Guide to Hong Kong's public holidays in 2025
1. New Year's Day
Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Significance: Marks the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.
2. Lunar New Year Celebrations
Dates:
Lunar New Year's Day: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Second Day of Lunar New Year: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Third Day of Lunar New Year: Friday, January 31, 2025
Significance: Also known as the Spring Festival, this is the most important traditional Chinese holiday, celebrating the beginning of the lunar new year with family gatherings, feasts, and various cultural activities.
3. Ching Ming Festival
Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
Significance: Also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, it is a time to honor ancestors by visiting their graves, cleaning the tombstones, and making offerings.
4. Good Friday and Easter
Dates:
Good Friday: Friday, April 18, 2025
Day Following Good Friday: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Easter Monday: Monday, April 21, 2025
Significance: These Christian holidays commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
5. Labour Day
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Significance: International Workers' Day, recognizing the contributions of workers.
6. The Birthday of the Buddha
Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
Significance: Celebrates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
7. Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival)
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
Significance: Commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan with dragon boat races and the eating of rice dumplings (zongzi).
8. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Significance: Marks the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.
9. National Day
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Significance: Celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
10. The Day Following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Significance: The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated with mooncakes and lanterns; the public holiday falls on the day after the festival.
11. Chung Yeung Festival
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Significance: A day for honoring ancestors, similar to Ching Ming, often involving family outings to gravesites located on hillsides.
12. Christmas Holidays
Dates:
Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25, 2025
The First Weekday After Christmas Day (Boxing Day): Friday, December 26, 2025
Significance: Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ; Boxing Day traditionally involves giving to the less fortunate.
Please note that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following weekday is typically designated as a public holiday. Also, every Sunday is considered a general holiday in Hong Kong.
