Holy Spirit Day 2025 is observed on Monday, June 9. This major celebration in the Orthodox Church honors the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity.

The Feast of the Holy Spirit is a movable holiday, always celebrated on a Monday, exactly seven weeks after Easter, and the day following Pentecost Sunday.

The long weekend of Holy Spirit Day offers a chance for rest to those who are off work and also boosts tourism in popular destinations.

For public sector employees — including those in government agencies and local authorities — Holy Spirit Day is a statutory holiday. However, it is not listed as an official public holiday under Greek labor law for employees in the private sector.

Nonetheless, according to the Labor Information Center of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), private businesses in Greece may also close on Holy Spirit Day if it has been designated a holiday by a collective labor agreement, company work regulations, or through established company practice or custom.

What Applies for Pay on Holy Spirit Day 2025

Similarly, better terms may apply regarding extra pay for lawful work performed on this day. If employees are not required to work under the above conditions, they will still receive their regular salary. Daily-wage workers are entitled to their daily wage even if they don’t work.

If a business has declared Holy Spirit Day as an additional holiday but operates that day as an exception, employees who work are entitled to a 75% bonus, calculated either on their daily wage (for daily-wage earners) or on 1/25 of their monthly salary (for salaried employees).

The Feast of the Holy Spirit is recognized as a holiday under specific provisions of collective labor agreements or other decisions for certain categories of workers. It is also an official banking holiday.

What the Feast Celebrates

On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the appearance of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s disciples, fifty days after His resurrection and ten days after His ascension.

The feast symbolizes the reception of the Holy Spirit by all of us — to enlighten and guide us.

Pentecost is a celebration of the Holy Trinity. Through the descent of the Holy Spirit, we learn that God is Trinitarian: the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God, along with the Father and the Son. Together, they make up the Holy Trinity. The descent of the Holy Spirit occurred on a Sunday.

The Holy Spirit appeared as a dove during Jesus’ baptism, and on Pentecost as flames above the heads of Christ’s disciples, granting them enlightenment.

This feast always falls on the Monday following Pentecost Sunday — exactly 50 days after Easter Sunday.

Holy Spirit Day is not an official public holiday for everyone. Traditionally, it’s said to be a day of rest for “people of the spirit” — such as teachers and scholars.

In reality, the day is only a statutory holiday for public sector employees. This means that most private sector workers — with a few exceptions — are expected to work as usual.

Most private businesses and shops remain open, and employees who skip work without valid justification may not be paid for the day.

Public Holidays in 2025

June
Holy Spirit Day: Monday, June 9 (not a holiday for all employees)

August
Dormition of the Virgin Mary: Friday, August 15

October
Ohi Day (Anniversary of “No”): Tuesday, October 28

December
Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25
Boxing Day (Second Day of Christmas): Friday, December 26