Eritrea 2026 Public Holidays

New Year

1 January.

The start of the Gregorian calendar year. Some sources list this alongside a separate New Year's Day entry when a country grants more than one day off around the turn of the year.

Orthodox Christmas Day

7 January — 25 December on the Julian calendar.

Christmas as observed by churches following the Julian calendar, thirteen days after the Gregorian date. A public holiday in Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Ethiopia and other Orthodox-majority countries.

Women's Day

8 March.

Marks the struggle for women's rights, with roots in the labour movement of the early 1900s. A full public holiday across the post-Soviet states; a half day for women only in China; and an observance in most of the rest of the world.

Eid al-Fitr

1 Shawwal, the day after Ramadan ends. The date depends on a moon sighting and is often confirmed only a day or two in advance.

The festival that ends Ramadan, and the largest holiday of the year across the Muslim world. Most countries grant two to three consecutive days; Indonesia and Malaysia extend it further with collective leave. Because the date is set by moon sighting, calendars published far in advance are provisional.

Independence Day

The anniversary of the country's independence — a different date in every country.

The national day of a country that gained independence from another state, and typically its most important secular holiday. Over a hundred countries observe one, on dates ranging across the whole calendar.

Eid al-Adha

10 Dhu al-Hijjah, about seventy days after Eid al-Fitr, confirmed by moon sighting.

The Feast of Sacrifice, marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. Alongside Eid al-Fitr it is one of the two principal Islamic holidays, and is observed with several days off in most Muslim-majority countries.

Martyrs' Day

Varies by country.

Honours those killed in a country's struggle for independence or in a defining national tragedy.

The Prophet's Birthday

12 Rabi' al-Awwal — 17 Rabi' al-Awwal in the Shia tradition.

Mawlid, marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. A public holiday across most of the Muslim world, though Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not observe it.

Christmas Day

25 December. The day off moves to the following weekday when it falls on a weekend.

The most widely observed public holiday after New Year's Day, a day off in the great majority of countries including many with no Christian majority, where it functions as a secular end-of-year holiday. Orthodox churches following the Julian calendar keep it on 7 January instead.