Ethiopia Travel Guide - Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas.
19 Jan** Timket (Epiphany). 
2 Mar Victory of Adowa.
20 Mar Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). 
25 Apr Ethiopian Good Friday. 
27 Apr Ethiopian Easter.
1 May Labour Day.
5 May Patriots Victory Day.
28 May Downfall of the Dergue.
11 Sep** Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash).
27 Sep** Finding of the True Cross (Meskel). 
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). 
9 Dec Eid-al Adha (Arafat).

2009
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas.
19 Jan** Timket (Epiphany). 
2 Mar Victory of Adowa. 
9 Mar Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
Apr/May* Ethiopian Good Friday.
Apr/May* Ethiopian Easter.
1 May Labour Day.
5 May Patriots Victory Day.
28 May Downfall of the Dergue.
11 Sep** Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash).
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). 
27 Sep** Finding of the True Cross (Meskel). 
28 Nov Eid-al Adha (Arafat).

* Date to be confirmed.

(a) ** Indicates Coptic holidays. (b) Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar, which is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and a 13th month of five or six days at the end of the year; hence the date for Christmas. The Ethiopian year commences on 11 September and is eight years behind the Gregorian calendar from January to September and seven years behind between 11 September and 8 January. (c) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.