ObservanceFixed date: 24 December every year
Christmas Eve
Kalanda day; half-day for public services, schools on break.
About the holiday
On Christmas Eve children go door to door singing the kalanda carols with triangles. Public services close at midday (an official half-day under Law 1157/1981) and schools are already on their Christmas break. For private businesses it is a normal working day, often with shorter hours.
Who is off?
What the holiday means for each sector.
- Private sector
- Working day
- Public sector
- Half-day
- Schools
- Closed
- Banks
- Open
Commemoration or celebration; normally a working day (it may close schools).
Upcoming dates
The next years at a glance.
Sources
Dates and legal status were checked against:
- Law 1157/1981, article 1 — holidays and half-days of public servicesHellenic Republic — Government Gazette (via taxheaven.gr)
- Presidential Decree 79/2017 (Government Gazette A' 109/01.08.2017), article 3 — breaks, holidays and school celebrations in nursery and primary schoolsHellenic Republic — Government Gazette (via kodiko.gr)
Last verified: 7 October 2026
Plan your leave
Taking leave around Christmas Eve?
Pick your days on the calendar: weekends, public holidays and school breaks are already marked, so you see at once how many leave days you need and how long the break becomes.