What are the 2027 statutory holidays for domestic helpers in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong has 15 statutory holidays in 2027, and your helper is entitled to all of them, however long they have worked for you. The fourth day of Lunar New Year (Tuesday 9 February) replaces the second day, a Sunday, and you choose either the Winter Solstice (Wednesday 22 December) or Christmas Day (Saturday 25 December).
Checked on 23 October 2026 against the Labour Department’s list of statutory holidays for 2027 and GovHK’s list of general holidays for 2027.
Which days are the 15 statutory holidays in 2027?
| # | Date | Day | Statutory holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 January 2027 | Friday | The first day of January | |
| 2 | 6 February 2027 | Saturday | Lunar New Year’s Day | |
| 3 | 8 February 2027 | Monday | The third day of Lunar New Year | |
| 4 | 9 February 2027 | Tuesday | The fourth day of Lunar New Year | Replaces the second day (Sunday 7 February) |
| 5 | 29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday | Statutory since 2026 |
| 6 | 5 April 2027 | Monday | Ching Ming Festival | |
| 7 | 1 May 2027 | Saturday | Labour Day | |
| 8 | 13 May 2027 | Thursday | The Birthday of the Buddha | |
| 9 | 9 June 2027 | Wednesday | Tuen Ng Festival | |
| 10 | 1 July 2027 | Thursday | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day | |
| 11 | 16 September 2027 | Thursday | The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival | |
| 12 | 1 October 2027 | Friday | National Day | |
| 13 | 8 October 2027 | Friday | Chung Yeung Festival | |
| 14 | 22 December or 25 December 2027 | Wednesday or Saturday | Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer) | One holiday, not two |
| 15 | 27 December 2027 | Monday | The first weekday after Christmas Day | 26 December is a Sunday |
Source: Labour Department, Statutory Holidays for 2027. The Labour Department does not print weekdays. We calculated them and checked them against GovHK’s General holidays for 2027, which prints the same weekday for every date on both lists. The Winter Solstice is not a general holiday, so its weekday is calculated only.
Winter Solstice or Christmas: which day does my helper get?
Holiday 14 is one holiday with two possible dates, and the law lets the employer choose: the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival on Wednesday 22 December 2027, or Christmas Day on Saturday 25 December 2027. Your helper gets one of them, not both. Decide early and tell your helper, so you both plan around the same day.
If your helper’s rest day is Sunday and you choose Christmas Day, your helper has three days off in a row: Saturday 25 December (holiday), Sunday 26 December (rest day) and Monday 27 December (the first weekday after Christmas Day).
What are the rules on holiday pay, working on a holiday and notice?
- Holiday pay: if your helper has been employed under a continuous contract for at least 3 months before the holiday, the holiday is paid at the average daily wage of the previous 12 months, no later than the next pay day.
- Working on a holiday: give at least 48 hours’ notice and arrange an alternative holiday within 60 days before or after the statutory holiday.
- Substitute day: if you both agree, another day within 30 days of the statutory or alternative holiday can be taken instead.
- A holiday on the rest day: the holiday moves to the next day that is not a statutory, alternative or substituted holiday or a rest day. No 2027 statutory holiday falls on a Sunday. If your helper’s rest day is Saturday, three move: 6 February to Sunday 7 February, 1 May to Sunday 2 May, and 25 December (if you choose it) to Sunday 26 December.
- No money instead of the day: you must not pay your helper in place of a statutory holiday. An employer who does is liable to a fine of up to HK$50,000.
Source: Labour Department, Employment Ordinance FAQ: Statutory Holidays and Statutory Holidays for 2027. The Saturday rest-day dates are our calculation from the Labour Department’s rule.
Are public holidays the same as statutory holidays?
No. Public holidays (general holidays) are the days banks, schools and government offices close: 17 in 2027, plus every Sunday. Statutory holidays are the 15 days the Employment Ordinance requires you to give your helper. Most dates are on both lists, but not all:
- Good Friday (Friday 26 March) and the day following Good Friday (Saturday 27 March) are public holidays only. Good Friday becomes a statutory holiday from 2028 (16 a year), and the day following Good Friday from 2030 (17 a year).
- Christmas Day (Saturday 25 December) is always a public holiday, but it is a statutory holiday only if you choose it over the Winter Solstice.
- The Winter Solstice (Wednesday 22 December) is not a public holiday, but it is the statutory holiday if you choose it.
- Sundays are public holidays, never statutory holidays. Your helper’s weekly rest day is a separate entitlement.
On a public holiday that is neither a statutory holiday nor your helper’s rest day, it is a normal working day unless you agree to give the day off.
Source: GovHK, General holidays for 2027; Labour Department, Employment Ordinance FAQ: Statutory Holidays (additions from 2028 and 2030).
Sources
- Labour Department: Statutory Holidays for 2027
- Labour Department: Employment Ordinance FAQ: Statutory Holidays
- GovHK: General holidays for 2027
Questions about your own case: Labour Department enquiry line 2717 1771.
Related
- Domestic helper minimum wage 2026: what to pay under a contract signed from 3 October 2026, and the 30 October deadline for older contracts.
- Labour Department: Statutory Holidays for 2026: the 2026 dates still to come in December.
Overseas Employment Centre Ltd. can help you renew your helper’s contract or hire a new helper: contact us.
