Public holidays in Somalia
10 days in 2026 · 11 in 2027
Back to SomaliaNext public holiday
New Year's Day
After it: Isra and Mi'raj, Tuesday 5 January
Friday, 1 January 2027
Somalia has 10 public holidays in 2026 and 11 in 2027. Four sit on fixed dates of the Gregorian calendar and six follow the Islamic lunar one, which brings each of them 10 or 11 days earlier than the year before. That drift is where the eleventh day comes from: Isra and Mi'raj falls on 5 January 2027 and again on 25 December.
Friday is the only weekly day off and the working week runs from Saturday to Thursday. Four of the 2026 holidays fell on a Friday (Isra and Mi'raj, Eid al-Fitr, Labour Day and Independence Day), and in 2027 only New Year's Day does. With a one-day weekend no holiday in either year opens a break of three days.
Two of the fixed days are five days apart because the state was put together in two steps in 1960: British Somaliland became independent on 26 June, and Italian Somaliland on 1 July, the day the two united as the Somali Republic.
- Days off in 2026
- 10Nationwide public holidays
- On a weekday
- 6Saturday to Thursday
- On a weekend
- 4Friday
- Long weekends
- 0three days off or more
2026
Public holidays in Somalia in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayThe Gregorian new year, kept on 1 January. In 2027 it coincides with the Friday day of rest.Thursday
- 16 January: Isra and Mi'rajThe ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven, kept on 27 Rajab. The date comes round twice in 2027.FridayDate moves
- 20 March: Eid al-FitrThe end of Ramadan, on 1 Shawwal. Somali women decorate their hands, arms, feet and neck with henna for Eid, as they do for weddings.FridayDate moves
- 1 May: Labour Day1 May. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday, which in Somalia is a working day.Friday
- 27 May: Eid al-AdhaThe Feast of Sacrifice, on 10 Dhu'l-Hijja.WednesdayDate moves
- 16 June: Islamic New Year1 Muharram, the first day of the Islamic year. Ashura follows nine days later.TuesdayDate moves
- 25 June: Ashura10 Muharram. In 2026 it fell on the day before Independence Day.ThursdayDate moves
- 26 June: Independence DayBritish Somaliland, a protectorate of Britain until then, became independent on 26 June 1960. Somaliland keeps the day as well.Friday
- 1 July: Republic DayItalian Somaliland became independent on 1 July 1960 and joined the former British protectorate the same day to form the Somali Republic.Wednesday
- 25 August: The Prophet's BirthdayMawlid NabiThe birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, on 12 Rabi' al-Awwal.TuesdayDate moves
2027
Public holidays in Somalia in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayFriday
- 5 January: Isra and Mi'rajTuesdayDate moves
- 9 March: Eid al-FitrTuesdayDate moves
- 1 May: Labour DaySaturday
- 16 May: Eid al-AdhaSundayDate moves
- 6 June: Islamic New YearSundayDate moves
- 15 June: AshuraTuesdayDate moves
- 26 June: Independence DaySaturday
- 1 July: Republic DayThursday
- 14 August: The Prophet's BirthdayMawlid NabiSaturdayDate moves
- 25 December: Isra and Mi'rajSaturdayDate moves
Observances
Days marked in Somalia that are not days off
- 18 February: First day of RamadanRamadanThe first day of the fasting month. It is marked but carries no day off.WednesdayDate moves
Somaliland, in the north-west, declared independence in May 1991 and marks 18 May as the anniversary of its establishment. timeanddate lists the day, with a second one on 19 May in 2026, as a holiday kept locally. Neither is on the federal list.
Some dates are kept by part of the population without a day off: 15 May, when the Somali Youth League was founded in 1943, and the founding days of the federal member states, such as 1 August in Puntland.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in Somalia
How many public holidays does Somalia have in 2026 and 2027?
Ten in 2026 and eleven in 2027. The fixed four are New Year's Day, Labour Day on 1 May, Independence Day on 26 June and Republic Day on 1 July. The other six follow the Islamic lunar calendar: Isra and Mi'raj, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Islamic New Year, Ashura and Mawlid. Those move 10 or 11 days earlier each year, and in 2027 Isra and Mi'raj comes round twice, on 5 January and 25 December.
Which day is the weekend in Somalia?
Friday alone. The working week runs from Saturday to Thursday, so a holiday on a Saturday or a Sunday is a day off from work. Four holidays in 2026 coincided with the Friday: 16 January, 20 March, 1 May and 26 June. In 2027 only New Year's Day does, and Labour Day and Independence Day both fall on a Saturday.
When is Eid al-Fitr in Somalia in 2027?
Tuesday 9 March 2027, on 1 Shawwal, after a Ramadan that begins on Monday 8 February. In 2026 Eid al-Fitr fell on Friday 20 March, the weekly day off. Eid al-Adha follows on Sunday 16 May 2027, a working day in Somalia, after Wednesday 27 May in 2026. Both are dates on the Islamic calendar, which moves against the Gregorian one, so they come 11 days earlier than the year before.
Why are 26 June and 1 July both holidays in Somalia?
Because the country became independent in two parts. British Somaliland, a protectorate of Britain, became independent on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which Italy had held under a United Nations trusteeship, followed on 1 July. The two united that same day as the Somali Republic. Independence Day keeps the first date and Republic Day the second.
Is 18 May a public holiday in Somalia?
Not on the federal list. 18 May is kept in Somaliland, the former British protectorate in the north-west, which declared independence in May 1991 and marks the day as the anniversary of its establishment. timeanddate lists it as a local holiday, with a second day on 19 May in 2026. Somaliland also keeps 26 June, the independence of British Somaliland in 1960, which is a holiday across Somalia.
How many days off does Eid give in Somalia?
One for each feast on the official list: Eid al-Fitr on 1 Shawwal, at the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, on 10 Dhu'l-Hijja. timeanddate also lists a second day of each as a holiday kept locally, 21 March and 28 May in 2026.
Are there long weekends in Somalia?
Not of three days or more in 2026 or 2027, because the weekend is a single day. The longest breaks run to two: Ashura on Thursday 25 June 2026 led straight into Independence Day on Friday 26 June, and Republic Day on Thursday 1 July 2027 runs into the Friday.
When is the next public holiday in Somalia?
After Mawlid on 25 August 2026 the next day off is New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, which coincides with the weekly day of rest. Isra and Mi'raj follows on Tuesday 5 January. The first fixed holiday of 2027 that takes a working day is Labour Day, Saturday 1 May.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-10-16. The page counts from Sunday, 25 October 2026, the day it was built.