The motto of the EU is “united in diversity”, and it shines so that it cooks with olive oil or butter.
But nothing divides Europe in the middle like Easter holidays. If you are confused about who left and when, don't worry, the rest of Europe too.
Although Easter has largely lost its religious weight in Europe increasingly secular, its status of public holidays varies considerably through the continent: from Good Friday to Pentecost Monday, different countries mark different days as public holidays.
And let's be honest: there is never enough vacation for workers, so it is natural to look through the border and feel a pinch of envy.
So, what does the Easter Holiday Carty look through the EU look like?
A reversal of Protestant work ethics
Like the butter fracture against olive oil, there is a clear north-south division regarding Easter holidays.
Northern Europe, in particular countries with Protestant roots, tends to grant more days in Easter than their Catholic counterparts in the South.
Not so obvious, given the so-called Protestant work ethics described by the sociologist Max Weber as the foundation of capitalism.
However, traditionally, the “workers” nations like Germany are great at Easter, almost observing the complete package of Easter festivals – Good Friday, Easter Monday and even the day of the Ascension and Monday of Pentecost.
Curiously, Easter Sunday is not a national holiday there, except in the state of Brandenburg.
Easter Sunday surprise
Germany is no exception: in many EU countries, Easter Sunday is not officially recognized as a public holiday – and not because it is not important, but because it already falls in a working day.
Instead, the emphasis is on Easter Monday, which is a public holiday in most places.
At least 12 EU countries, including Austria, France, Cheche, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia and Luxembourg, do not count on Easter Sunday as official holidays for the same reason.
That said, Easter Monday is a public holiday in almost the whole EU, with the exception of a few exceptions like Spain, where it is only a vacation in certain autonomous regions such as Catalonia, the Basque Country, Navarre; And Portugal, where it is not officially recognized at all.
The Friday Friday patchwork
Malta returns the script: he does not observe Easter Monday or any other day with a day off for workers, except for Good Friday which is a national holiday.
ADVERTISEMENTSome notable EU countries do not consider Good Friday as a vacation, notably Italy, France, Slovenia and Lithuania – although some of them are traditionally Catholic.
In Belgium (where this article is exploited when it is certainly not on vacation), it is today like all ordinary work on Friday.
In Ireland, Good Friday is not a statutory public holiday either, but it is often observed informally, many companies choosing to close.
Austria dealt on Good Friday as a “selective” party for the members of certain religious denominations, such as the old Catholic church and the methodists.
ADVERTISEMENTThis changed after a 2015 case involving an employee of the private detective agency who called for religious discrimination for not having received a vacation salary. The case reached the EU Court of Justice, which judged in 2019 that such selective holidays based on religion was equivalent to direct discrimination.
Prolonged Easter: ascent, Pentecost (and Thursday MANNDY)
Do you think Easter ends after the Sunday chocolate frenzy? Be careful again. Ascension day (40 days later) and Pentecost on Monday (50 days later) are celebrated with a few days off.
If you are in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany or the Netherlands, you are lucky, the two days are public holidays. Meanwhile, places like Greece, Hungary and Portugal jump them completely.
In Denmark, Italy, Poland and Sweden, only the day of the ascent is observed, which means that Pentecost is not a day off.
ADVERTISEMENTThursday (the day before Good Friday) is generally not a public holiday in most of the EU, but it attracts attention.
In Denmark, where it is called “Skærtorsdag”, it is a legitimate national holiday. In Spain, certain regions such as Andalusia, Castilla and León also treat it as a day off – because in doubt, add another party.
