Malta is the country with the most holidays in the European Union. Since 2005, any holidays falling on Saturdays or Sundays do not add an extra day to the workers' leave pool.
March 31 - Freedom Day (Jum il-Ħelsien)
June 7 - Sette Giugno
September 8 - Victory Day (Jum il-Vitorja)
September 21 - Independence Day (Jum l-Indipendenza)
December 13 - Republic Day (Jum ir-Repubblika)
January 1 - New Year's Day (L-Ewwel tas-Sena)
February 10 - Feast of Saint Paul's Shipwreck in Malta (Nawfraġju ta' San Pawl) - the apostle is the patron saint of Malta
March 19 - Feast of Saint Joseph (San Ġużepp)
Friday before Easter - Good Friday (Il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira)
May 1 - Worker's Day (Jum il-Ħaddiem)
June 29 - Feast of Saint Peter & Saint Paul, patron saints (L-Imnarja)
August 15 - Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady (Santa Marija)
December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Il-Kunċizzjoni)
December 25 - Christmas Day (Il-Milied)
The following is a list of feasts or special days celebrated in Malta. Note that, with the exception of the dates mentioned in the previous section, these feasts are not public holidays and on these days, business runs as usual across the Maltese islands. As Malta is largely Roman Catholic, most of these feasts celebrate Saints or events from the Holy Bible.
January by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tal-bard which is the coldest month
New Year's Day (L-Ewwel tas-Sena or L-Istrina): 1 January
Epiphany (Epifanija or It-Tre Re): first Sunday after 1 January
St Anthony the Abbot (San Anton Abbati): 13 January at Rabat
Conversion of St. Paul (Konverżjoni ta' San Pawl): 27 January at Mdina
February by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar ta’ San Pawl (St. Paul’s month)
Candlemas (Gandlora): 2 February
St. Blase (San Blas): 3 February
St. Paul Shipwreck (San Pawl Nawfragu): 10 February at Valletta, Marsalforn and Munxar
St. Valentine (San Valentinu): 14 February
March by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar ta' San Ġużepp, tal-Lunzjata u tar-roħs (St. Joseph, the Annunciation and Sales' month)
Jesus of Nazareth (Ġesù Nazzarenu): 7 March at Sliema
St. Joseph (San Ġużepp): 19 March at Rabat
Annunciation (Il-Lunzjata): 25 March
Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien): 31 March
April is known by the Maltese as ix-xahar tan-nwhar u ta' San Girgor (the month of blossoms and St. Gregory).
April Fool's Day (Il-Ġifa): 1 April
St. Gregory (San Girgor): First Wednesday after Easter Sunday
St. Publius (San Publju): 6 April at Floriana
St. George (San Ġorġ): 23 April at Qormi and Rabat (Victoria)
The following feasts are moveable as they can occur either in March or in April.
Our Lady of Sorrows (Id-Duluri): Friday before Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday (Ħadd il-Palm)
Good Friday (Il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira)
Easter (L-Għid or L-Irxoxt)
May by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tal-ħsad, tal-Madonna ta' Pompej (The month of harvest, Our Lady of Pompeii)
St. Joseph the Worker (www.sanguzepphaddiem.com San Ġużepp Ħaddiem or Jum il-Ħaddiem): 1 May (with a feast at Ħamrun and Birkirkara)
Our Lady of Liesse (Il-Madonna ta' Liesse): 2 May at Valletta
Feast of the Cross (Santu Kruċ): 3 May at Birkirkara
St. Augustine (Santu Wistin): 3 May at Valletta
Liturgical Feast of St George Preca (San Ġorġ Preca): 9 May
Holy Trinity (Trinità Mqaddsa): 31 May at Marsa
St. Rita (Santa Rita): 22 May at Valletta
The Annunciation (Il-Lunzjata): 24 May at Tarxien
St. Paul (San Pawl): 24 May at Munxar, Gozo
Our Lady of Fatima (Il-Madonna ta' Fatima): from mid May till 2nd weekend of June, at Pietà, Malta
St. Joseph (San Ġużepp): 24 May at Għaxaq
St. Anthony of Padua (Sant' Antnin ta' Padova): 31 May at Birkirkara
Mother's Day (Jum l-Omm): Second Sunday of May
June by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tad-dris, tal-ħġejjeġ, tal-Imnarja, u tal-Qalb ta' Ġesù (the month of reaping, bonfires, St. Peter and St. Paul, and Sacred Heart).
