It has been revealed whether December 31 will be a public holiday in Kazakhstan. Tengri Life provides more details.
Kazakhstanis have repeatedly requested that December 31 be designated as an official holiday. The reasons are clear: New Year is a family celebration, and an extra day off would allow more time with loved ones, prepare festive meals, and relieve end-of-year stress. Kazakhstanis also pointed out that such a measure could positively impact consumer activity, supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
We reached out to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan to find out if December 31 will be made a holiday.
Will December 31 become a public holiday?
The ministry responded that according to the law "On Holidays in Kazakhstan," January 1 and 2 are recognized as public holidays. These dates are considered festive and, consequently, non-working. The inclusion of December 31 in the list of official holidays is deemed impractical by the ministry.
"We consider declaring December 31 as a holiday to be impractical. At the same time, we note that the ministry is not the authorized body for establishing national and state holidays. The ministry's competence only includes approving the list of professional holidays, which are not considered days off," the department emphasized.
Is it possible to make December 31 a holiday by moving another holiday to a working day?
In response to the question about redistributing working and holiday days, we also received a negative answer. The ministry noted that its functions include only approving the list of professional holidays, which do not provide for days off.
As a result, in the last month of 2024, Kazakhstanis with a five-day work week will have 10 days off. We discussed how Kazakhstanis will rest in December in our article.
How we celebrate New Year - 2025 in Kazakhstan
Collage Tengrinews.kz©
What is the holiday schedule for January 2025?
In January, Kazakhstanis with a five-day work week will be able to take time off for New Year from January 1 to January 4, while those with a six-day work week will have time off from January 1 to January 3.
Calendar for January 2025
- January 1, 2, 3, and 4: holidays.
- January 5 (Sunday) and 6: working days.
- January 7: holiday in honor of Orthodox Christmas.
- January 8, 9, and 10: working days.
- January 11 and 12: holidays.
Collage Tengrinews.kz©
Furthermore, in 2025 Kazakhstanis can expect 121 days off and 244 working days. A detailed calendar can be found via the link.
Earlier, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection prepared an order to shift a day off in January 2025.
We also clarified the question regarding potential changes to the work and holiday schedule in 2025. More details can be found in the article.