2024-03-27 12:24:58
In the Czech Republic, large shops with a sales area of more than 200 square meters are affected by the sales ban during national holidays, which must close on New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, May 8, September 28, October 28, December 25 and 26.
Therefore, all large stores must remain closed on Easter Monday. Conversely, on Good Friday, shops are open.
The law on selling time has been in force since 2016, the introduction of the ban was promoted mainly by trade unionists who want to expand it further. Business unions, on the other hand, repeatedly criticize the law on sales restrictions. Compliance with the ban on sales on public holidays is controlled by the Czech Trade Inspection. For violating it, sellers face a fine of up to a million crowns.
However, the ban does not apply stores whose sales area does not exceed 200 square meters, gas stations, pharmacies, stores in places of increased concentration of passengers at airports, railway stations and bus stations, stores in medical facilities and retail and wholesale trade at the time when a state of danger, state of emergency is declared, a state of danger or a state of war.
• Convenience stores
There are several thousand convenience stores in the Czech Republic. About every third small shop is owned by Vietnamese traders. It is mostly a combined range of newsagents, food, household goods or drugstores. Their operation is supervised by the Czech Trade Inspection, as well as trade authorities.
• Petrol pumps
In addition to the classic range of goods, branches of food chains at pumps are becoming more and more widespread. For example, Billa opened its 24-hour minimarkets at Shell pumps. Their opening hours thus copy the opening hours of the petrol stations themselves.
• Private individuals
Private retail stores, not only small village shops, but also various delicatessens, can use their opening hours as they wish. The small area also includes most confectioneries or, for example, health food stores.
• Mobile stores
The law does not deal with them in any way, but most of them already work only on weekdays.
On the other hand, the ban also applies to bazaars, pawnshops and waste buyouts.
Extended weekends in 2024
In 2024 it is based on 13 public holidays, ten of them on working days.
Thanks to them, people extend their weekend or have already extended it in a total of five cases – on New Year’s Day (Monday), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Day of the Slavic Annunciations of Cyril and Methodius (Friday) and the Day of the Independent Czechoslovak State (Monday).
Holidays for children
Classes have started on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
2. 2. – half-term holidays (Friday)
5. 2. – 17. 3. – Spring Break
28. 3. – Easter holidays (Thursday)
28. 6. – end of the 2nd semester (Friday)
29. 6 – 1. 9. – major holidays
Spring break by district:
5. 2. – 11. 2.
Prague 1 to 5, Blansko, Brno-město, Brno-venkov, Břeclav, Hodonín, Vyškov, Znojmo, Domažlice, Tachov, Louny, Karviná
12. 2. – 18. 2.
Prague 6 to 10, Cheb, Karlovy Vary, Sokolov, Nymburk, Jindřichův Hradec, Litoměřice, Děčín, Přerov, Frýdek-Místek. Districts added after the additional change of the spring break date – Havlíčkův Brod, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Třebíč and Žďár nad Sázavou.
19. 2. – 25. 2.
Kroměříž, Uherské Hradiště, Vsetín, Zlín, Prague-East, Prague-West, Mělník, Rakovník, Pilsen-Mest, Pilsen-North, Pilsen-South, Hradec Králové, Teplice, Nový Jičín
26. 2. – 3. 3.
Česká Lípa, Jablonec nad Nisou, Liberec, Semily, Kladno, Kolín, Kutná Hora, Písek, Náchod, Bruntál
4. 3. – 10. 3.
Mladá Boleslav, Příbram, Tábor, Prachatice, Strakonice, Ústí nad Labem, Chomutov, Most, Jičín, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Olomouc, Šumperk, Opava, Jeseník
11. 3. – 17. 3.
Benešov, Beroun, Rokycany, České Budějovice, Český Krumlov, Klatovy, Trutnov, Pardubice, Chrudim, Svitavy, Ústí nad Orlicí, Ostrava-město, Prostějov