St. Joseph (San Ġużepp): First Sunday at Għaxaq
Christ the Redeemer (Kristu Redentur): 21 June at Senglea
St. Philip (San Filip): 14 June at Żebbuġ, Malta
Corpus Christi: 8 June at Għasri
Sacred Heart of Jesus (Il-Qalb ta' Ġesù): 14 June at Fontana, Gozo
Our Lady of Lily (Il-Madonna tal-Ġilju): 21 June at Mqabba
St. Catherine (Santa Katarina): 21 June at Żejtun
St. John the Baptist (San Ġwann Battista): 21 June at Xewkija
Our Lady of Lourdes (Il-Madonna ta' Lourdes): 22 June at Qrendi
Father's Day (Jum il-Missier): Third Sunday of June
St. Nicholas (San Nikola): 29 June at Siġġiewi
St. George (San Ġorġ): 29 June at Qormi
Our Lady of Sacred Heart (Il-Qalb Bla Tebgħa ta' Marija): 29 June at Burmarrad
St. Peter and St. Paul (San Pietru u San Pawl: L-Imnarja): 29 June at Mdina and Nadur
St. John (San Ġwann): Fourth Sunday of June
July by the Maltese is known as tal-Karmnu (Our Lady of Mount Carmel).
The Visitation (Il-Viżitazzjoni): 5 July at Għarb, Gozo
St. Paul (San Pawl): 5 July at Rabat
Our Lady of Sacred Heart (Sacro Cuor): 5 July at Sliema
St. Andrew (Sant' Andrija): 5 July at Luqa
Our Lady of Lourdes (Il-Madonna ta' Lourdes): 5 July at Qrendi
Our Lady of Mount Carmel : 5 July at Fleur-de-Lys; 12 July at Fgura; 13 July at Gżira; 19 July at Mdina and Birkirkara; and 26 July at Balluta Bay (San Ġiljan)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Il-Madonna tal-Karmnu): 16 July at Valletta
Our Lady of Sorrows (Marija Sultana Tal-Martri): 20 July San Pawl Il-Bahar
St Joseph (San Ġużepp) : 2nd Sunday of July at Ħal Kirkop
The Annunciation (Marija Annunzjata) : 2nd Sunday of July at Hal Balzan
Sacred Family (Sagra Familja) : 3rd Sunday of July at Bidnija
St. Anne (Sant' Anna): 26 July at Marsaskala
St. Venera (Santa Venera): 27 July at Santa Venera
Christ the King (Kristu Re): Last Sunday of July at Paola, Malta
Mount Carmel* (Madonna Tal-Karmnu): 27th July at Zurrieq, Malta
August by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tal-frott, ta' Santa Marija u ta' San Lawrenz (The month of fruit, St. Mary and St. Lawrence).
St.Peter in Chains ("San Pietru fil-Ktajjen"): 3 August at Birżebbuġa
St. Lawrence (San Lawrenz): 10 August at Birgu and San Lawrenz
St. Gaetan (San Gejtanu): 11 August at Ħamrun
The Seven St. Marys (Is-Seba' Santa Marijiet): 15 August at Għaxaq, Mqabba, Qrendi, Gudja, Mosta, Attard, Victoria (Rabat,Gozo)
St. Roque (Santu Rokku): 16 August
St. Helen (Santa Elena): in Birkirkara: Feast celebrated on a Sunday morning, 18 August or the Sunday following the 18 August
Stella Maris (Our Lady Star of the Sea): Third Sunday of August in Sliema
The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (Il-Martirju ta' San Ġwann): 29 August
St. Dominic of Guzman (San Duminku ta' Guzman): Last Sunday of August in Birgu
St. Julian (San Ġiljan): Last Sunday of August in San Ġiljan
September by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tal-Vitorja, tal-Bambina, u tal-Grazzja (the month of Victory, the Nativity of Our Lady, and Our Lady of Graces).
The Nativity of Our Lady (Il-Bambina): 8 September at Mellieħa, Naxxar, Senglea and Xagħra
Our Lady of Graces (Il-Madonna tal-Grazzja): Sunday after 8 September
The Name of Mary (L-Isem ta' Marija): 12 September
Independence Day (Jum L-Indipendenza): 21 September
October by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tar-Rużarju (Month of the Rosary)
Our Lady of Rosary (Il-Madonna tar-Rużarju): different processions in different villages in Malta and Gozo in different days in October
By the Maltese, November is known as ix-xahar tal-inżigħ tal-weraq, tal-erwieħ, u tal-imwiet (the month of fallen leaves, of souls, and of deaths).
All Souls Day (L-Għid tal-Erwieħ): 2 November
St. Martin of Tours (San Martin): 11 November
St. Cecilia (Santa Ċeċilja): 22 November
St. Catherine of Alexandria (Santa Katarina ta' Lixandra): 25 November
Christ the King (Kristu Re): Sunday after 25 November
December by the Maltese is known as ix-xahar tal-Milied u tal-Kunċizzjoni (the Christmas and Conception month) Immaculate conception : 8 December with the Traditional Festa in Cospicua
St. Lucy (Santa Luċija): 13 December
Christmas (Il-Milied): 25 December with its traditional procession with the statue of Infant Jesus
St. Stephen (San Stiefnu): 26 December
Innocent Saints (L-Innoċenti Martri): 28 December
St. Silvester (San Silvestru): 31 December
Distinction between National and Public Holidays
Article 3 of the National Holidays and Other Public Holidays Act (chapter 252) provides the distinction between National and Public Holidays.
The National Holidays shall be public holidays and on those occasions there shall be flown on public buildings the National Flag of Malta.