School is in full swing, and so is the academic calendar year with parents, children, and teenagers are all living by this it.

For expats, adjusting to a new country and a different school system can be confusing. When are the holidays? When is there a day off? What customs are there that children can participate in?

Here is our guide for the 2024–2025 school year, which includes a list of the full school holidays, along with other notable days that may or may not fall into this list but are still good to know.

School holidays

  • All Saints' vacation – from 26 October to 3 November 2024.
  • Christmas vacation – from 21 December 2024, to 5 January 2025.
  • Carnival vacation – from 15 to 23 February 2025.
  • Easter vacation – from 5 to 20 April 2025.
  • Pentecost vacation – from 24 May to 1 June 2025.
  • Summer vacation – from 16 July to 14 September 2025.

Public holidays & other notable events:

  • 6 October 2024: Pappendag (Fathers’ Day)
    The fathers' equivalent to Mothers' Day is celebrated in Luxembourg on the first Sunday of October. It is the perfect occasion to set aside your disagreements and recollect all the fun things you did together instead. He had your best interest at heart. So, spare a fond thought for your old man, and perhaps even let him know about it.

  • 20 October 2024: Mantelsonndeg (New coat Sunday)
    What excatly is Mantelsonndeg? Coat Sunday is a day that offers the perfect opportunity to score great discounts on coats and other clothing items to complete your winter wardrobe before the frost sets in. Stores will be open from 2pm to 6pm.

  • 1 November 2024: Allerhellegen (All Saints' Day)
    The Catholic tradition a saint to each day of the year. All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, is a Christian feast held to celebrate all saints of the Church at once, even those who do not have a day attached to them. It is preceded by All Hallows' Eve, better known as 'Halloween', and is immediately followed by the Day of the Dead, on which people pay respects to family members passed away. Do note, however, that only All Saints' Day warrants a day off.

  • 6 December 2024: Kleeserchersdag/Niklosdag (Saint Nicholas Day)
    Meet the original Luxembourgish Santa Claus! Luxembourg and its surrounding regions hold the patron saint of children, St Nicholas (whom they call Kleeschen or Zinniklos), in outstanding devotion. He is said to visit houses on his name day and bring gifts and sweets to well-behaved children. Children who misbehaved are met, instead, with a punishment in the form of a long and supple twig, delivered by St Nicholas’ black-clad follower, Houseker. On the eve of the 6th, do not forget to place a glass of milk or a cookie next to your door, to thank St Nicholas for his visit, as well as a carrot for his mule.

  • 24–26 December 2024: Chrëschtdeeg (Christmas)
    You should be acquainted with Christmas, celebrated over three days: Christmas Eve on the 24th, Christmas Day on the 25th, and Boxing Day on the 26th, which is also a day off. The festivities include traditions such as the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and the Infant Jesus. Christmas Eve, unlike the other two holidays, is not a public holiday. However, it is important to note that stores close at 4pm on this day.

  • 31 December 2024: Silvester (New Year's Eve)
    While this is not an official holiday, it is important to note that stores close at 4pm on this day.

  • 1 January 2025: Neijoersdag (New Year’s Day)
    A public holiday marking the start of the new year and a day off.

  • 6 January 2025: Dräikinneksdag (Epiphany)
    This is one where a chiefly Luxembourgish tradition grafts itself onto an event celebrated by and large. The Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the three Magi around Jesus’ cradle. On the Luxembourgish Dräikinneksdag (which literally means "day of the three kings"), it is customary to eat a pie in which a small figurine has been hidden. The pie is then cut and served, and whoever finds the figurine in their slice receives the symbolic honour of being called king for the evening.

  • 2 February 2025: Liichtmëssdag (Candlemas)
    On Candlemas, on the eve of St Blaise’s Day, children get hold of their Liichtebengelcher (colourful paper lanterns attached to a stick and lit with a small electric bulb) and leave in groups to collect treats and coin in the neighbourhood. The procession goes from door to door: they ring the bell and, if someone opens, sing the traditional song Léiwer Härgottsblieschen, in which they invoke St Blaise, protector against all kinds of ailments, and ask him to give them “bacon and peas” … Surely, candy will do just as well! Candlemas also mark the beginning of a period of festivities called Fuesend, which we shall see right below.

  • 2 February – 4 March: Fuesend (Carnival)
    A period of public celebrations culminating in Mardi Gras, followed by Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. And most importantly, it's the return of the famous Fueskichelcher, a sweet treat similar to donuts in taste.

  • 9 March: Buergbrennen
    Large wooden crosses and pallet castles are built for 'Buergbrennen' ("castle burning"), a folk tradition celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent, one week after 'Fuessonndeg' (Carnival Sunday). While such structures may have negative connotations elsewhere, there's no cause for concern in the Grand Duchy. This tradition also exists in some Belgian and German towns in the Greater Region.

  • 30 March 2025: Bretzelsonndeg (Pretzel Sunday)
    In Luxembourg, Pretzel Sunday is celebrated on the last Sunday before Lent. The traditional version of the custom dictates that a man should offer a pretzel to the woman he's interested in. If she finds him nearly as sweet as the pretzel, she will let him know by giving him an egg on Easter Day. In a leap year, it's the other way round.

  • 20–21 April: Ouschteren
    Easter celebrations, including Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, with Easter Monday being a day off as well.

  • 1 May: Arbeschtsdag (May Day)
    The 1st of May is a public holiday on which are celebrated the achievements of the labour movement in its struggle for more humane working conditions, such as the 8-hour work day. Traditionally, Luxembourg celebrates the arrival of spring with a unique tradition known as 'Meekranz', meaning 'May wreath' in Luxembourgish. It is a longstanding tradition that involves gathering wildflowers and greenery from the forest and creating a wreath, which is then hung up at the doorstep of the house.

  • 9 May: Europadag (Europe Day)
    On the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman made a speech in which he proposed the gradual integration of European States' economies. This 'Schuman Declaration' came to be considered the founding act of the European Union. Since then, every EU country commemorates this event on 9 May. Luxembourg, however, is special in that it is, to this day, one of the only EU countries to have declared Europe Day a public holiday as well.

  • 29 May: Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)
    A Christian holiday marking the ascension of Jesus, and marks a public holiday.

  • 8 June: Mammendag (Mothers' Day)
    Your typical Mothers' Day, nothing extraordinarily Luxembourgish about this one. In the Grand-Duchy, it is celebrated on the 8th of June. So, get yourself together and spare some time to buy her flowers or anything she likes, and do tell her that you love her – or at the very least give her a call. She is worried about you.

  • 8–9 June: Päischtweekend (Pentecost)
    A Christian holiday celebrated 50 days after Easter on Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, with the latter marking a day off.

  • 23 June: Nationalfeierdag (National Day)
    Luxembourgish National Day, officially termed "Day of the official celebration of the anniversary day of the birth of the Grand Duke", is not actually held on the current Grand-Duke's birthday, nor on that of his predecessor, for that matter. It used to be custom to have the date of the National Day change with every new ruler; but under the reign of Grand Duchess Charlotte (1919–1964), it was decided to move the day of popular rejoicing from the 23 January (her actual birthday) to the more mild-weathered 23rd of June, a date that has remained ever since. Although the public holiday is on the 23rd, The Grand Duke, in his munificence, has a large part of the events take place on the 22nd, so that people may go out and celebrate and enjoy the next day to rest.

  • 15 August: Maria Himmelfahrt (Assumption Day)
    Celebrates the assumption of Mary and marks a public holiday in Luxembourg.

  • 15 September: Start of the school year
    Marks the beginning of the new school year 2025–2026 in Luxembourg and therefore our calendar ends here.