Gold holiday calendar: closed and thin market days
US, UK, euro-area and Japan holidays that thin the gold market, when each starts in your time zone, and what gold did on past holidays in our own data.
Labour Thanksgiving Day
Japan Monday 23 November 2026
Starts
Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner.
Holidays that thin the gold market
| Date | Holiday and what it means | Starts (your time) | Last time, in our gold data |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | |||
| Mon 23 Nov | Japan Labour Thanksgiving Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | not in our data yet | |
| Thu 26 Nov | US Thanksgiving Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 27 Nov 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| December 2026 | |||
| Fri 25 Dec | US Christmas Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 25 Dec 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 25 Dec | UK Christmas Day London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 25 Dec 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 25 Dec | Euro Christmas Day Euro payment system T2 is closed (ECB), so euro-area banks settle nothing and fewer European banks are active. | 25 Dec 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 28 Dec | UK Boxing Day London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 26 Dec 2025: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
| January 2027 | |||
| Fri 1 Jan | US New Year's Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 1 Jan 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 1 Jan | UK New Year's Day London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 1 Jan 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 1 Jan | Euro New Year's Day Euro payment system T2 is closed (ECB), so euro-area banks settle nothing and fewer European banks are active. | 1 Jan 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 1 Jan | Japan New Year's Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 1 Jan 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 11 Jan | Japan Coming of Age Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 12 Jan 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 2.2× normal | |
| Mon 18 Jan | US Martin Luther King Jr. Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 19 Jan 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| February 2027 | |||
| Thu 11 Feb | Japan National Foundation Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 11 Feb 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.7× normal | |
| Mon 15 Feb | US Washington's Birthday US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 16 Feb 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Tue 23 Feb | Japan Emperor's Birthday Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 23 Feb 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.9× normal | |
| March 2027 | |||
| Mon 22 Mar | Japan Substitute holiday Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 22 Sep 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.7× normal | |
| Fri 26 Mar | UK Good Friday London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 3 Apr 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Fri 26 Mar | Euro Good Friday Euro payment system T2 is closed (ECB), so euro-area banks settle nothing and fewer European banks are active. | 3 Apr 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 29 Mar | UK Easter Monday London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 6 Apr 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.9× normal | |
| Mon 29 Mar | Euro Easter Monday Euro payment system T2 is closed (ECB), so euro-area banks settle nothing and fewer European banks are active. | 6 Apr 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.8× normal | |
| April 2027 | |||
| Thu 29 Apr | Japan Showa Day (Golden Week) Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 29 Apr 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.4× normal | |
| May 2027 | |||
| Mon 3 May | UK Early May bank holiday London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 4 May 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.9× normal | |
| Mon 3 May | Japan Constitution Memorial Day (Golden Week) Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | not in our data yet | |
| Tue 4 May | Japan Greenery Day (Golden Week) Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 4 May 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.7× normal | |
| Wed 5 May | Japan Children's Day (Golden Week) Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 5 May 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
| Mon 31 May | US Memorial Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 25 May 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 31 May | UK Spring bank holiday London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 25 May 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| June 2027 | |||
| Fri 18 Jun | US Juneteenth US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 19 Jun 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| July 2027 | |||
| Mon 5 Jul | US Independence Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 3 Jul 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 19 Jul | Japan Marine Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 20 Jul 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.7× normal | |
| August 2027 | |||
| Wed 11 Aug | Japan Mountain Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 11 Aug 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 2.3× normal | |
| Mon 30 Aug | UK Summer bank holiday London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 31 Aug 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.2× normal | |
| September 2027 | |||
| Mon 6 Sep | US Labor Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 7 Sep 2026: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 20 Sep | Japan Respect for the Aged Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 21 Sep 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
| Thu 23 Sep | Japan Autumnal Equinox Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 23 Sep 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.2× normal | |
| October 2027 | |||
| Mon 11 Oct | US Columbus Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 12 Oct 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 0.7× normal | |
| Mon 11 Oct | Japan Sports Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 12 Oct 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
| November 2027 | |||
| Wed 3 Nov | Japan Culture Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | 3 Nov 2026: 6 of 6 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
| Thu 11 Nov | US Veterans Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 11 Nov 2026: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 0.9× normal | |
| Tue 23 Nov | Japan Labour Thanksgiving Day Japan national holiday: Tokyo is out, so the Asian session is thinner. | not in our data yet | |
| Thu 25 Nov | US Thanksgiving Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 27 Nov 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| December 2027 | |||
| Fri 24 Dec | US Christmas Day US federal holiday: federal offices are closed, so no US government data comes out. COMEX hours can be shortened: check CME’s holiday calendar. | 25 Dec 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Mon 27 Dec | UK Christmas Day London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 25 Dec 2025: no bars in our hourly feed | |
| Tue 28 Dec | UK Boxing Day London bank holiday: London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. For LBMA Gold Price auction days check ICE Benchmark Administration. | 26 Dec 2025: 9 of 9 hours traded, range 1.3× normal | |
Weekday holidays only (a holiday on a weekend changes nothing for gold). 44 entries to Dec 2027. Sources: US Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays; GOV.UK: bank holidays in England and Wales; European Central Bank: T2 closing days; Cabinet Office of Japan: national holidays. Exchange hours: CME Group holiday calendar.
