Free tool · Public holidays

Jamaica public holidays 2026

Every 2026 date with its weekday, the next holiday highlighted, the official source linked, and a free .ics calendar download.

  • 10 dates in 2026
  • Official government source
  • .ics for Google, Outlook and Apple

Jamaica: 10 public holidays in 2026, official list checked 5 November 2026.

Jamaica public holidays 2026 (10 dates)

DateDayHolidayNotes
1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year's Day
18 February 2026WednesdayAsh Wednesday
3 April 2026FridayGood Friday
6 April 2026MondayEaster Monday
23 May 2026SaturdayLabour DayObserved Monday 25 May. Saturday 23 May is not itself a holiday; the Ministry of Labour set Monday 25 May.
1 August 2026SaturdayEmancipation DayKept on the Saturday; Monday 3 August is a normal working day (Ministry of Labour).
6 August 2026ThursdayIndependence DayFriday 7 August is a normal working day (Ministry of Labour).
19 October 2026MondayNational Heroes' Day
25 December 2026FridayChristmas Day
26 December 2026SaturdayBoxing DaySaturday; no Monday in lieu listed.

Dates verified from Bank of Jamaica, last checked 5 November 2026. Observed days from Ministry of Labour and Social Security releases on jis.gov.jm.

Free tools for Jamaica rotas and pay

Plan the rota around these dates, then let the calculators do the sums. All free, in your browser, no sign-up.

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About the Jamaica holiday list

The public holidays for Jamaica in 2026, taken from the official list published by Bank of Jamaica and checked on 5 November 2026. There are 10 public holidays in 2026, from New Year's Day on 1 January 2026 to Boxing Day on 26 December 2026; 2 fall on a Monday and 2 on a Friday. 3 of the 2026 dates fall on a weekend: Labour Day (Saturday 23 May), Emancipation Day (Saturday 1 August), Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December). The official list gives an observed day for 1 of them, shown in the Notes column.

Each date is shown with its day of the week, because for rotas and pay the weekday matters more than the date, and the next holiday is highlighted. Use Add to calendar to download a year as an .ics file for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar. For what a holiday means on the payslip read the public holiday pay guide, and use the Jamaica pay calculator to see the deductions on that pay.

Background reading: Public holiday pay: working on a holiday vs a paid day off

How it works

  1. Read the 2026 table: date, weekday, holiday name and any observed day the official list gives. Past dates are greyed out and the next holiday is highlighted.
  2. Click Add to calendar on a year to download an .ics file with every date as an all-day event, then open it in Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar.
  3. Planning pay? Note which holidays fall on days your staff normally work; those are the ones that attract holiday pay or a premium. The free tools below do the arithmetic.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays does Jamaica have in 2026?

10 public holidays are listed for 2026 by Bank of Jamaica: New Year's Day, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Emancipation Day, Independence Day, National Heroes' Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. 2 of them fall on a Monday.

Are the 2027 public holidays for Jamaica published yet?

Not on the official source we track. We check Bank of Jamaica and add the 2027 list, with a calendar download, as soon as it is published. The 2026 dates on this page are the latest official list.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a Sunday or Saturday in Jamaica?

The official source states: Holidays (Public General) Act, Schedule: New Year's Day moves to the next day only if it falls on a Sunday; National Labour Day (23 May) moves to the following Monday if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday; Emancipation Day (1 August) and Independence Day (6 August) move to the following Monday only if they fall on a Sunday; if Christmas Day is a Sunday, 26 and 27 December are holidays. In 2026 this applies to Labour Day (23 May 2026, observed 25 May 2026).

Can I add the Jamaica public holidays to my calendar?

Yes. Each year on this page has an Add to calendar button that builds an .ics file in your browser with every holiday as an all-day event, so it imports into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar. Nothing is sent to our servers.

Do I get paid extra for working on a public holiday in Jamaica?

That is set by the labour law and your contract, not by the holiday list. A common set-up is a paid day off, with a premium or a day in lieu when you work the holiday. Our public holiday pay guide explains the usual arrangements with worked examples; confirm the rule for your workplace with the labour department or payroll.

Free to use, works in your browser, nothing is sent to our servers. Figures are for guidance only: pay rules are set by each country's law and by your contract, so check anything that matters with your labour department or payroll.

Do this automatically

PunchClock keeps the Jamaica holiday calendar up to date and pays the holiday rate automatically when someone clocks in on one of these days.

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