Strategic leave could get you 10 long weekends in 2026

Savvy employees might be able to enjoy 10 long weekends in 2026, so long as you book your leave strategically. 

In 2026, five public holidays fall on either a Friday or Monday. This means long weekends on Good Friday on 3 April, Workers' Day on 1 May, Christmas Day on 25 December, L-Imnarja on 29 June and Independence Day on 21 September. 

However, most other public holidays fall either on a Tuesday or Thursday, offering four-day weekend potential by taking the preceding Monday or following Friday off.

These holidays are The Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck on Tuesday 10 February, the Feast of St. Joseph on Thursday 19 March, Freedom Day on Tuesday 31 March, Victory Day on Tuesday 8 September, and the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday 8 December.

To maximise your days off next here, you'd have to book leave on the following days: Monday 9 February, Friday 20 March (we also recommend taking 18 March off to enjoy a five-day post-St. Paddy's hangover recovery period), Monday 30 April (although booking leave on 1 and 2 April gets you the whole week off thanks to Good Friday on 3 April), Monday 7 September and Monday 7 December. 

Here's the full list of public holidays happening next year:

• 1 January, Thursday: New Year's Day
• 10 February, Tuesday: Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck
• 19 March, Thursday: Feast of St Joseph
• 31 March, Tuesday: Freedom Day
• 3 April, Friday: Good Friday
• 1 May, Friday: Workers' Day
• 7 June, Sunday: Sette Giugno
• 29 June, Monday: Feast of St Peter and St Paul
• 15 August, Saturday: Feast of the Assumption
• 8 September, Tuesday: Victory Day
• 21 September, Monday: Independence Day
• 8 December, Tuesday: Immaculate Conception
• 13 December, Sunday: Republic Day
• 25 December, Friday: Christmas Day