Adding Public Holidays to Outlook: Instructions
In Microsoft Outlook, you can add nationwide and regional holidays so that you don't miss these days for your planning. We'll show you how to do it here.
February 20, 2025
Reading time: 2 Minutes
Content Manager at absentify
Contents
Adding holidays to Outlook (all devices)
Tips for the holidays in Outlook
Enter absences in Outlook: Not just for holidays
Adding Holidays to Outlook – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Adding holidays to Outlook (all devices)
Outlook for Windows (Desktop version)
- Open your Outlook program on your Windows computer.
- Click on File at the top left.
- Select Options from the menu on the left. (In older versions, this may be labeled as "Outlook Options".)
- In the new window, you will find the Calendar option on the left. Click on it.
- Scroll down in the right area to the Calendar Options section. Click on Add Holidays (or 'Adding of Holidays').
- A dialog window opens with a list of countries/regions. Check the box next to the country or countries whose holidays you want to add to your calendar.
- Click OK. Outlook will now import the selected holidays into your calendar.
- Close and reopen your Outlook calendar to ensure that the holidays have been entered.
Holidays are usually displayed as full-day events (appointments with a 24-hour duration).
Tip: If you want to add more countries later, simply repeat steps 5 to 7 and select the additional countries.
Outlook for Mac (Desktop version)
- Open the Outlook app on your Mac.
- Click on Outlook in the top menu bar. Then select “Settings”.
- Click on the “Calendar” section in the settings.
- In newer versions of Outlook for Mac, within the calendar settings, there is a section called 'Holidays'. Select the desired country.
- Close the settings and reopen your calendar. Check if the holidays have been added.
Note: The exact terms may vary slightly depending on the Outlook version for Mac (e.g., 'Calendar Options', 'Holidays', 'Add Calendar', etc.).
Outlook in the browser
- Sign in to your Office 365 account in the browser and open Outlook.
- Click on the gear icon (Settings) at the top right.
- Scroll down in the small settings window and click on “Show all Outlook settings”.
- Select “Calendar” from the left column.
- Then click on Calendar View or Holiday Calendar (depending on the Outlook version).
- Here you will find the section 'Holidays' or 'Interesting Calendars'
- Select your desired country (or region).
- Click on “Save” and close the settings window.
- Go back to your calendar and check if the holidays are displayed.
Outlook App on iOS or Android
First principles:
The Outlook app on mobile devices (iOS/Android) typically accesses the calendar of your email account (Exchange/Outlook.com). Therefore, if you have already added holidays on the desktop or in the web version, they will generally also be displayed in the app, provided that synchronization is active.
Manage holidays directly in the Outlook app:
- Open the Outlook app on your iPhone/iPad or Android smartphone.
- Tap on your user icon or the menu symbol (three lines) at the top left.
- Then tap on the gear icon for settings.
- Scroll down until you find the “Calendar” section. (Sometimes it says “Accounts” here and you select the appropriate account.)
- Look for the section 'Add calendar' or 'Interesting calendars'
- Tap on Holidays or Holidays.
- Select the country or region whose holidays you want to see.
- Confirm your selection.
- Go back to the calendar view and check if the holidays are now displayed.
Check synchronization (if holidays are not visible)
- Synchronization settings: Make sure that synchronization is enabled for the respective calendar (in some operating system settings, calendar access must be permitted).
- Account Settings: In the account settings of the Outlook app, you can selectively choose which folders/calendars should be synchronized.
With these settings, holidays will be automatically imported into Outlook. The settings also ensure that the holidays are displayed.
Tips for the holidays in Outlook
- Duplicate Holidays: If you have accidentally added the same country more than once, it may happen that holidays are displayed twice. In that case, either remove one of the duplicate holiday calendars or manually delete the duplicate entries.
- Language of holidays: The language of the holiday entries is based on the data provided by Microsoft (e.g., “Christmas Day” vs. “1. Weihnachtsfeiertag”). Depending on the region, holidays may be displayed in English or in the local language.
- Not all holidays? Sometimes country-specific or regionally different holidays are missing. Microsoft typically provides the most important public holidays, but there can be deviations.
- Update: After adding holidays, it may take some time for them to appear on all linked devices as the calendar data needs to be synchronized.
Enter absences in Outlook: Not just for holidays
Not in all companies does the entire team automatically have a day off on a public holiday. When colleagues from several federal states with differing public holidays work together remotely or simply have to be on call, it's easy to lose track.
If you enhance your Outlook with the features of absentify, you can define types of absence. This way, your colleague's day off (holiday) won't be mistaken for a vacation day.
Additionally, you can assign colleagues to departments and set absence quotas for them: This ensures that despite holidays or popular bridge days a sufficient number of colleagues are present. Beyond the quota, no further absences can be recorded by the team on that day.
Your entire team can integrate absentify for free into the familiar Outlook interface. This way, everyone can immediately get the hang of it and won't need to install separate software.
Adding Holidays to Outlook – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why are holidays not showing up in my Outlook calendar?
Possible reasons include missing synchronization, disabled holiday calendars, or an unsupported Outlook version. Check the calendar settings and synchronization.
Can I add multiple countries for holidays?
Yes, in Outlook for Windows and in the browser you can select multiple countries. This feature may be limited in the Outlook app.
How do I remove holidays from my Outlook calendar?
In Outlook for Windows, you can manually delete holidays by searching for 'Holiday' in the calendar and removing the entries. In the web version or the app, you can simply deactivate the holiday calendar.
Why do I see holidays duplicated in Outlook?
If you've added holidays multiple times or they exist through both Outlook and a synced account (e.g., Google Calendar), duplicates may occur. Remove one of the duplicate holiday calendars or delete the duplicate entries manually.
Can I add custom holidays or events?
Yes, you can enter your own full-day events into the Outlook calendar to, for example, save regional or personal holidays.
Are the holidays in Outlook always up to date?
Microsoft regularly updates the holidays, but some country-specific or local holidays might be missing or not up to date. Manual additions are possible.
Will the added holidays be synchronized across all my devices?
Yes, if your Outlook account is being synchronized, the holidays should appear on all devices. If not, check the synchronization settings.
Would you like to simplify your absence management?
Find out how absentify can optimize your HR processes, save you time, and reduce errors. Easily manage employee absences in Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Start now for free