Building a Clean, Ad-Free Holidays Calendar (Because the Internet Needed One)
The Problem That Started It All
Picture this: It's late 2025, and I'm trying to plan my time off for 2026. Simple task, right? Just look up the bank holidays and mark my calendar.
Except it wasn't simple at all.
Every website I visited was a minefield of:
- Aggressive pop-up ads
- Auto-playing videos
- Newsletter signup modals
- Cluttered layouts that made finding actual dates feel like a treasure hunt
I literally just needed a list of dates. That's it. No fluff, no fuss, no "Sign up for our premium calendar experience!"
Sometimes You Just Have to Build It Yourself
After closing my tenth ad popup, I had that moment every developer knows well: "I could build this better in an afternoon."
So I did. Meet HolidaysCalendar.net — a straightforward, clean holidays calendar that respects your time and your eyeballs.
The Tech Stack (Keeping It Simple)
I didn't need anything fancy here. The goal was speed and simplicity:
- Next.js: Perfect for static site generation. The pages load instantly because they're pre-rendered.
- Tailwind CSS: Made implementing the dark mode incredibly smooth (more on that in a second).
- Custom JSON datasets: Clean, structured data for US and UK holidays. No external API calls, no loading spinners.
What Makes It Different
🚫 Zero Ads
This one's non-negotiable. The whole point was escaping ad hell, so there are none. Not now, not ever.
🌙 Native Dark Mode
I'm a dark mode enthusiast, so this was a must-have. Using Tailwind's dark mode utilities, I built a theme that's easy on the eyes whether you're planning vacation days at midnight or during your lunch break.
The implementation is native to the system preferences — if your device is in dark mode, the site follows automatically. No toggle needed (though I might add one later for the rebels who want light mode at 2 AM).
⚡ 100/100 Lighthouse Score
I'm pretty proud of this one. The site scores perfect 100s across the board:
- Performance
- Accessibility
- Best Practices
- SEO
It loads fast, it's accessible, and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Why I'm Sharing This
Honestly? Because I think we need more of this on the internet.
Not every website needs to be monetized to death. Sometimes a tool is just a tool — something useful you build because it solves a real problem you (and probably others) have.
If you've ever rage-closed a tab because you couldn't find simple information through the ad chaos, this site is for you.
What's Next?
Right now, it covers US and UK bank holidays. I'm thinking about adding:
- More countries
- iCal export functionality
- A simple way to download the dates for your planning tools
But I'm keeping it lean. The whole point is simplicity.
Try It Out
Head over to HolidaysCalendar.net and let me know what you think — especially about the dark mode! I'd love feedback from fellow developers and regular users alike.
And if you're planning your 2026 PTO right now, you're welcome. 😊
Have thoughts on the dark mode implementation or ideas for features? I'm all ears. This is built for real people with real planning needs — your feedback makes it better.
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