Are you aware of the exact dates of the Moroccan holidays, which are officially considered required leave and are sometimes compensated by employers? Public holidays in Morocco are outlined in this post to help you plan weekends and holidays during the tourism seasons.
Moroccan holidays
It is necessary to remember that there are two Moroccan holidays: civil and religious. Civil holidays do not change yearly; Religious holidays depend on the lunar calendar and have different dates. Islam uses a lunar calendar other than the Gregorian calendar (often referred to as a solar calendar) that we use every day.
Morocco offers a more significant vacation period for civil or religious ceremonies and festivities than many other countries.
What are the Moroccan public holidays?
Concessionary services and public agencies are included in decree No. 2-77-169 of 9 Rebia 1 1397 (February 28, 1977), which sets out public holidays in Morocco.
Morocco has a slew of national holidays. Civil holidays, religious celebrations, and school breaks occupy most days. These particular days can also be considered while planning your potential telecommuting sessions.
Moroccan public holidays
- New Year’s Day: January 1
- There is a national holiday on May 1, known as Labor Day.
- On July 30, King Mohammed VI’s coronation will be celebrated.
- On August 14th, Oued Ed-Dahab Day is celebrated.
- August 20: King and people’s revolution day.
- Birthday of King Mohammed VI & Youth Day: August 21
- In honor of the Green Day on November 6: March
- independence day, November 18.
Religious holidays
Knowing the Muslim calendar, which is also known as the lunar calendar.
The Gregorian calendar’s dates are susceptible to revision based on the results of specialized moon observations.
Year after year, the lunar calendar’s dates will be the same.
- First of Moharram: Muslim New Year’s Eve
- 12- and 13-year-old’s Birthday of the Prophet, Rebia (2 days)
- Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, is celebrated by Muslims (for 2 days)
- 10 and 11 Hija: Eid-el-Kebir, respectively (70 days after the end of Ramadan) – Feast of Sacrifice (2 days)
What is Morocco’s national holiday?
On the first day of the new year
New Year’s Day is observed on the first day of the year. This day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of Morocco, as it is in many other nations worldwide. It signifies the beginning of a brand new year.
Moroccan Independence
Moroccans commemorate a total of 13 public and religious occasions each year. Independence Manifesto Day, which occurs on January 11, is one of them.
On January 11, Moroccans commemorate the anniversary of this momentous occasion. Indeed, it signifies a rise in Moroccan consciousness throughout the 1940s.
An organized group of Moroccan nationalists signed a manifesto on January 11, 1944, to publicly seek their country’s independence from the colonial rulers (primarily French colonies). Every year, on January 11, the anniversary of this historical event is marked by commemorating this particular event.
Labor Day
Monday, September 3, is the National Day of Labor Day, or International Workers’ Day, observed on the first Monday of May each year. Many countries, including Morocco, follow this worldwide labor day, established several centuries ago as a day off and paid time off for workers. Moroccans traditionally hold a day of protest on May 1 to voice their grievances and expectations to the government.
Day of the Throne
On July 30, Moroccans celebrate the Feast of the Throne with various official and popular ceremonies. On July 30, 1999, King Mohammed VI was crowned as the next ruler of Morocco. The sovereign’s official allegiance is also marked at this time. Let’s pretend you’re in Marrakech at the moment. In this scenario, the Feast of the Throne will be described in glowing terms, and it will also be an occasion to promote one of the country’s towns. Therefore, July 30 of every year is honored in Morocco with a public holiday.
Day of the Oued Ed-Dahab
Oued Eddahab (also written as Oued Ed-Dahab), a single-day holiday, will be held on August 14. On this day, Moroccans of all kinds can celebrate the return of the Saharan regions to their country. The day of Oued Ed-Dahab is more than just a celebration; it represents the culmination of Morocco’s territorial integration process, a chapter in the country’s history. For this reason, August 14 in Morocco is a national holiday.
