public holiday

noun

1. a holiday observed over the whole country

Example Sentences

His inauguration will take place at the national stadium in the capital, Gaborone, on Friday - which has been declared a public holiday - and international dignitaries are expected to be in attendance.

From BBC

Olivia Wilson, who has been managing Pesto’s demanding media schedule for the aquarium, jokes that she’s not sure what's the bigger drawcard to Melbourne this weekend: Pesto or the Australian Football League grand final - a sporting event taken so seriously that the entire state of Victoria gets a public holiday the day before to celebrate.

From BBC

Over a public holiday last month, about 300 tourists arrived daily for four days, standing in a line for photos that coiled down the street, said Mitsuo Kato, 86, who lives by the bridge.

From New York Times

Two days later, the country celebrated Victory Day, Russia’s most important public holiday, which commemorates the Soviet contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

From New York Times

In Vietnam, Buddha’s birthday is a still popular festival, but not a public holiday, which it was from 1958 to 1975 in what was formerly South Vietnam.

From Seattle Times