# Hungarian legislative debate over December 24 holiday > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/hungarian-legislative-debate-over-december-24-holiday > Updated: 2026-10-13T17:29:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. A movement to designate December 24 as a full public holiday in Hungary began with a failed referendum attempt by the Trade Union of Commercial Employees. The National Election Committee (NVB) ruled that the initiative did not meet the required signature threshold, noting that the valid count fell below the 100,000 signatures necessary for Parliament to consider the request. Following the failure of the referendum, the Tisza Party submitted a legislative proposal to Parliament to mandate all-day shop closures starting in 2026. The proposal seeks to move away from current regulations that allow retail operations until 2:00 PM. During parliamentary discussions, proponents argued the change would benefit over 1.5 million people, while noting that the fiscal impact on the state budget would be negligible. The initiative includes provisions for business closures with specific exceptions for sectors such as hospitality, catering, and transport hubs, while ensuring employees in essential services receive holiday compensation. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-13: Hungarian Parliament considers December 24 as public holiday The Hungarian Parliament is considering a proposal to make December 24 a public holiday, allowing most businesses to close while exempting essential services and hospitality. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hungarian-parliament-considers-december-24-as-public-holiday ### 2026-10-06: Hungary referendum to make December 24 a public holiday fails A Hungarian referendum to declare December 24 a public holiday failed after the Trade Union of Commercial Employees failed to collect the required 100,000 signatures. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hungary-referendum-to-make-december-24-a-public-holiday-fails --- Cite as: Hungarian legislative debate over December 24 holiday. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/hungarian-legislative-debate-over-december-24-holiday