Alberta Stat Holidays 2026: Every General Holiday Date

Matthew Woolley
By Matthew Woolley

The Alberta stat holidays 2026 list runs from New Year's Day on January 1 to Christmas Day on December 25. Alberta has 9 general holidays, also referred to as statutory holidays, and employers can choose to recognize additional days as holidays. The dates below come from the Government of Alberta's general holidays page. Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not on Alberta's general holiday list, and general holiday pay goes only to eligible employees.

As of Oct 27, 2026 · 2 min read

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Alberta general holidays 2026
General holiday2026 date
New Year's DayJanuary 1
Alberta Family DayFebruary 16
Good FridayApril 3
Victoria DayMay 18
Canada DayJuly 1
Labour DaySeptember 7
Thanksgiving DayOctober 12
Remembrance DayNovember 11
Christmas DayDecember 25

Workzoom sells HR, timekeeping and payroll software, and this page is written for the people who set up holiday calendars and pay periods in Alberta.

Which Alberta holidays are optional?

Employers in Alberta can choose to recognize additional days as holidays, and if they do, all employment standards rules related to holiday pay apply to those days. Commonly recognized optional holidays in Alberta include Easter Monday, April 6; Heritage Day, August 3; National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30; and Boxing Day, December 26. Decide which of these your organization recognizes before the year starts, and record it in the holiday policy, because a recognized optional day carries the same holiday pay rules as a general holiday.

A general holiday is paid only to eligible employees, and an optional day only when the employer chooses to recognize it.

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Commonly recognized optional holidays in Alberta, 2026
Optional holiday2026 date
Easter MondayApril 6
Heritage DayAugust 3
National Day for Truth and ReconciliationSeptember 30
Boxing DayDecember 26

Does every employee get general holiday pay in Alberta?

No. General holiday pay goes to eligible employees, and the Government of Alberta sets out who is eligible, and how holiday pay is calculated, on its general holidays page. Check eligibility for each employee before the holiday, not after the pay run.

Our statutory holiday pay guide compares the Alberta calculation with Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. If you also employ staff on the coast, the BC stat holidays 2026 list differs from Alberta's.

How should Alberta stat holidays 2026 go into payroll?

Enter the full general holiday list, plus any optional holidays you recognize, into scheduling, timesheets and payroll before January. Keep a separate calendar for each province you employ in. Our time tracking software guide for Canadian employers covers how approved hours, including holidays, should reach payroll. Checking the calendar before the first pay period avoids correcting holiday pay after a run has closed.

Workzoom's time and attendance software for Canadian employers connects schedules, timesheets and payroll. Bring the Alberta stat holidays 2026 calendar and a sample pay period to a demo and we will walk through how the holiday flows into pay.

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Sources and verification

  1. Government of Alberta Alberta general holidays claim checked Oct 27, 2026
  2. Government of Alberta Alberta general holidays claim checked Oct 27, 2026
  3. Government of Alberta Alberta general holidays claim checked Oct 27, 2026

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FAQ

What readers ask after this post on Alberta stat holidays 2026.

No. Easter Monday is not on Alberta's list of general holidays. The Government of Alberta lists it as a commonly recognized optional holiday, on April 6 in 2026. If an employer chooses to recognize it, the province says all employment standards rules on holiday pay apply to that day, so write the choice into your holiday policy.
No. Boxing Day, December 26, is on Alberta's optional list, not its general holiday list. Employers with staff in Ontario as well should keep a separate calendar for each province, because the provincial lists differ.
Yes. Alberta Family Day is a general holiday and falls on February 16 in 2026. Employees who are eligible for general holiday pay receive it for that day, under the eligibility rules on the Government of Alberta's general holidays page.
Yes. Remembrance Day, November 11, is on Alberta's general holiday list. Ontario's list does not include it. Ontario recognizes nine public holidays under the Employment Standards Act: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. A schedule copied from an Ontario location will miss it in Alberta.

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Matthew Woolley
Matthew Woolley
Account Executive
Matthew leads marketing and sales operations at Workzoom, where he works with employers across Canada, the US, and the Caribbean on HR, payroll, and workforce management. He writes about the systems and strategies that help mid-market organizations choose and run their HR systems.
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