0 a day when almost everyone in a particular country does not have to go to work or school:
1 an official holiday when banks, schools, and many businesses are closed for the day:
The day was a public holiday and over 70 % of registered voters cast their ballots.
The officials of this institution received 21 days' public holiday.
But to make it a really important occasion, it will be necessary to have it as a public holiday.
It was a public holiday and a holy day.
Of course, that only follows from the second of the three interpretations, which is that it should be a new public holiday.
There were no changes of working hours in this period, but there were some improvements in leave allowances and an additional public holiday was introduced.
It is negotiable, but it is a public holiday.
A student nurse who works on a public holiday is entitled to another day off in lieu.