Bulgaria’s 2026 Work Calendar: Six Long Weekends and 1,984 Hours of Work

In 2026, Bulgarians will work a total of 1,984 hours spread across 248 working days, with May being the shortest month in terms of workdays at 18, and July the longest at 23.

The new year begins with an extended break due to the introduction of the euro, as January 2 is declared a non-working day by government decree, with December 31 also set as a day off. This means that the first working day of 2026 will be January 5.

March will have no long weekend, as the national holiday on March 3 falls on a Tuesday. Easter, celebrated on April 12, brings a four-day break including Good Friday and Easter Monday, from April 10 to 13.

May will feature two official days off: Labor Day on Friday, May 1, creating a three-day weekend with the May 2–3 weekend, and the Day of Courage and St. George’s Day on Wednesday, May 6. Because May 24, the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Script, falls on a Sunday, May 25 will also be a non-working day, leaving the month with 18 workdays.

September sees a long weekend for Reunification Day, as the holiday falls on Sunday, September 6, with Monday, September 7, also declared a day off. September 22, however, falls on a Tuesday, and no additional day off is granted. October and November have no extra days off.

Christmas in December will bring five days of rest. Christmas Eve is on Thursday, December 24, and with December 26 on Saturday, an extra non-working day is granted on Monday, December 28. The year concludes with December 31, also declared a day off along with January 2, forming a five-day holiday period at the turn of the year.