The year 2025 has many public holidays for people in Iceland to celebrate. Public holidays in Iceland in 2025 allow Icelanders to honor their cultural traditions and history. Several holidays are religious, like Easter and Christmas, which are significant celebrations.
Others mark important events, such as the country’s founding as a republic on Icelandic National Day. Some holidays give families a chance to spend quality time together, like New Year’s Day and the First Day of Summer.
These holidays provide beautiful opportunities for Icelanders to take part in beloved customs, enjoy festivals and gatherings, and make lasting memories.
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Public Holidays In Iceland In 2025
In Iceland in 2025, there are 14 public holidays to celebrate, with two holidays falling on weekends. Here is a full list of the public holidays in Iceland in 2025.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
| New Year’s Day | Jan 01, 2025 | Wednesday |
| Maundy Thursday | Apr 17, 2025 | Thursday |
| Good Friday | Apr 18, 2025 | Friday |
| Easter Sunday | Apr 20, 2025 | Sunday |
| Easter Monday | Apr 21, 2025 | Monday |
| First Day of Summer | Apr 24, 2025 | Thursday |
| Labour Day | May 01, 2025 | Thursday |
| Ascension Day | May 29, 2025 | Thursday |
| Whit Sunday | Jun 08, 2025 | Sunday |
| Whit Monday | Jun 09, 2025 | Monday |
| Icelandic National Day | Jun 17, 2025 | Tuesday |
| Commerce Day | Aug 04, 2025 | Monday |
| Christmas Eve | Dec 24, 2025 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25, 2025 | Thursday |
| Second Day of Christmas | Dec 26, 2025 | Friday |
| New Year’s Eve | Dec 31, 2025 | Wednesday |
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day celebrates the beginning of the new year on the Gregorian calendar. In Iceland, it is a time for celebration, fireworks, and spending time with family and friends. Many Icelanders enjoy a special TV program called Áramótaskaup.
It features satirical comedy sketches poking fun at events from the past year. People serve a big feast of smoked lamb, lentil stew, and rice pudding. Bonfires are lit, and fireworks displays take place across the country as people welcome the new year with hopes for good fortune.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday honors the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles before his crucifixion and the Washing of the Feet. It is the fifth day of Holy Week leading up to Easter. Many Icelanders attend church services on this day.
They perform a ritual in which the priest washes the feet of congregants, replicating Christ washing his disciples’ feet. People also clean their homes in preparation for Easter. They also follow common traditions like decorating eggs and baking special bread to mark the day.
Good Friday
Good Friday is the most solemn day of Holy Week, celebrating Jesus’s crucifixion. Churches hold somber services to remember Christ’s suffering on the cross. For many devout Christians in Iceland, Good Friday is a day of fasting and reflection.
Schools and businesses have closed, and the day has a quiet, respectful atmosphere. A customary Good Friday meal consists of salted lamb, vegetables, and a special sauce.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday honors the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead after his crucifixion. It is the most important religious festival in the Christian calendar. In some countries, it is a public holiday. In 2025, the day falls on April 20.
Icelanders attend special church services and family gatherings featuring a large Easter meal. Children search for Easter eggs hidden by their parents and decorate eggs with bright colors and patterns. The ringing of church bells announces the end of the Lenten fasting period.
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is a big national holiday in Iceland. People get this day off work. The day falls on the Monday after Easter Sunday. In 2025, it will occur on April 21. Many families take small trips or go places for the day.
Kids keep looking for Easter eggs and play games like egg tapping. They hit boiled eggs together until one breaks. People eat leftover food from the big Easter meal on this relaxing day after the main Easter fun.
First Day of Summer
The First Day of Summer observes the start of the summer season, according to the Old Icelandic calendar. This calendar includes 12 months: 6 months with short days and 6 months with days that have no night.
It is celebrated with outdoor events, bonfires, sports competitions, singing, and dancing across Iceland. Despite its name, the weather is still quite cold, but Icelanders look forward to the brighter, warmer days ahead. Swimming pools reopen for the summer season. This holiday connects to Iceland’s pagan Norse heritage and cultural traditions.
Labour Day
Labour Day, also called International Workers’ Day, celebrates the hard work of workers and the labor movement. In Iceland, unions and workers’ rights groups hold outdoor rallies, speeches, and parades through the streets.
Many businesses have closed to allow employees to join the festivities and celebrations. It is a day to appreciate workers’ contributions and achievements and advocate employee rights and benefits.
Ascension Day
Ascension Day observes Jesus’ ascension into heaven 40 days after his resurrection. In Iceland, churches have services to celebrate this important Christian event. It is a significant day in theology.
Families often gather for special meals featuring foods like smoked lamb. Some view flying Easter decorations as the last chance before they take them down for the season. The day connects to ancient pagan celebrations of spring’s arrival.
Whit Sunday
Whit Sunday, also called Pentecost, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’s disciples. It occurs 49 days after Easter Sunday. Churches hold worship services, and red is a symbolic color.
In some areas, young Icelanders take part in sporting competitions and community events. Having picnics and spending time outdoors is a popular Whit Sunday family tradition as summer finally arrives.
Whit Monday
Whit Monday is a public holiday in Iceland the day after Whit Sunday. Many view it as the unofficial start of the summer vacation season. Families go on short getaways or relax at summer homes.
People enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and swimming as the pleasant summer weather takes hold. In rural areas, there may be community gatherings with singing, dancing, and sports.
Icelandic National Day
The day celebrates the foundation of the Icelandic Republic in 1944 after centuries of foreign rule. It features large parades and cultural shows in Reykjavik and smaller events in towns and villages nationwide.
The colors of the Icelandic flag—blue, white, and red—are displayed on clothing, decorations, and painted faces. Icelanders take immense pride in their country’s independence.
Commerce Day
Commerce Day is a special day for store owners and traders in Iceland. It is also called the “Holiday of the Merchants.” People who work in shops and trade get this day off.
The celebrations for Commerce Day started a long time ago in 1894 in Reykjavik, the capital city. Iceland got the idea from Denmark. But the date of August 4th for this holiday was set in 1931. On Commerce Day, shop workers can relax and enjoy the day away from work.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day on December 25th is a big celebration in Iceland. This day is to remember when Jesus Christ was born. Jesus is an important figure in Christianity. On Christmas Day, people share and give.
Families and friends exchange Christmas presents and cards with each other. The Christmas holiday lasts for three whole days in Iceland. People enjoy spending this special time together during the Christmas season.