The Holiday System in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s holiday system is separated from the one in Mainland China. While the nine -fiver in Mainland China are only entitled to 7 public holidays, the Hong Kongers are entitled to 17 public holidays, celebrating long-established Chinese festivals such as Lunar’s New Year/ Ching Ming Festival as well as key Western festivities like Christmas and Good Friday. These 17 public holidays which are determined by the General Holidays Ordinance, are also known as bank holidays. The bank workers, educators, government departments, and social institutions usually have a day off during these public holidays. It applies to all the “white-collar workers” as well.
Statutory Holidays in Hong Kong
On the other hand, the non-office workers who widely known as “blue-collar workers” only have 12 public holidays per year, which are the 12 compulsory/statutory holidays for employees. The 12 statutory holidays are:
- New Year’s Day
- Lunar New Year’s Day
- 2nd day of Lunar New Year
- 3rd day of Lunar New Year
- Ching Ming Festival
- Labour Day, 1st of May
- Tuen Ng Festival
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day, 1st of July
- The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
- Chung Yeung Festival
- National Day, 1st of October
- Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)
These blue-collar workers do not have a day off on Good Friday and the following day of Good Friday, Easter Monday, Buddha’s Birthday, and the first weekday after Christmas. Nonetheless, there is also an exception for some blue-collar workers. Some of them also enjoy 17 days off like the white-collar workers.
Public Holidays 2021 in Hong Kong
| Date | Day | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 12 February 2021 | Friday | Lunar New Year |
| 13 February 2021 | Saturday | 2nd day of Lunar New Year |
| 14 February 2021 | Sunday | 3rd day of Lunar New Year |
| 15 February 2021 | Monday | 4th of Lunar New Year |
| 2 April 2021 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 3 April 2021 | Saturday | The Day Following Good Friday |
| 4 April 2021 | Sunday | Ching Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) |
| 5 April 2021 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 5 April 2021 | Monday | The Day Following Ching Ming Festival |
| 6 April 2021 | Tuesday | The Day Following Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2021 | Saturday | Labour Day |
| 19 May 2021 | Wednesday | Birthday of Buddha |
| 14 June 2021 | Monday | Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) |
| 1 July 2021 | Thursday | HKSAR Establishment Day |
| 22 September 2021 | Wednesday | The Day Following Mid-Autumn Festival |
| 1 October 2021 | Friday | National Day |
| 14 October 2021 | Thursday | Chung Yeung Festival (Double Ninth Festival) |
| 25 December 2021 | Saturday | Christmas |
| 27 December 2021 | Monday | The First Weekday After Christmas |
Note: Public holidays dates are preliminary and are subject to change.
Hong Kong Public Holiday for 2021 FAQs
In this case, the fourth day of Lunar New Year is automatically counted as a statutory holiday in Hong Kong.
If you have been employed under a continual contract for at least three months in Hong Kong, then you are entitled to the holiday pay.
Yes. Private companies in Hong Kong do have the right to decide their own schedules and allow additional holidays to their employees on top of the official public holidays set by the government.
If a designated public holiday falls on a Sunday in Hong Kong, the immediate following Monday would be a public holiday according to Hong Kong laws.
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