Wouldn't it be better to switch this around?

=SUMPRODUCT(--(holidays=start_date),--(holidays<=end_date))

"Bob Phillips" wrote:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(ISNUMBER(MATCH(ROW(INDIRECT(start_date&":"&end_da te)),holiday
s,0))))

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(replace somewhere in email address with gmail if mailing direct)

"dribler2" wrote in message
...
for anyone to help
I am still uncapable of making a short lookup formula something like this

=lookup(date1:date2, holidays datelist)
i want to count how many holidays are included between 2 given dates.

thanks for kind help
driller