Holiday Guide for Bhutan in 2019

Bhutan information

Nestled in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is known as the Thunder Dragon Kingdom. Public holidays are a combination of Buddhist festivals and honouring the royal family. Most holiday dates are determined on the Bhutanese calendar, which is lunar based.

List of National Holidays in Bhutan in 2019

	Wednesday January 2nd Winter Solstice Bhutan: In the Bhutanese calendar, this is the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year.
	Sunday January 6th Traditional Day of Offering Bhutan: In eastern Bhutan, the first day of the 12th Bhutanese month is celebrated as a new year.
	Tuesday February 5th Losar Bhutan: Tibetan New year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar
	Wednesday February 6th Losar Holiday Bhutan: Second day of public holidays to mark the lunar new year
	Thursday February 21st Birth Anniversary Of His Majesty the King Bhutan: The current Druk Gyalpo or "Dragon King" of the Kingdom of Bhutan was born on February 21st 1980. He became King on December 9th 2006.
	Friday February 22nd  Long Weekend!  Birth Anniversary Of His Majesty the King Holiday Bhutan: Second day of public holidays to mark the birthday of the King of Bhutan
	Saturday February 23rd Birth Anniversary Of His Majesty the King Holiday Bhutan: Third day of public holidays to mark the birthday of the King of Bhutan
	Sunday April 14th Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Bhutan: Honours a 17th century Tibetan Buddhist lama who first united Bhutan as a nation-state.
	Thursday May 2nd Birth Anniversary of the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Bhutan: Jigme Dorji Wangchuck the 3rd Druk Gyalpo, who began Bhutan's first steps toward modernisation, was born on May 2nd 1929.
	Monday June 17th  Long Weekend!  Lord Buddha's Parinirvana Bhutan: This is a Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha.
	Thursday July 11th Birth Anniversary Of Guru Rinpoche Bhutan: Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century Buddhist master from the Indian subcontinent, venerated as a "second Buddha" in Tibetan Buddhism.
	Sunday August 4th First Sermon Of Lord Buddha Bhutan: A public holiday on the fourth day of the sixth month in the Bhutanese calendar
	Tuesday September 24th Blessed Rainy Day Bhutan: Marks the end of the monsoon and farming season and the beginning of the harvest season in Bhutan.
	Friday October 4th  Long Weekend!  Thimphu Drubchen Thimphu: Celebrated three days before Thimphu Tshechu, this festival dates back to the early 18th century.
	Tuesday October 8th Dassain Bhutan: The festival of Dusseha symbolizes the triumph of good over evil in the legend of Rama and Ravana
	Tuesday October 8th Thimphu Tshechu Thimphu: Tshechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district of Bhutan
	Wednesday October 9th Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Second day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Thursday October 10th Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Third day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Friday November 1st  Long Weekend!  Coronation day of His Majesty the King Bhutan: A public coronation ceremony for His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was held on 1 November 2008
	Monday November 11th  Long Weekend!  Birth Anniversary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Bhutan: Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, was born on 11 November 1955.
	Tuesday November 19th Descending Day of Lord Buddha Bhutan: Marks return of Lord Buddha to earth from the heavenly realm after three months of teaching
	Tuesday December 17th National Day Bhutan: The Day commemorates the coronation of the first Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of modern Bhutan. It is Bhutan's most significant national holiday and is widely celebrated throughout the country.