Holiday Guide for Bhutan in 2021

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 2021

	Saturday January 2nd Winter Solstice Bhutan: In the Bhutanese calendar, this is the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year.
	Wednesday January 13th Traditional Day of Offering Bhutan: In eastern Bhutan, the first day of the 12th Bhutanese month is celebrated as a new year.
	Friday February 12th  Long Weekend!  Losar Bhutan: Tibetan New year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar
	Saturday February 13th Losar Holiday Bhutan: Second day of public holidays to mark the lunar new year
	Sunday 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.
	Monday 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
	Tuesday 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
	Thursday April 22nd Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Bhutan: Honours a 17th century Tibetan Buddhist lama who first united Bhutan as a nation-state.
	Sunday 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.
	Wednesday May 26th Lord Buddha's Parinirvana Bhutan: This is a Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha.
	Sunday June 20th 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.
	Tuesday July 13th First Sermon Of Lord Buddha Bhutan: A public holiday on the fourth day of the sixth month in the Bhutanese calendar
	Saturday September 11th Thimphu Drubchen Thimphu: Celebrated three days before Thimphu Tshechu, this festival dates back to the early 18th century.
	Friday September 17th  Long Weekend!  Thimphu Tshechu Thimphu: Tshechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district of Bhutan
	Saturday September 18th Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Second day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Sunday September 19th Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Third day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Thursday September 23rd Blessed Rainy Day Bhutan: Marks the end of the monsoon and farming season and the beginning of the harvest season in Bhutan.
	Thursday October 14th Dassain Bhutan: Durga Puja is one of the largest Hindu festivals that involves worship of Goddess Durga symbolising power and triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology.
	Wednesday October 27th Descending Day of Lord Buddha Bhutan: Marks return of Lord Buddha to earth from the heavenly realm after three months of teaching
	Monday 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
	Thursday November 11th Birth Anniversary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Bhutan: Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, was born on 11 November 1955.
	Friday December 17th  Long Weekend!  National Day Bhutan: Marks the day when Ugyen Wangchuck was elected as a hereditary king in 1907