Norwegian public holidays and shop opening hours (Sunday rules)
Public holidays
The Holidays Act (helligdagsfredloven § 2) lists every ordinary Sunday and these days as public holidays. 1 May and 17 May (Constitution Day) are made equivalent to Sundays by a separate 1947 law.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (1 Jan) | Thu 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan |
| Maundy Thursday (skjærtorsdag) | 2 Apr | 25 Mar |
| Good Friday (langfredag) | 3 Apr | 26 Mar |
| Easter Sunday | 5 Apr | 28 Mar |
| Easter Monday | 6 Apr | 29 Mar |
| Labour Day (1 May) | Fri 1 May | Sat 1 May |
| Ascension Day | 14 May | 6 May |
| Constitution Day (17 May) | Sun 17 May | Mon 17 May |
| Whit Sunday | 24 May | 16 May |
| Whit Monday | 25 May | 17 May (same day as Constitution Day) |
| Christmas Day | Fri 25 Dec | Sat 25 Dec |
| Boxing Day | Sat 26 Dec | Sun 26 Dec |
The Easter-based dates are calculated from the rules in § 2 of the law.
Shop opening hours
- On Sundays and public holidays, shops selling to consumers must stay closed (§ 5).
- On Christmas Eve, Easter Eve and Whitsun Eve they must close at 16:00.
- Shops may open on the three last Sundays before Christmas Eve, 14:00–20:00.
Exceptions that can open on Sundays include:
- Shops that mainly sell kiosk goods or groceries, with a sales area of no more than 100 m² (this is why small "Sunday shops" exist)
- Petrol stations up to 150 m²
- Garden centres
- Shops at campsites in season
- Areas the County Governor has designated as typical tourist spots
- Airport shops with duty-free sales
- Restaurants and cafés
- Shops mainly selling local crafts and souvenirs
Large supermarkets and malls are therefore closed on Sundays. Plan your weekly shop for Saturday.
Sources
- https://lovdata.no/lov/1995-02-24-12
- https://lovdata.no/lov/1947-04-26-1
- https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-2017-17/id2581906/?ch=5
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