Vatican City Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Vatican City and start planning to make the most of your time off.
Vatican City is closed every Sunday and always on Christmas and Easter. In addition to these days, Vatican City celebrates an additional 13 holidays each year. It should be noted that a national holiday in Vatican City simply means that the museums and gift shops are closed to the tourists.
The Pope is the head of Vatican City and he issues a statement each year on which holidays are going to be celebrated. Most of the saint memorial days are celebrated due to tradition or because of the preference of the Pope that is ruling at that time. Each new Pope has the authority to change holidays at their will each year.
On occasion, a holiday that falls on a Sunday will be recognised on the following Monday. It is at the discretion of the Pope to determine if this will happen. The Pope will release each year through the Prefecture of the Papal Household a list of holiday dates.
The Pope has the authority to establish additional holidays or one-time events. All holidays celebrated within the walls of Vatican City are directly related to the Catholic Church.