Greek Public Holidays 2027: Dates and What Closes in Athens
Greece has fixed national holidays and a set of moveable ones tied to Orthodox Easter. In 2027 Easter is late, and Labour Day lands on Holy Saturday.
Greece has 12 to 13 public holidays a year, depending on the sector. In 2027 Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday 2 May, so Clean Monday is 15 March, Good Friday 30 April, Easter Monday 3 May and Whit Monday 21 June. Fixed holidays include 1 and 6 January, 25 March, 15 August, 28 October and 25 and 26 December.
Moveable dates follow the Orthodox calendar and change every year. Dates below are calculated from the 2027 Orthodox Easter date; check any official changes, especially for 1 May, as of November 2026.
What are the public holidays in Greece in 2027?
| Date (2027) | Day | Holiday | Who gets the day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day | Everyone |
| 6 January | Wednesday | Epiphany (Theofania) | Everyone |
| 15 March | Monday | Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) | Public sector, schools, banks; many private employers |
| 25 March | Thursday | Independence Day and Annunciation | Everyone |
| 30 April | Friday | Good Friday (Megali Paraskevi) | Public sector; shops open with reduced hours |
| 1 May | Saturday | Labour Day, also Holy Saturday in 2027 | Everyone; the date may be moved |
| 2 May | Sunday | Orthodox Easter Sunday | Everyone |
| 3 May | Monday | Easter Monday | Everyone |
| 21 June | Monday | Whit Monday (Agiou Pnevmatos) | Public sector, schools, banks; depends on contract in private sector |
| 15 August | Sunday | Dormition of the Virgin Mary | Everyone |
| 28 October | Thursday | Ochi Day | Everyone |
| 25 December | Saturday | Christmas Day | Everyone |
| 26 December | Sunday | Synaxis of the Theotokos | Everyone |
Greece does not move a holiday to a weekday when it falls on a weekend, so 15 August and both Christmas days are lost to the weekend in 2027.
What happens to Labour Day in 2027?
In 2027, 1 May falls on Holy Saturday. Greek law lets the Minister of Labour move the 1 May holiday when it coincides with Holy Week or Easter, as happened in 2024, when it moved to Tuesday 7 May. As of November 2026, no decision for 2027 had been published. Expect an announcement from the Ministry of Labour in spring 2027, and check before you plan around it.
What closes on public holidays in Athens?
| Service | On public holidays |
|---|---|
| Banks and public offices (KEP, tax offices) | Closed |
| Most shops | Closed on the main holidays; some tourist-area shops open |
| Supermarkets | Closed on main holidays; shorter hours around them |
| Museums and archaeological sites | Closed on 1 January, 25 March, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December; reduced hours on some other holidays |
| Metro, tram, buses | Run on Sunday timetables; check strike notices on 1 May |
| Pharmacies | Only those on the duty rota |
Labour Day is also a traditional day of union rallies and often a strike day for transport. Our guide on how to check for strikes in Athens explains where to look.
How do shops run around holidays?
Shops usually close on the day itself and may work shorter hours on the day before. On Good Friday, shops generally open later in the day after church services and close earlier; on Holy Saturday they close in the afternoon. Before Christmas, Athens shops follow festive hours with extra Sunday openings. Our guide to shop opening hours in Athens covers the details.
Which school and local holidays should parents know?
- 30 January (Three Hierarchs): schools close; it is a school holiday, not a public one.
- 17 November (Polytechnic uprising anniversary, Wednesday in 2027): schools and universities hold commemorations instead of classes, and central Athens has a large march with road and metro station closures. Offices and shops work normally.
- Christmas and Easter school breaks run for about two weeks each; the Ministry of Education sets the exact dates.
- Athens’ patron saint, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, is celebrated on 3 October; it is a local religious feast, not a public holiday.
Which long weekends does 2027 bring?
Clean Monday (15 March) gives a three-day weekend, and many Athenians leave the city. Easter is a four-day break from Good Friday to Easter Monday for the public sector, and Whit Monday makes another long weekend in June. Ochi Day and 25 March fall on Thursdays, so some people take the Friday off. Our guides to Orthodox Easter in Athens and Apokries and Clean Monday explain the customs.
Which celebrations are not public holidays?
Several big dates in the Greek calendar are not days off. Tsiknopempti, the “smoky Thursday” of grilled meat during carnival season, falls on 4 March 2027, and tavernas fill up that evening. The carnival weekends before Clean Monday bring parades and parties but normal working days. On 6 January, the Blessing of the Waters takes place at the sea in Piraeus, Faliro and other coastal areas, where a priest throws a cross into the water and swimmers dive for it.
Name days are another custom newcomers notice. Greeks celebrate the feast of the saint they are named after, often more than birthdays, so expect offices to be quieter and phones busy on big name days such as Saint George, Saint Constantine and Helen (21 May) and the Dormition on 15 August, the name day of everyone called Maria or Panagiotis. None of these change opening hours, but they explain a lot of office cakes and phone calls.
Bottom line
Book ferries and KTEL buses for Easter and Clean Monday weekends early, because Athens empties toward the islands and villages. Do your Holy Week shopping by Thursday 29 April.
FAQ
When is Greek Easter 2027?
Orthodox Easter Sunday is on 2 May 2027, five weeks after Western Easter on 28 March.
Is 17 November a public holiday?
No. It is a school commemoration day, but offices and shops work normally.
Are museums open on Easter Sunday?
Archaeological sites and state museums close on Easter Sunday. Check the site’s own page for Holy Week hours.
Is Whit Monday a holiday for everyone?
It is a public sector holiday. In the private sector, it depends on the collective agreement or company rules.
