Holiday and Retail Closing Day Charts

Holiday and Retail Closing Day Charts : NS Labour and Advanced Education, Employment Rights

Find out who is entitled to a paid holiday or how to calculate the benefit.

The Remembrance Day holiday is governed by the Remembrance Day Act. Some employees may be entitled to a benefit.

Non-Statutory Holidays

Some days, such as Easter Monday, Victoria Day, and Natal Day, are commonly recognized as holidays but are not paid general holidays under the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code or retail closing days. Retail businesses are free to open and employees who have the right to refuse to work on retail closing days do not have the right to refuse to work on these days.

Employers may agree to provide their employees with additional paid holidays (like Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Natal Day) and the Labour Standards Division may be able to enforce such an agreement.


Designated retail closing days in Nova Scotia

Closing Day
Date 2025
Date 2026
New Year's Day January 1, 2025 January 1, 2026
Nova Scotia Heritage Day February 17, 2025 February 16, 2026
Good Friday April 18, 2025 April 3, 2026
Easter Sunday April 20, 2025 April 5, 2026
Canada Day July 1, 2025 July 1, 2026  
Labour Day September 1, 2025 September 7, 2026
Thanksgiving Day October 13, 2025 October 12, 2026
Christmas Day December 25, 2025 December 25, 2026
Boxing Day December 26, 2025 December 26, 2026

Jours désignés de fermeture des commerces de détail en Nouvelle-Écosse

For more information on retail closing days, please see our Guide to the Code.

Remembrance Day has different closing rules.