Nova Scotia Statutory Holidays 2026
Nova Scotia has 6 statutory holidays in 2026, plus several more that many employers give.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
6 statutory holidays and 2 commonly given in 2026.
6 statutory holidays in 2026.
Trusted by 200,000+ people at companies you know
All 2026 holidays in Nova Scotia
9 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Statutory | Required by law | |
| February | 16Mon | Heritage Day | Statutory | Required by law | |
| April | 3Fri | Good Friday | Statutory | Required by law | |
| July | 1Wed | Canada Day | Statutory | Required by law | |
| August | 3Mon | Natal Day | Commonly given | Not required | |
| September | 7Mon | Labour Day | Statutory | Required by law | |
| 30Wed | National Day for Truth and ReconciliationNot a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia. Federally regulated employers must give it. | Observance | Not a day off | ||
| November | 11Wed | Remembrance Day | Commonly given | Not required | |
| December | 25Fri | Christmas Day | Statutory | Required by law |
Nova Scotia 2026 is already addedImport Nova Scotia's 2026 holidays into Vacation Tracker automatically, in one click
Your team sees them in Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Workspace. Free for 14 days, no credit card.
What employers need to know
Who qualifies
To qualify for a paid holiday, the employee must have been entitled to pay for at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday. They must also have worked their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their first scheduled shift after it. Employers cannot hold back holiday pay until a probation period ends.
Holiday pay
An employee who qualifies and gets the day off is paid a regular day's pay. If their hours change from day to day, average the hours they worked over the 30 days before the holiday. Commissions they regularly earn count toward that day's pay.
Working on a holiday
An employee who qualifies and works the holiday gets a regular (or average) day's pay plus 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked. In a continuous operation, the employer can pay this way, or pay straight time for the hours worked and give a different paid day off instead.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
If a holiday falls on a qualifying employee's regular day off, the employer must give them a different paid day off. That can be the next working day, a day added to the end of their vacation, or another day the employee agrees to.
Maximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Nova Scotia. Each one joins a few PTO days to a holiday and a weekend. Take all 7 suggested PTO days and you get 25 days off across 6 breaks, including 5 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Statutory
- Commonly given
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
All 2026 suggestions as a list
- Take Friday, January 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day).
- Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 13 to 16 (Heritage Day).
- Take Thursday, April 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 2 to 5 (Good Friday).
- Take Friday, September 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 4 to 7 (Labour Day).
- Take Thursday, December 24 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 24 to 27 (Christmas Day).
- Take Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30 off to get a 5-day break from June 27 to July 1 (Canada Day).
When Nova Scotia teams take time off
The 5 weeks when the most Nova Scotia employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week.
- Jul 27 – Aug 2Week 31 2.5× a normal week2.5×
- Jun 29 – Jul 5Week 27 2.2× a normal week2.2×
- Sep 7 – 13Week 37 2.0× a normal week2.0×
- Aug 31 – Sep 6Week 36 1.9× a normal week1.9×
- Aug 17 – 23Week 34 1.8× a normal week1.8×
Compare provinces and territories
| Province or territory | Statutory holidays in 2026 | Holidays others don't have |
|---|---|---|
| AlbertaOnly here: None | 9 | None |
| British ColumbiaOnly here: None | 11 | None |
| ManitobaOnly here: None | 9 | None |
| New BrunswickOnly here: None | 8 | None |
| Newfoundland and LabradorOnly here: None | 6 | None |
| Northwest TerritoriesOnly here: None | 11 | None |
| Nova Scotia You're hereOnly here: None | 6 | None |
| NunavutOnly here: Nunavut Day | 11 | Nunavut Day |
| OntarioOnly here: Boxing Day | 9 | Boxing Day |
| Prince Edward IslandOnly here: None | 8 | None |
| QuebecOnly here: National Holiday | 8 | National Holiday |
| SaskatchewanOnly here: None | 10 | None |
| YukonOnly here: Discovery Day | 11 | Discovery Day |
Sources
- Holiday and Retail Closing Day Charts | novascotia.ca
- Nova Scotia Paid Holidays and Retail Closing Days (Open Data NS, Labour, Skills and Immigration; 2015-2028)
Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
Nova Scotia has 6 statutory holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1), Heritage Day (Monday, February 16), Good Friday (Friday, April 3), Canada Day (Wednesday, July 1), Labour Day (Monday, September 7) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25). Victoria Day, Remembrance Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Natal Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are not statutory in Nova Scotia.
No. Victoria Day isn't a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Monday, May 18. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines and telecoms, must still give it under the Canada Labour Code.
No. Remembrance Day isn't a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. It isn't a general paid holiday under the Labour Standards Code. It's covered by the separate Remembrance Day Act, so only some employees get a benefit. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, November 11. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines and telecoms, must still give it under the Canada Labour Code.
No. Thanksgiving isn't a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines and telecoms, must still give it under the Canada Labour Code.
No. Boxing Day isn't a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, December 26. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines and telecoms, must still give it under the Canada Labour Code.
An employee who qualifies and gets the day off is paid a regular day's pay. If their hours change from day to day, average the hours they worked over the 30 days before the holiday. Commissions they regularly earn count toward that day's pay.
To qualify for a paid holiday, the employee must have been entitled to pay for at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday. They must also have worked their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their first scheduled shift after it. Employers cannot hold back holiday pay until a probation period ends.
An employee who qualifies and works the holiday gets a regular (or average) day's pay plus 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked. In a continuous operation, the employer can pay this way, or pay straight time for the hours worked and give a different paid day off instead.
In 2026, no statutory holiday in Nova Scotia falls on a weekend. If a holiday falls on a qualifying employee's regular day off, the employer must give them a different paid day off. That can be the next working day, a day added to the end of their vacation, or another day the employee agrees to.