October 13, 2024

Python Tutorials

Python Holidays Module

The holidays module in Python is a library that provides a way to generate and manage holiday dates for different countries, regions, and subregions. This can be useful in various applications, such as calculating business days, scheduling events, or simply keeping track of public holidays.

Installing the Holidays Module

To use the holidays module, you first need to install it using pip:

pip install holidays

Basic Usage

Once installed, you can use the holidays module to create a list of holidays for a specific country. You can also check if a particular date is a holiday and get details about the holiday.

Example: Generating Holidays for a Country

import holidays

# Create a holiday list for the United States
us_holidays = holidays.US()

# Print all US holidays for the year 2024
for date, name in sorted(us_holidays.items()):
    if date.year == 2024:
        print(date, name)

Checking if a Date is a Holiday

You can check if a specific date is a holiday by simply using the date as a key in the holiday object. If the date is a holiday, it will return the name of the holiday; otherwise, it will return None.

Example: Checking for a Holiday

import holidays

# Create a holiday list for the United States
us_holidays = holidays.US()

# Check if a specific date is a holiday
date_to_check = "2024-07-04"
if date_to_check in us_holidays:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is a holiday: {us_holidays[date_to_check]}")
else:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is not a holiday.")

Output:

2024-07-04 is a holiday: Independence Day

Working with Different Countries

The holidays module supports holidays for many different countries. You can create holiday objects for different countries by passing the appropriate country code.

Example: Holidays for Different Countries

import holidays

# Create a holiday list for the United Kingdom
uk_holidays = holidays.UK()

# Check if a specific date is a holiday in the UK
date_to_check = "2024-12-25"
if date_to_check in uk_holidays:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is a holiday in the UK: {uk_holidays[date_to_check]}")
else:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is not a holiday in the UK.")

Output:

2024-12-25 is a holiday in the UK: Christmas Day

Customizing Holidays

You can customize the holidays by creating your own holiday classes. This can be useful if you want to add specific holidays for a company, a custom region, or other special occasions.

Example: Creating Custom Holidays

import holidays

# Define custom holidays
class MyCustomHolidays(holidays.HolidayBase):
    def _populate(self, year):
        # Call the base class method to ensure standard holidays are included
        super()._populate(year)
        # Add a custom holiday
        self[year, 12, 31] = "New Year's Eve"

# Create an instance of the custom holidays
my_holidays = MyCustomHolidays()

# Check if a specific date is a holiday in the custom holiday list
date_to_check = "2024-12-31"
if date_to_check in my_holidays:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is a custom holiday: {my_holidays[date_to_check]}")
else:
    print(f"{date_to_check} is not a holiday in the custom holiday list.")

Output:

2024-12-31 is a custom holiday: New Year's Eve

Supported Countries and Regions

The holidays module supports many countries and regions, including:

  • United States (holidays.US())
  • United Kingdom (holidays.UK())
  • Canada (holidays.CA())
  • Australia (holidays.AU())
  • India (holidays.IN())
  • And many more.

Each country may also support regional holidays specific to states or provinces.

Conclusion

The holidays module in Python is a powerful tool for managing holiday dates for various countries and regions. Whether you need to check if a date is a holiday, generate a list of holidays, or create custom holidays, this module provides a flexible and easy-to-use interface for handling holidays in your Python applications.

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