People and the king’s revolution
The anniversary of the King and People’s Revolution of August 20, 1953, will be marked by Moroccans a week later. There will be only one day dedicated to this event. Sultan Mohammed V and his family were exiled during Morocco’s epic revolution.
We’ll always remember the sovereign’s historic speech in Tangier on April 9, 1947. The national resistance received a boost from this statement. August 20 is a federal holiday in Morocco to commemorate the historical event of the French attempt to seize control of the Kingdom of Morocco.
King Mohammed VI’s birthday
The birthday of King Mohammed VI is honored every year on August 21. Morocco has declared this day a public holiday for the entire country. Since July 23, 1999, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has become the country’s third monarch. As a result, August 21 is a public holiday every year.
“Youth Day”
Morocco’s annual Youth Day, which falls on the same day as the birthday of King Mohammed VI, is a major Moroccan celebration. As the nation’s future leaders, we should take this moment to honor the next generation. This famous festival is remembered as a public holiday. It comes after the day when the King and the People rebelled against the government. During August, two significant events are celebrated simultaneously.
The “Green March”: Moroccan holidays?
King Hassan II of Morocco enlisted the help of his people to liberate the Sahara from Spanish rule by launching a long march to the Kingdom’s south. November 6, 1975, is etched into the Kingdom’s history as the date of the Green March celebration, a significant moment in the Kingdom’s modern history. The Green March, a symbol of the country’s strong bond with the throne and its people, continues to be observed and commemorated in Morocco. As a result, the march’s anniversary is honored with a public holiday on November 6.
Independence Day in Morocco
Independence Day is the last holiday. On November 18, 1955, Morocco got its own government. This date is in writing. Even though the people only have one holiday to celebrate, the Independence Day of the Kingdom is a big deal.
Every year, November 18 is a holiday all over the Kingdom of Morocco.
Moroccan public holidays include religious holidays.
Moharram 1
There is a connection between this religious holiday and Muharram’s Muslim holy month.
The “Muslim New Year” (the first day of the lunar year) celebrates Muhammad’s Hegira in 622. In the Kingdom, this month’s Muslim calendar festival is well-known.
Aid al Mawlid Annabawi
Another anniversary is marked in this town. Aid al Mawlid Annabawi commemorates the birth of the Prophet of Islam. Following the lunar calendar, this date is subject to change each year.
Three days of festivities are held in Senegal to honor the holiday. In Morocco, the anniversary of the Prophet of Islam is marked with a sense of solemnity. Moroccans will be given two consecutive days off for this holiday: 1 and 12
Eid al-Fitr
The feast of Eid Al Fitr is celebrated in Morocco every year at the end of Ramadan, with two days of holidays to mark the end of the fast. Due to lunar measurements, this date cannot be predicted in advance.
Every year, all Muslims worldwide commemorate this occasion to mark the completion of Ramadan following a month of abstinence and fasting. Eid as-Seghir, as opposed to Eid al-Kebir, is the more frequent name for this festive day.
Chaoual is the name given to the first and second days of Ramadan in Morocco, a Muslim country. As a result, the end of Ramadan’s estimated date is frequently known in advance. However, lunar observations can always cause it to fluctuate by one day.
Eid al-Adha
Like Muslims worldwide, Moroccan Muslims will have two paid holidays to spend time with their loved ones during the most important Islamic festival. In Muslim-majority areas in sub-Saharan Africa.
As a result of using the lunar calendar as a reference calendar, the date of Eid al-Adha does not remain constant from year to year. As a result, this date cannot be predicted in advance.
It honors Ibrahim’s unwavering faith. Muslims who can afford it are expected to slaughter sheep or other animals yearly. “Feast of Sacrifice” or “Sheep Feast” is a common name for this day.
In Morocco, every public holiday has a special significance, whether it is the Moroccan history of the Kingdom’s official religion: Islam, or national holidays.
Public holidays in Morocco, especially religious ones, provide the perfect excuse to gather the whole family together and celebrate this wonderful occasion. Moroccans plan their days off accordingly, as Morocco’s public and school holidays are highly regarded.