Public holidays in Norway 2025
If you’re living in Norway in 2025, you’ll want to keep an eye on the calendar—especially the røde dager.
Røde dager (or ‘red days’) are Norway’s official public holidays. On these days, many shops, offices, and services close, and life around the country generally slows down.
Here’s a practical guide to Norway’s public holidays in 2025, how they work, and how you can make the most of them!
What are røde dager?
In Norway, røde dager refer to public holidays. They are marked in red on Norwegian calendars, hence the name!
On Norwegian public holidays, most businesses, schools, and government offices are closed, and public transport often runs on a reduced schedule.
Public holidays in Norway days reflect a mix of religious, historical, and cultural events, though in practice they’re mostly a time for Norwegians to relax, travel, or spend time with family.
Norway’s public holidays in 2025
There are 14 official public holidays in Norway in 2025, though some fall on weekends. Below are the ones that land on weekdays and might impact your plans:
Spring and Early Summer
Thursday, 17 April – Maundy Thursday (Skjærtorsdag)
Friday, 18 April – Good Friday (Langfredag)
Sunday, 20 April – Easter Sunday (Første påskedag)
Monday, 21 April – Easter Monday (Andre påskedag)
Thursday, 01 May – Labor Day (Arbeidernes dag)
Thursday, 29 May – Ascension Day (Kristi himmelfartsdag)
Sunday, 08 June – Pentecost (Første pinsedag)
Monday, 09 June – Second Pentecost (Andre pinsedag)
National & Winter Holidays
Saturday, 17 May – Constitution Day (Grunnlovsdagen) – Norway’s National Day
Thursday, 25 December – Christmas Day (Første juledag)
Friday, 26 December – Boxing Day (Andre juledag)
Honorary Mentions
While not official public holidays, these two days are widely observed and often treated like holidays:
Wednesday, 24 December – Christmas Eve: Many people take the day off or work a half day.
Wednesday, 31 December – New Year’s Eve: Again, many people finish work early or take the whole day off.
Note: We’ve only listed holidays that fall on weekdays. Holidays that fall on weekends are generally observed on the day they fall, and no additional weekday is given off. Stores and businesses are generally closed on Sundays in Norway, as well.
What happens in Norway during public holidays?
If you’re new to Norway, you might be surprised by how quiet things get on ‘red days’! It’s completely normal for:
Grocery stores and shopping centers to be closed or have reduced hours
Offices, banks, and schools to shut down for the day
Public transportation to run on a Sunday or holiday schedule
Norwegians to take extended weekends around the holidays, especially in spring
The vinmonopolet (the government-run alcohol store) to close early the day before a holiday
Around Easter (Påskeferien) and in late December, it’s common for people to take the entire week off from work, especially overlapping with periods that children have off from school. This makes public holidays a great time to plan your own mini getaway, whether it's to a DNT cabin in the mountains or a relaxing weekend by the fjord.
With six red days between April and June alone, it’s the perfect time to plan a cabin trip, visit somewhere new in Norway, and enjoy a long weekend to rest and recharge.
Make sure you look into local holiday traditions, especially for 17. mai (Syttende Mai or the 17th of May), which is a full-day celebration across the country!
Keep these red days in mind when planning errands, work, or travel. If you're ever unsure what's open, most businesses usually keep their Google Maps hours updated for holidays in Norway.
And most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy the slow pace! These holidays are built into the rhythm of life in Norway for a reason.
