In Canada, we call them Statutory Holidays. These can be federal or provincial. This past Monday was Family Day in Alberta, Ontario and a few other provinces. In BC, it was BC Day. For me, it was double time and a half day. In Alberta, working a stat holiday requires the employer to pay an hourly worker 2 1/2 times their regular rate of pay.
Give them 12 hours of my time and get paid the equivalent of 30. To do nothing. Yay, me.