Holiday Guide for Bhutan in 2022

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 2022

	Sunday January 2nd Winter Solstice Bhutan: In the Bhutanese calendar, this is the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year.
	Monday January 3rd  Long Weekend!  Traditional Day of Offering Bhutan: In eastern Bhutan, the first day of the 12th Bhutanese month is celebrated as a new year.
	Monday February 21st  Long Weekend!  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.
	Tuesday February 22nd Birth Anniversary Of His Majesty the King Holiday Bhutan: Second day of public holidays to mark the birthday of the King of Bhutan
	Wednesday February 23rd Birth Anniversary Of His Majesty the King Bhutan: Third day of public holidays to mark the birthday of the King of Bhutan
	Thursday March 3rd Losar Bhutan: Tibetan New year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar
	Friday March 4th  Long Weekend!  Losar Bhutan: Second day of public holidays to mark the lunar new year
	Monday May 2nd  Long Weekend!  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 11th Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Bhutan: Honours a 17th century Tibetan Buddhist lama who first united Bhutan as a nation-state.
	Tuesday June 14th Lord Buddha's Parinirvana Bhutan: This is a Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha.
	Saturday July 9th 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.
	Monday August 1st  Long Weekend!  First Sermon Of Lord Buddha Bhutan: A public holiday on the fourth day of the sixth month in the Bhutanese calendar
	Friday September 23rd  Long Weekend!  Blessed Rainy Day Bhutan: Marks the end of the monsoon and farming season and the beginning of the harvest season in Bhutan.
	Saturday October 1st Thimphu Drubchen Thimphu: Celebrated three days before Thimphu Tshechu, this festival dates back to the early 18th century.
	Wednesday October 5th Thimphu Tshechu Thimphu: Tshechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district of Bhutan
	Wednesday October 5th 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.
	Thursday October 6th Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Second day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Friday October 7th  Long Weekend!  Thimphu Tshechu Holiday Thimphu: Third day of public holidays in Timphu for the Tshechu festival
	Tuesday November 1st 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
	Friday 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 15th Descending Day of Lord Buddha Bhutan: Marks return of Lord Buddha to earth from the heavenly realm after three months of teaching
	Saturday December 17th National Day Bhutan: Marks the day when Ugyen Wangchuck was elected as a hereditary king in 1907