
There are nine statutory holidays in Alberta to look forward to in 2026, which will give many workers the day off.
So mark your calendar and get ready for some long weekend traffic annoyances, but also some amazing sleep-in days.
There are plenty of long weekend trips to plan in 2026; however, lots of celebratory days don’t count as statutory holidays.
St. Patrickās Day, Valentineās Day, and Boxing Day are some big ones where you’ll have to burn up a vacation day to enjoy them out of the office.
Daylight Saving Time in 2026 starts on Sunday, March 8, and ends on Sunday, Nov. 1. Those days are not statutory holidays either.
Alberta recognizes the following days as statutory holidays:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026
- Alberta Family Day: Monday, Feb. 16, 2026
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3, 2026
- Victoria Day: Monday, May 18, 2026
- Canada Day: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Labour Day: Monday, Sept. 7, 2026
- Thanksgiving Day: Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
- Remembrance Day: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday, Dec. 25, 2026
Optional general holidays in Alberta in 2026 include Easter Monday on April 6; Heritage Day on Monday, Aug. 3; National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday, Sept. 30; and Boxing Day on Saturday, Dec. 26.
Do you qualify for stat pay?
The province says an employee is entitled to general holiday pay if they have worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months prior to the holiday.
Most employees are entitled to general holidays and receive general holiday pay if one of the following applies to them:
- a general holiday is a regular day of work; or
- they have worked on a general holiday that is not a regular day of work
You can find out more about Alberta’s general statutory holidays in 2026 here.
With files from Claire Fenton