Official holidays

Below you will find a list of all official, public and national holidays in the country of Algeria.

New Year’s Day
– 2015-01-01

New Year’s Day marks the beginning of the year on the Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated by family and friends who gather together as the skies are decorated with fireworks and the air is filled with the sounds of people wishing each other well for the new year.

Mawlid
– 2015-01-10

Mawlid is the observance of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Also known as Mawlid an-Nabī the event takes place in the Islamic month of Rabi’ al-awwal. It is a festive celebration that began four centuries after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The event is marked by street processions, charity and poetry related to the prophet.

Labor Day
– 2015-05-01

This annual event is celebrated in many countries around the world, highlighting the social and economic achievements of workers.

Independence Day
– 2015-07-05

This day commemorates Algeria’s independence from France in 1962. It is celebrated with great festivity, with multi-cultural activities organized in the various cities. On this day the president typically addresses the nation regarding its aspirations and achievements.

Eid ul-Fitr
– 2015-07-17

Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, a month of fasting. The celebration includes the public uttering of a particular Islamic prayer. Zakat al-Fitr, the giving of charity, is performed before the prayer. The day is considered a day of forgiving and forgetting the past wrongs of others. Following the prayers, people will visit each other and gather together to celebrate.

Eid al-Adha
– 2015-09-23

Also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice”, Eid al-Adha is a celebration that commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael. The celebration begins with a prayer, which is followed by a sermon, taking place after the Hajj.

Anniversary of the Revolution
– 2015-11-01

This day memorializes the country’s resistance to French colonialism. On this day in 1954 coordinated attacks around the country were organized by the nationalists. It became a vitally important day in the country’s history – a day that is remembered because of the Algerian’s struggle to take back their country.

Islamic New Year
– 2015-10-14

Also known as Hijri New Year, this day marks the start of the Islamic calendar, beginning with the month of Muharram. As well as bringing in the new year, the event also commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The day is typically marked with enactments of grief.

Ashura
– 2015-10-13

Taking place on the tenth day of Muharram, Ashura is the final day of the Remembrance of Muharram. Shi’a Muslims view it as a day of sadness, while Sunni Muslims see it as a day of victory for the prophet Moses.

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