Mali 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.

New Year Holiday

The days immediately after 1 January, where the break runs longer than one day.

An additional day off attached to New Year's Day. Countries that treat the turn of the year as a multi-day break — much of Eastern Europe, Japan, and parts of Asia — grant these beyond 1 January.

Army Day

Varies by country.

Marks the founding of a country's army. Where it is a holiday it is often limited to serving personnel rather than the general population.

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.

Martyrs' Day

Varies by country.

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

Easter Monday

The Monday after Easter Sunday.

A public holiday across most of Europe, the Commonwealth and Latin America, extending the Easter weekend to four days. Notably not a holiday in the United States, Portugal or Spain outside Catalonia and the Balearics.

Workers' Day

1 May in most countries.

International Workers' Day, commemorating the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, and a public holiday in most of the world. The United States and Canada are the notable exceptions, holding their Labor Day in September instead.

Africa Day

25 May.

Marks the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, the predecessor of the African Union. A public holiday in several member states.

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.

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.

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.

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.