• Outlook User
  • Exchange Admin
  • Office 365
  • Outlook Developer
  • Outlook.com
  • Outlook Mac
  • Outlook & iCloud
    • Common Problems
    • Outlook BCM
    • Utilities & Addins

Microsoft Outlook Holiday Issues

Slipstick Systems

› Outlook › Calendar › Microsoft Outlook Holiday Issues

Last reviewed on January 24, 2021     2 Comments

Microsoft Outlook 2010's holiday file has some incorrect holidays listed, including incorrect dates for Easter Monday between 2013 and 2019. An updated holiday list is available from Outlook Tips.

Microsoft Outlook 2007's holiday list included dates through 2012. To add current holidays to Outlook 2007 and 2003, users will need to download an updated holiday file. I have a HOL file for Outlook 2007 and 2003 at Outlook Tips. Double click on the HOL file to open the Add Holidays dialog.

Additionally, Microsoft released an updated holiday list for Outlook 2007. This list is identical to the Outlook 2010 holidays (and to the Outlook-Tips file) and contains dates through 2020/2028. Unfortunately, it does a version check and only works with Outlook 2007 SP2 or SP3. This update contains a HOL file identical to the HOL file available on Outlook Tips. The Outlook Tips file is also easier to use: download then double click on the HOL. You do not need to go into Calendar Options to open the Add Holidays dialog.

For more information and links to updated holiday lists for older versions of Outlook, see Missing Holidays on our Outlook-Tips website.

Adding Holidays to Outlook

Microsoft Outlook has a built-in feature to add holidays from different countries and religions to your default Calendar folder. You can add holidays to your Calendar folder by following these steps:

  1. Choose File | Options | Calendar if using Outlook 2010 and newer; Choose Tools | Options if using Outlook 2007 and older, then click Calendar Options.
  2. On the Calendar Options dialog box, click Add Holidays.
  3. In the Add Holidays to Calendar dialog box, check the countries or religions whose holidays you want to add, then click OK.

Starting with Outlook 2002, the file is named Outlook.hol. If you are setting up a company-wide deployment of Outlook, you may want to edit this file in Notepad to add your own holidays, remove lists that you don't want users to import, or correct dates that Microsoft got wrong.

Unfortunately, this technique for importing Outlook.txt and Outlook.hol files has many limitations:

  • Microsoft sometimes gets the dates wrong. See Known Errors.
  • It doesn't create recurring items for holidays that occur on the same date every year. Instead, the user gets a single one-time event for each imported holiday.
  • Each version of Outlook has had its own holiday list.
  • You can add holidays only to your default Calendar folder, not to a public folder or non-default calendar. You'll need to drag the holidays from your default calendar to non-default calendars.

Below you'll find suggested workarounds for these and other holiday-related issues.

Additional Holiday Lists | Distributing Company Holidays | Importing to Public Folder
Removing Duplicate Holidays | More Information

Additional Holiday Lists

If you have Outlook 2007 or an earlier version, you'll need to import new holidays later years. You can either get a replacement for the Outlook.txt/Outlook.hol file or import from various additional sources of dates.

Updated Outlook.txt/Outlook.hol files:

  • Missing Holidays -- has holidays through 2020/2028, for all versions of Outlook.

For other sources of dates you can add to Outlook, see Calendar Tools for Microsoft Outlook - Dates.
 

Distributing Company Holidays

The Transmit Holidays Form is a custom Outlook form that creates a special mail message containing appointment details from a folder that you specify. When the user receives the message, they can click a button to add all the appointments -- holidays, company meetings, etc. -- to their Calendar folder.

You can your own holiday files (*.HOL) using nothing more than Notepad. One benefit to distributing holidays in a HOL file is that users can simply double click on the HOL file to open the Add Holidays file and add them to Outlook.

When you create a HOL file, you need line above the dates containing the "location" and the number of items in the "location" group, in [location] 366 format. (The location name can be anything you like.) The dates are entered one per line in Subject,yyyy/mm/dd format.

[location] count
Holiday name, yyyy/mm/dd
Holiday name, yyyy/mm/dd

Importing to Public Folder

You cannot add holidays directly to a public folder. Instead, add them to your default Calendar folder either by using the Add Holidays method or by importing from a file with the Import and Export Wizard. Then, move or copy the new holiday items to your public folder. The article To remove duplicate holidays from the Calendar folder in Microsoft Outlook describes how to distinguish the newly added items.

Removing Duplicate Holidays

  • To remove duplicate holidays from the Calendar folder in Microsoft Outlook

While you can easily remove duplicate holidays without the use of a 3rd party tool, the following tools can be helpful if you have additional duplicate calendar items.

Duplicate Removal Tools are listed at Duplicate Remover Tools for Outlook's Calendar

More Information

    • Missing Holidays (Outlook Tips)

Microsoft Outlook Holiday Issues was last modified: January 24th, 2021 by Diane Poremsky
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Print

Related Posts:

  • This is a collection of calendar data tools and resources for the Micr
    Calendar Date and Other Data Tools
  • change to the list view
    Add Holidays to Second Outlook Calendar
  • Duplicate Appointment Remover Tools
  • How to Remove Holidays From the Default Calendar

About Diane Poremsky

A Microsoft Outlook Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 1999, Diane is the author of several books, including Outlook 2013 Absolute Beginners Book. She also created video training CDs and online training classes for Microsoft Outlook. You can find her helping people online in Outlook Forums as well as in the Microsoft Answers and TechNet forums.

Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Marcus (@guest_172932)
December 17, 2012 2:04 pm
#172932

Great post but how do I turn on the Holiday feature for all users? I have been directed to make this happen behind the scenes and have yet to find a GPO or REG key to do it. Guess I need to bust out the VBS skills.

1
0
Reply
Diane Poremsky (@guest_172933)
Reply to  Marcus
December 17, 2012 4:03 pm
#172933

I assume you mean 'how do you import the holidays for everyone' - you'll need to use a logon script.

1
-2
Reply

Visit Slipstick Forums.
What's New at Slipstick.com

Latest EMO: Vol. 28 Issue 11

Support Services

Do you need help setting up Outlook, moving your email to a new computer, migrating or configuring Office 365, or just need some one-on-one assistance?

Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook






Our Sponsors

CompanionLink
ReliefJet
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • WeekMonthAll
  • Adjusting Outlook's Zoom Setting in Email
  • How to Remove the Primary Account from Outlook
  • Cannot add Recipients in To, CC, BCC fields on MacOS
  • Move an Outlook Personal Folders .pst File
  • Save Sent Items in Shared Mailbox Sent Items folder
  • Create rules that apply to an entire domain
  • Outlook's Left Navigation Bar
  • Use PowerShell to get a list of Distribution Group members
  • View Shared Calendar Category Colors
  • Remove a password from an Outlook *.pst File
  • Cannot add Recipients in To, CC, BCC fields on MacOS
  • Change Appointment Reminder Sounds
  • Messages appear duplicated in message list
  • Reset the New Outlook Profile
  • Delete Old Calendar Events using VBA
  • Use PowerShell or VBA to get Outlook folder creation date
  • Outlook's Left Navigation Bar
  • Contact's Display Bug
  • Use PowerShell to get a list of Distribution Group members
  • Edit Outlook’s Attach File list
Ajax spinner

Newest Code Samples

Delete Old Calendar Events using VBA

Use PowerShell or VBA to get Outlook folder creation date

Rename Outlook Attachments

Format Images in Outlook Email

Set Outlook Online or Offline using VBScript or PowerShell

List snoozed reminders and snooze-times

Search your Contacts using PowerShell

Filter mail when you are not the only recipient

Add Contact Information to a Task

Process Mail that was Auto Forwarded by a Rule

Recent Bugs List

Microsoft keeps a running list of issues affecting recently released updates at Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Windows.

Outlook for Mac Recent issues: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac

Office Update History

Update history for supported Office versions is at Update history for Office

Outlook Suggestions and Feedback

Outlook Feedback covers Outlook as an email client, including Outlook Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows clients, as well as the browser extension (PWA) and Outlook on the web.

Use Outlook.com Feedback for suggestions or feedback about Outlook.com accounts.

Other Microsoft 365 applications and services




Windows 10 Issues

  • iCloud, Outlook 2016, and Windows 10
  • Outlook Links Won’t Open In Windows 10
  • Outlook can’t send mail in Windows 10: error Ox800CCC13
  • Missing Outlook data files after upgrading Windows?

Outlook Top Issues

  • The Windows Store Outlook App
  • The Signature or Stationery and Fonts button doesn’t work
  • Outlook’s New Account Setup Wizard
  • Outlook 2016: No BCM
  • Exchange Account Set-up Missing in Outlook 2016

Repair PST

Convert an OST to PST

Repair damaged PST file

Repair large PST File

Remove password from PST

Merge Two Data Files

Sync & Share Outlook Data

  • Share Calendar & Contacts
  • Synchronize two computers
  • Sync Calendar and Contacts Using Outlook.com
  • Sync Outlook & Android Devices
  • Sync Google Calendar with Outlook
  • Access Folders in Other Users Mailboxes

Contact Tools

Data Entry and Updating

Duplicate Checkers

Phone Number Updates

Contact Management Tools

Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]

Make a donation

Calendar Tools

Schedule Management

Calendar Printing Tools

Calendar Reminder Tools

Calendar Dates & Data

Time and Billing Tools

Meeting Productivity Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Mail Tools

Sending and Retrieval Tools

Mass Mail Tools

Compose Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Mail Tools for Outlook

Online Services

Productivity

Productivity Tools

Automatic Message Processing Tools

Special Function Automatic Processing Tools

Housekeeping and Message Management

Task Tools

Project and Business Management Tools

Choosing the Folder to Save a Sent Message In

Run Rules on messages after reading

Help & Suggestions

Outlook Suggestion Box (UserVoice)

Slipstick Support Services

Home | Outlook User | Exchange Administrator | Office 365 | Outlook.com | Outlook Developer
Outlook for Mac | Common Problems | Utilities & Addins | Tutorials
Outlook & iCloud Issues | Outlook Apps
EMO Archives | About Slipstick | Advertise | Slipstick Forums
Submit New or Updated Outlook and Exchange Server Utilities

Send comments using our Feedback page
Copyright © 2023 Slipstick Systems. All rights reserved.
Slipstick Systems is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

wpDiscuz

Sign up for Exchange Messaging Outlook

Our weekly Outlook & Exchange newsletter (bi-weekly during the summer)






Please note: If you subscribed to Exchange Messaging Outlook before August 2019, please re-subscribe.

Never see this message again.

You are going to send email to

Move Comment