We commemorate May 1st Labor Day and May 8 Day of victory. This year we will enjoy these free days in the middle of the week, i.e. on Wednesday. Are these public holidays one of those when shops are closed? Attention, it is different for everyone!
Public holidays when shops are open
Although the law on the opening hours of large shops has been in force since July 2016, consumers are still not sure on holidays where they are closed, where they are open and when. Let’s start with the good news – May 1 (Labor Day) is one of the holidays on which the doors of shops do not close. These include:
- December 24 – Christmas Day (only open until 12 noon)
- Good Friday at Easter – a moving holiday between April 20 and 23
- May 1 – Labor Day
- July 5 – Day of the Slavic Evangelists of Cyril and Methodius
- July 6 – The day of the burning of Master Jan Hus
Public holidays when shops are closed
Other public holidays, incl May 8 (Victory Day), is already among those that mean a sales ban for merchants whose shop is larger than 200 m². This applies to all stores, including the largest chains. Closed holidays include:
- 25 December – 1st Christmas Day
- December 26 – the 2nd Christmas holiday
- January 1 – Day of the Restoration of the Independent Czech State and New Year
- Easter Monday
- May 8 – Victory Day
- September 28 – Czech Statehood Day
- October 28 – Day of the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state
Even on these days, stores in important places such as airports and railway stations, or those in medical facilities, as well as pharmacies and gas stations, have an exception. The Czech Trade Inspection supervises compliance with this law. If it is violated, there is a risk of a fine, which in some cases the inspection has already awarded.
Shopkeepers often consider closing their stores unnecessary and would rather choose the principle of voluntariness, i.e. leave it up to the employees whether they want to go to work on a holiday or not. It is currently being discussed proposal to repeal the lawwhich limits opening hours on selected public holidays.
