diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0c458b..6faebfb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ Clandars are read only from ical files, which are taken:
 * from command line if given as arguments
 * from `<home>/.local/share/calendars/` if no argument is given
 
+### Public holidays
+
+* calendar files that are named `<name>_bg.ical` are treated as defining public holidays
+  and rendered by changing the background of the day cell
+
 ## planned features
 
 * reload the events from a calendar file if the file changes
diff --git a/src/model/events.rs b/src/model/events.rs
index 94c5713..1a5dd67 100644
--- a/src/model/events.rs
+++ b/src/model/events.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@ use std::vec::Vec;
 use std::default::Default;
 use std::string::String;
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum EventType {
+    Regular,
+    Background,
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Event {
     pub text: String,
+    pub ev_type: EventType,
     pub begin: NaiveDate,
     pub end: NaiveDate,
 }
@@ -43,13 +50,13 @@ impl EventsCollection {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn create(self: &mut Self, begin: NaiveDate, end: NaiveDate, text: &str) {
-        self.events.push(Event {text: text.to_string(), begin, end});
+    pub fn create(self: &mut Self, begin: NaiveDate, end: NaiveDate, text: &str, ev_type: &EventType) {
+        self.events.push(Event {text: text.to_string(), ev_type: ev_type.clone(), begin, end});
     }
 
-    pub fn is_any_in_day(&self, day: NaiveDate) -> Option<Event> {
+    pub fn is_any_in_day(&self, day: NaiveDate, ev_type: &EventType) -> Option<Event> {
         for ev_day in &self.events {
-            if ev_day.is_in_day(day) {
+            if ev_day.is_in_day(day) && &ev_day.ev_type == ev_type {
                 return Some(ev_day.clone());
             }
         }
@@ -105,4 +112,4 @@ impl Default for EventsCollection {
     fn default() -> EventsCollection {
         EventsCollection::new()
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/model/ical_bridge.rs b/src/model/ical_bridge.rs
index 9638d1c..cbb8684 100644
--- a/src/model/ical_bridge.rs
+++ b/src/model/ical_bridge.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ use crate::model::events::EventsCollection;
 use std::fs;
 use log::warn;
 
+use super::events::EventType;
+
 fn cdt_as_date(cdt: &CalendarDateTime) -> NaiveDate {
     match cdt {
         CalendarDateTime::Floating(ndt) => ndt.date(),
@@ -20,8 +22,12 @@ fn as_date(cal_date: &DatePerhapsTime) -> NaiveDate {
     }
 }
 
-fn create_event(events: &mut EventsCollection, event: &icalendar::Event) {
-    events.create(as_date(&event.get_start().unwrap()), as_date(&event.get_end().unwrap()).pred_opt().unwrap(), event.get_summary().unwrap());
+fn create_event(events: &mut EventsCollection, event: &icalendar::Event, ev_type: &EventType) {
+    events.create(
+		as_date(&event.get_start().unwrap()),
+		as_date(&event.get_end().unwrap()).pred_opt().unwrap(),
+		event.get_summary().unwrap(),
+		ev_type);
 }
 
 pub fn load_calendar(calendar_path: &std::path::Path, events: &mut EventsCollection) {
@@ -38,9 +44,19 @@ pub fn load_calendar(calendar_path: &std::path::Path, events: &mut EventsCollect
         Err(e) => { warn!("Error parsing calendar {}", e); return; }
     }
 
+	let stem = calendar_path.file_stem().unwrap().to_str().unwrap_or("");
+
+	// TODO: keep it simple for now, just use a filename coding
+	let ev_type = if stem.ends_with("_bg") {
+		EventType::Background
+	}
+	else {
+		EventType::Regular
+	};
+
     for cc in calendar.iter() {
         match cc {
-            CalendarComponent::Event(event) => create_event(events, event),
+            CalendarComponent::Event(event) => create_event(events, event, &ev_type),
             _ => (),
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/ui/calendar.rs b/src/ui/calendar.rs
index 646b68b..89ecbe5 100644
--- a/src/ui/calendar.rs
+++ b/src/ui/calendar.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use super::basics::CellGrid;
 use super::row::CalendarRow;
 use super::row::RowDay;
+use crate::model::events::EventType;
 use crate::model::events::{Event, EventsCollection};
 use chrono::{
 	Datelike,
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ pub struct CalendarParams {
     ev_height: f32,
     ev_margin: f32,
     ev_bg: Color,
+    ev_bg_alt: Color,
     ev_fontsize: f32,
 }
 
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ impl CalendarParams {
             ev_height: 18.0,
             ev_margin: 2.0,
             ev_bg: Color::from_rgb8(200, 245, 200),
+            ev_bg_alt: Color::from_rgb8(215, 215, 215), //Color::from_rgb8(200, 200, 250),
             ev_fontsize: 14.0,
         }
     }
@@ -129,6 +132,7 @@ fn render_events_in_row<Renderer>(
     struct EventBar<'a> {
         ev: &'a Event,
         bounds: Rectangle,
+        bg: Color,
     }
     let paragraph = Renderer::Paragraph::with_text(Text {
         content,
@@ -154,6 +158,7 @@ fn render_events_in_row<Renderer>(
 
     let mut ev_bars: Vec<EventBar> = all_events
         .iter()
+        .filter(|e| e.ev_type == EventType::Regular)
         .map(|e| EventBar {
             ev: e,
             bounds: Rectangle {
@@ -162,6 +167,7 @@ fn render_events_in_row<Renderer>(
                 width: 0.0,
                 height: ev_height,
             },
+            bg: params.ev_bg,
         })
         .collect();
 
@@ -215,7 +221,7 @@ fn render_events_in_row<Renderer>(
                     },
                     ..renderer::Quad::default()
                 },
-                params.ev_bg,
+                ev_bar.bg,
             );
             let ev_text_size = Size {
 				height: ev_bar.bounds.height - 2.0,
@@ -576,7 +582,11 @@ impl<'a> CalendarView<'a> {
                     let fg = self.params.day_fg;
 
                     // background color of the day cell
-                    let bg_color = self.params.bg_for_day(current_day);
+                    let bg_color = if self.events.is_any_in_day(current_day, &EventType::Background).is_some() {
+						self.params.ev_bg_alt
+					} else {
+						self.params.bg_for_day(current_day)
+					};
 
                     renderer.fill_quad(
                         renderer::Quad {