Easter Holiday Hours: What You Need to Know About Czech Shops!
Residents of the Czech Republic are gearing up for their first extended weekend of 2025, thanks to the approaching Easter celebrations.
With both Good Friday and Easter Monday recognized as official public holidays, everyone gets a four-day break that will run from April 18 to April 21.
As for shopping, here’s what you need to keep in mind: on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 18, 19, and 20), shops will be operating normally. However, on Monday, April 21, all large supermarkets will close their doors.
Since October 2016, a law exists in the Czech Republic that restricts stores larger than 200 square meters from opening on designated public holidays. This rule is applicable to all large retailers, not just those selling groceries. It was enacted to ensure that supermarket workers, like many others, can spend quality time with their families during these special holidays.
Good Friday, which falls on April 18 in 2025, is not subject to this restriction, so all retailers will be open as they usually are. However, Easter Monday is one of the holidays when the law mandates that stores remain closed, thus all large supermarkets must not operate on April 21.
Here’s a Quick Summary:
Public holidays when stores are open:
- Good Friday (April 18, 2025)
- Labor Day (May 1)
- Day of Slavic Saints Cyril and Methodius (July 5)
- Jan Hus Day (July 6)
- Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy and International Students’ Day (November 17)
Public holidays when stores are required to close:
- Day of the Restoration of the Independent Czech State and New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Easter Monday (April 21, 2025)
- Victory Day (May 8)
- Day of Czech Statehood (September 28)
- Day of the Establishment of the Independent Czechoslovak Republic (October 28)
- Christmas Eve (December 24, from 12:00 PM to midnight)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- Boxing Day (December 26)
What About Shopping Centers?
While shopping centers are not legally obligated to close, larger stores contained within them are required to follow the law and remain shut. Therefore, although shopping centers might stay open during holidays, numerous boutiques and larger retailers may be closed, which can affect the overall shopping experience.
Exceptions
Some specific types of stores are exempt from this law. These include shops situated at train stations, airports, hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, and wholesale outlets, which can continue to operate regardless of their size.
