Public holidays in Greece 2027: the dates and what they mean for shift schedules
Greece’s nine mandatory public holidays in 2027 and the day each falls on, the well-known days that are not among them, when work is allowed on a public holiday and how it is paid — under the Greek Labour Code (P.D. 62/2025).
01
The nine mandatory public holidays of 2027
The Code sets nine mandatory public holidays (Labour Code, article 203 §1). In 2027 they fall on:
- Friday 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Wednesday 6 January — Epiphany
- Thursday 25 March — Independence Day
- Saturday 1 May — Labour Day
- Monday 3 May — Easter Monday (Orthodox Easter is Sunday 2 May)
- Sunday 15 August — Dormition of the Virgin Mary
- Thursday 28 October — Ochi Day
- Saturday 25 December — Christmas Day
- Sunday 26 December
02
Clean Monday, Good Friday, Whit Monday
- Clean Monday (15 March 2027) and Whit Monday (21 June 2027) are not among the Code’s nine public holidays (article 203 §1) nor among the days paid +75% (article 219 §2).
- On Good Friday (30 April 2027) shops stay closed and employ no staff until 13:00 (article 204 §1).
03
When a public holiday starts and ends
A public holiday runs from 00:00 to 24:00. In businesses running around the clock with three crews, it may run from 06:00 on the holiday to 06:00 the next day (article 204 §3) — which changes which hours of a night shift count as holiday hours.
04
When work is allowed on a public holiday
- As a rule, any business activity and any employment is prohibited on Sundays and public holidays (articles 205 §2 and 207).
- The rule does not apply to staff in, among others, transport and courier services, energy and water, telecoms, shows and entertainment venues, restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels (article 210).
- Other businesses operate under a ministerial decision or a Labour Inspectorate permit — for example seasonal businesses, cleaning and maintenance, or urgent work (article 211 §§1–3).
- Where a permit is needed, the employer submits for each Sunday or holiday a table of the names and hours of those who will work (article 211 §4).
- Special cases: barbers and hairdressers may open 10:00–14:00 on Easter Monday and fishmongers 06:00–12:00 on 25 March (article 208).
05
How holiday work is paid
- Work on one of the nine public holidays, as on a Sunday, is paid +75% (article 219 §§1–2).
- Day-wage staff who did not work on those holidays for reasons not their own receive their daily wage, without the premium (article 219 §3).
06
The 2027 schedule
- Saturday 1, Sunday 2 (Easter) and Monday 3 May: three days in a row paid +75% for those who work (article 219). Plan those shifts early.
- Four public holidays fall on a weekend: 1 May and 25 December on a Saturday, 15 August and 26 December on a Sunday.
- Share holiday shifts fairly across the year, and keep the minimum rest as in any other week.
- 365shift’s free Excel template counts each employee’s Sundays and the public holidays you list in it.
- In 365shift, the hours panel counts each employee’s Sunday and public-holiday hours: the Code’s nine holidays automatically, plus any you add in the schedule’s Holidays tab. With the ΕΡΓΑΝΗ add-on, holiday shifts are declared like any other day.
Frequently asked questions
When is Orthodox Easter in 2027?
Sunday 2 May 2027. Easter Monday, 3 May, is a mandatory public holiday (Labour Code, article 203 §1).
Is Clean Monday a public holiday in Greece?
It is not among the Code’s nine mandatory public holidays (article 203 §1). It may be made one by ministerial decision (§2) or by your sector’s collective agreement.
How is work on a public holiday paid in Greece?
At +75%, like work on a Sunday (Labour Code, article 219).
Are shops open on Good Friday?
Not before 13:00; until then they neither operate nor employ staff (Labour Code, article 204 §1).
Shift rosters and the Digital Work Card in one system
365shift builds the roster against your rules, declares it to ΕΡΓΑΝΗ as the working-time organisation and files the work card from employees’ mobile clock-ins.
Sources
The legal references in this guide rely on the official texts below. It is not legal advice; for your case, ask your accountant or lawyer.
- Greek Labour Code, article 203 — public holidays (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 204 — time frame of a public holiday (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 205 — Sunday rest (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 207 — no work during weekly rest and public holidays (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 208 — exceptions for certain holidays (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 210 — exemptions from Sunday rest (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 211 — exemptions with Labour Inspectorate permission (Greek)
- Greek Labour Code, article 219 — Sunday and public-holiday premium (Greek)