Measured: how thin are holiday hours?
| Market | Holidays in our data | Hours looked at | Hours with a gold bar (median) | Gold’s range vs a normal hour (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 27 | 8:00–17:00 local | 0 of 9 | 0.74× (n 9) |
| United Kingdom | 17 | 8:00–17:00 local | 9 of 9 | 1.02× (n 10) |
| Euro area | 12 | 8:00–17:00 local | 4.5 of 9 | 1.23× (n 6) |
| Japan | 37 | 9:00–15:00 local | 6 of 6 | 1.26× (n 35) |
Gold: COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance, Jun 2024 to Nov 2026. For each weekday holiday, the gold bars inside that market’s business hours, against the median range of the same local hour on weekdays that are a holiday in none of the four markets (1.00× = a normal hour). A day where several markets are out counts for each. Rows with fewer than 5 holidays are hidden. Hours with no bar can mean an early close or a session the free feed leaves out. Volume is not shown: the feed has volume for too few bars. History, not a forecast.
Add the holidays to your calendar
A separate feed with all-day entries for every holiday above (34 days). Your other gold calendar feeds stay as they are.
Feed address: https://www.xauusdglobal.com/calendar/gold-holidays.ics. Release dates are in the gold calendar feed.
Why holidays matter for gold traders
Spot gold trades almost 24 hours a day, five days a week, but the volume comes from a few centres: London, New York and, in Asian hours, Tokyo and Shanghai. When one of them is on holiday, fewer banks quote prices. Spreads can widen, a single order can move price further than usual, and some platforms shorten trading hours. The normal weekly schedule is on the gold market hours tool; this calendar adds the days that break it.
In our hourly data, gold’s range during New York business hours on a US federal holiday was a median 0.74× a normal hour (n = 9), and during London hours on a UK bank holiday 1.02× (n = 10). Thin liquidity does not always mean a small range: fewer quotes can also mean sudden jumps. On 18 of 27 US holidays our free hourly feed has no gold bars in New York business hours, either because COMEX closed early or because the feed leaves out the holiday session, so check CME for the real hours.
What each holiday changes
- US federal holidays (Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Christmas and others): no US data releases, and the COMEX gold futures market can close early or not open. CME Group publishes the exact hours a few weeks ahead on its holiday calendar; we do not copy it.
- UK bank holidays (Easter, the May and August bank holidays, Christmas and Boxing Day): London is the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, so fewer dealers quote during European hours.
- Euro T2 closing days (New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December): euro payments do not settle, so fewer euro-area banks are active.
- Japan national holidays (including Golden Week, 29 April to 5 May): Tokyo is out and the early Asian session is quieter.
- China and India: not listed yet. Their official holiday lists for 2027 are not confirmed here; we add dates only from an official page.
Method
- Dates: copied by hand from the official pages linked under the table, weekday holidays only, observed dates (for example a US holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday). Checked 13 November 2026 and again every year.
- Start time: midnight in that country, shown in your own time zone.
- Measured row: COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance. Futures trade a few dollars from spot XAUUSD; hourly ranges are almost identical. Hour resolution only.
Frequently asked questions
Is the gold market open on Thanksgiving?
Spot gold usually keeps trading, but US banks are out and COMEX gold futures run shortened hours, so liquidity is thin. CME Group publishes the exact holiday hours; check it and your broker.
Is gold open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day?
Most platforms do not trade gold on 25 December and 1 January, and the days around them are thin because London, New York and the euro area are all out. Check your broker’s holiday schedule.
Is gold quieter on a UK bank holiday?
Fewer dealers quote prices because London, the centre of the over-the-counter gold market, is out. That does not always mean a smaller range: the measured table shows gold’s hourly range in London hours on past bank holidays against a normal hour.
Do you list holiday hours for COMEX?
No. CME Group sets and publishes them; we link its holiday calendar instead of copying it. This page lists the public holidays behind those changes and what they did to gold in our data.
Can I add the holidays to my calendar?
Yes. Use the Subscribe or Google buttons above, or paste the feed address into any calendar app. It is a separate feed, so your release calendar is unchanged.
Educational tool only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Check your own broker's contract specification, margin rules and costs. Past data does not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.