Why I built a holiday calendar into Orbitika: 11 countries, no internet needed
Short answer: I built Orbitika's Calendar to tell you in one glance whether today is a workday, a weekend or a public holiday, and what holidays are coming up in 11 countries. The 2026 and 2027 dates are built into the app, so it works without Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Why I built it
Public holidays catch people out. Banks and offices close, shops change their hours, trains run a different timetable, and a meeting you booked lands on someone else's day off. When you work, study or travel across countries, one quick question comes up again and again: is tomorrow a holiday where I am going, or where they are?
I built Orbitika's Calendar to answer that quickly. I wanted something that tells you the answer straight away, without signing in, without syncing an account and without needing a signal. As a solo developer building for older phones and for people who are often offline, a simple built-in answer was better than yet another app.
What it does
- A "Today" card at the top tells you whether today is a workday, a weekend or a public holiday, and shows the holiday's name if it is one.
- An upcoming holidays list shows what is next, in date order.
- A country picker covers New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, France and Malaysia.
- It chooses a country for you based on your phone's settings, and falls back to New Zealand if it cannot tell.
- The holiday dates are built into the app for 2026 and 2027, so it works without Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Real examples
Here are a few dates from the app, so you can see how it helps:
- Labour Day in New Zealand falls on 26 October 2026, and on 25 October 2027.
- Matariki in New Zealand is on 25 June 2027.
- Good Friday in 2027 is on 26 March in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, followed by Easter Monday on 29 March.
- Australia Day is on 26 January in both 2026 and 2027.
Spotting these a week early is the whole point. It is the difference between a smooth trip and arriving at a closed bank.
Who it helps
- Travellers. Check whether shops, transport and attractions will be affected before you book or arrive.
- Remote workers and freelancers. Avoid scheduling a call on a client's public holiday.
- Students abroad. Plan deadlines, travel and errands around closures.
- Families in different countries. Know when relatives have a day off, and when they might be free to talk.
- Anyone planning a trip or a busy week. Holidays often mean crowds and higher prices.
An honest limit
The holiday data currently covers 2026 and 2027, and the list is kept per country. Regional or local holidays, such as ones that apply only in one state or province, may not appear, so check locally if the date really matters.
Tips
- Check the holidays of both places when you plan a call across countries, then use the Timezone tool to find a sensible hour.
- Look a week ahead before you travel, not on the day.
- Remember that some businesses also close the day before or after a holiday.
Try Orbitika
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does Orbitika's Calendar cover?
New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, France and Malaysia.
Does the holiday calendar work offline?
Yes. The holiday dates are built into the app, so it works without Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Which years does it cover?
The holiday data currently covers 2026 and 2027.
Is Orbitika's Calendar free?
Yes. It is one of the free everyday tools. Only the emergency tools are part of Orbitika Premium.