The Romanian Government decided to give Romanian workers two extra days off this year, on  December 24 and 31- both on Mondays. These add up to the existing official free days - December 25 and 26, the first and second days of Christmas, and turn the Christmas official holiday period into a four-day long week-end. The New Year's Eve mini-break will officially start on December 29 (Saturday) and end on January 3, when most Romanians will have to return to work.

Romanians usually have a free day on December 1, which is an official holiday, when the country celebrates its National Day, but this year it is on a Sunday.  Most private companies in Romania decide on the length of the Christmas holiday with their employees. The official schedule is stricter applied in public institutions.

With 11 public holidays a year, Romanians are around the middle in the world rankings and could soon have an extra day, following parliamentary approval of Saint Andrew's day as a national holiday, which is likely to be enforced in 2013. Romanians are free on January 1 and 2, have two free days on Easter, on May 1 for Labor Day, on June 3 and 4 for Rusalii (also a religious holiday), on August 15 for the celebration of St. Mary, on December 1- the National Day and on December 25 and 26.
Columbia has the most public holidays with 18 a year, while Japan and India are not far behind, both with 16. At the other end of the spectrum, Britain and the Netherlands have only 8 national holidays a year, however, the UK has the highest number of days statutory paid leave in the world - 28 days, according to a study by Mercer Human Resources. Neighboring Bulgaria has more public holidays than Romania - 15 a year.

editor@romania-insider.com