names in use, including Randol Fawkes Labour Day and National Heroes Day.

Last Updated on 04/02/2026