Holy Days of Obligation 2027 by Country
The Catholic Year
Holy days of obligation are the days, besides Sundays, on which Catholics are bound to attend Mass and to avoid work that would keep them from worship and rest. Which days bind you depends on where you live, because bishops’ conferences may transfer a celebration to a Sunday or remove the obligation entirely, with the approval of the Holy See.
This page gives the verified 2027 dates for the United States and England and Wales. It does not claim to be a worldwide list, and the reason is given below.
United States: holy days of obligation 2027
| Date | Celebration | Obligation in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | Mary, the Holy Mother of God | Yes. The obligation is lifted only when this falls on a Saturday or Monday; in 2027 it falls on a Friday. |
| Thursday 6 May or Sunday 9 May | The Ascension of the Lord | Thursday 6 May in the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia. Transferred to Sunday 9 May everywhere else in the United States. |
| Sunday 15 August | The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Falls on a Sunday, so the ordinary Sunday obligation applies. |
| Monday 1 November | All Saints | No. Because it falls on a Monday in 2027, the obligation is abrogated under the US complementary norm to canon 1246 §2. |
| Wednesday 8 December | The Immaculate Conception | Yes. As patronal feast of the United States, this obligation is never lifted. |
| Saturday 25 December | The Nativity of the Lord | Yes, and Sunday 26 December carries its own separate Sunday obligation. |
Note the last line, because it catches people out. Christmas falling on a Saturday in 2027 means two distinct obligations on consecutive days. A single Mass does not satisfy both.
England and Wales: holy days of obligation 2027
| Date | Celebration |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 6 January | The Epiphany of the Lord |
| Thursday 6 May | The Ascension of the Lord |
| Tuesday 29 June | Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles |
| Sunday 15 August | The Assumption — falls on a Sunday in 2027 |
| Sunday 31 October | All Saints, transferred from Monday 1 November |
| Saturday 25 December | The Nativity of the Lord |
The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales restored Epiphany and the Ascension to their proper days, rather than the nearest Sunday, from 2018. When Saints Peter and Paul or All Saints falls on a Saturday or Monday, the celebration is transferred to the Sunday — which is why All Saints appears above on 31 October.
The ten days in universal law
Canon 1246 §1 of the Code of Canon Law lists ten holy days for the whole Latin Church, besides every Sunday:
- The Nativity of the Lord (25 December)
- The Epiphany (6 January)
- The Ascension of the Lord
- The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
- Mary, the Holy Mother of God (1 January)
- The Immaculate Conception (8 December)
- The Assumption (15 August)
- Saint Joseph (19 March)
- Saints Peter and Paul (29 June)
- All Saints (1 November)
Canon 1246 §2 then allows a bishops’ conference, with prior approval of the Holy See, to abolish certain of these or transfer them to a Sunday. That single provision is why no worldwide list exists, and why a list you find for one country tells you nothing reliable about another.
Other countries, including Malaysia
We have not published a 2027 table for other countries because we have not been able to verify each one against its own bishops’ conference. Rather than guess, we say so.
Do not apply the tables above to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Philippines or anywhere else. Ask your parish, or look for the current Ordo or liturgical calendar published by your own bishops’ conference. Civil public holidays are not the same thing: a day off work does not make a day a holy day of obligation, and a working day may still be one.
What the obligation actually requires
The faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass, and to abstain from work or business that would impede the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the day, or due relaxation of mind and body (canon 1247).
The obligation is satisfied by attending Mass on the day itself or on the evening of the preceding day (canon 1248 §1). An evening Mass on the vigil counts in full — it is not a lesser option.
Deliberately failing to attend without a serious reason is grave matter. But the Catechism lists what excuses in the same breath as the obligation: illness, the care of infants, and any serious reason, and a parish priest may dispense (CCC 2181). Being genuinely unable to get there is not a sin, and it is not something to carry to Communion as guilt.
Frequently asked questions
What are the holy days of obligation in 2027?
In the United States: 1 January, the Ascension (6 or 9 May depending on your province), 8 December and 25 December, with the Assumption falling on a Sunday and All Saints abrogated this year. In England and Wales: 6 January, 6 May, 29 June, 31 October and 25 December, with the Assumption falling on a Sunday.
Why is All Saints not a holy day of obligation in the US in 2027?
The US bishops’ complementary norm lifts the obligation for the Assumption, All Saints and Mary Mother of God whenever they fall on a Saturday or Monday. In 2027 All Saints falls on Monday 1 November.
Does a Saturday evening Mass count?
Yes. Canon 1248 §1 provides that the obligation is satisfied on the day itself or in the evening of the preceding day.
Christmas is a Saturday in 2027 — do I need to go twice?
Yes. Christmas Day and the following Sunday are two separate obligations. Ask your parish how its schedule works that weekend, since one Mass cannot discharge both.
What if I am ill or cannot get there?
Serious reasons excuse, including illness and the care of someone who cannot be left. Speak to a priest about your own circumstances rather than treating a table on a website as a judgement on your situation.
Are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday holy days of obligation?
No. They are days of fasting and abstinence and among the most important days of the year, but they are not days of obligatory Mass attendance. Good Friday’s principal liturgy is not a Mass at all.
Is Corpus Christi a holy day of obligation?
It is one of the ten in universal law, but in most English-speaking countries it has been transferred to a Sunday, where the ordinary Sunday obligation applies. In 2027 that Sunday is 30 May.
Sources and further reading
- USCCB: 2027 liturgical calendar and national notes
- Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales: holydays of obligation
- Code of Canon Law: canons 1246–1248
Prepared by Catholic Repository. Sources checked 24 September 2026. A lay educational resource, not an official Church publication.