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Public holidays in Syria

19 days in 2026 · 18 in 2027

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Next public holiday

Liberation Day

يوم التحرير

After it: Christmas Day, Friday 25 December

Tuesday, 8 December 2026

Syria's holiday calendar was rewritten after the change of government. Decree No. 188 of 5 October 2025 names 13 occasions on which state employees are off on full pay, and a decree of January 2026 added Newroz, making 14. Four follow the lunar Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Hijri New Year and the Prophet's Birthday. Christmas and Easter are kept for all Christians, and Easter twice, by the Western and by the Eastern calendar.

Two of the days are new. Syrian Revolution Day on 18 March marks the start of the uprising of 2011, and Liberation Day on 8 December marks the fall of the Assad government in 2024. The same decree dropped the Baathist anniversaries: 8 March, for the coup of 1963, and 6 October, for the war of 1973, went together with Martyrs' Day and Teachers' Day.

The weekend is Friday and Saturday, so a holiday on a Friday or a Saturday gives no extra day off, and Easter Sunday falls on a working day. In 2026 the Presidency closed public institutions from Wednesday 18 March to Monday 23 March, joining Revolution Day, Eid al-Fitr, Mother's Day and Newroz into one break. The Islamic dates for 2027 are listed by timeanddate as tentative, because they depend on the sighting of the moon.

Days off in 2026
19Nationwide public holidays
On a weekday
12Sunday to Thursday
On a weekend
7Friday or Saturday
Long weekends
5three days off or more

2026

Public holidays in Syria in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's Dayعيد رأس السنة الميلاديةNew Year's Day, 1 January, on the Gregorian calendar. It stayed on the list in the decree of October 2025.Thursday
  2. 18 March: Syrian Revolution Dayعيد الثورة السوريةSyrian Revolution Day, added by Decree No. 188 in October 2025. It marks 18 March 2011, when security forces in Daraa opened fire on protesters; some Syrians date the start of the uprising to 15 March instead.Wednesday
  3. 19 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعطلة عيد الفطرExtra days around Eid al-Fitr in 2026, on Thursday 19 March and Sunday 22 March, inside the break the Presidency announced for public institutions from 18 to 23 March.ThursdayDate moves
  4. 20 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرThe festival at the end of Ramadan, on the first of Shawwal. Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives three days off; timeanddate puts the first day on Friday 20 March 2026 and, tentatively, on Wednesday 10 March 2027.FridayDate moves
  5. 21 March: Newrozعيد النوروزNewroz, the spring new year kept by Syria's Kurds, made a paid national holiday by a decree of January 2026 after a Kurdish conference had asked for it in April 2025. It falls on 21 March, the same day as Mother's Day.Saturday
  6. 22 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعطلة عيد الفطرExtra days around Eid al-Fitr in 2026, on Thursday 19 March and Sunday 22 March, inside the break the Presidency announced for public institutions from 18 to 23 March.SundayDate moves
  7. 23 March: Newroz holidayعطلة عيد النوروزMonday 23 March 2026, the last day of the six-day break the Presidency announced for Revolution Day, Eid al-Fitr, Mother's Day and Newroz.MondayDate moves
  8. 5 April: Easter Sundayعيد الفصح غريغوريEaster by the Western calendar, which the decree lists for the Western churches. It always falls on a Sunday, a working day in Syria.SundayDate moves
  9. 12 April: Easter Sundayعيد الفصح اليوليوسيEaster by the Eastern calendar, for the Orthodox churches, which the decree lists separately: Sunday 12 April 2026 and Sunday 2 May 2027.SundayDate moves
  10. 17 April: Independence Dayعيد الجلاءIndependence Day, 17 April, the Day of Evacuation, for the departure of the last French troops in 1946. It has been the main national day since and was kept in the decree of October 2025.Friday
  11. 1 May: Labour Dayعيد العمالLabour Day, 1 May, kept on the list in 2025. It falls on a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027, both weekend days.Friday
  12. 27 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىThe festival of sacrifice on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah. Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives four days off; timeanddate puts the first day on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 16 May 2027.WednesdayDate moves
  13. 28 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىThe festival of sacrifice on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah. Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives four days off; timeanddate puts the first day on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 16 May 2027.ThursdayDate moves
  14. 29 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىThe festival of sacrifice on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah. Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives four days off; timeanddate puts the first day on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 16 May 2027.FridayDate moves
  15. 30 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىThe festival of sacrifice on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah. Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives four days off; timeanddate puts the first day on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 16 May 2027.SaturdayDate moves
  16. 16 June: Islamic New Yearعيد رأس السنة الهجريةThe Islamic New Year, the first of Muharram: Tuesday 16 June 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 6 June 2027.TuesdayDate moves
  17. 25 August: Prophet's Birthdayالمولد النبويThe Prophet Muhammad's birthday, on the twelfth of Rabi al-Awwal: Tuesday 25 August 2026 and, tentatively, Sunday 15 August 2027.TuesdayDate moves
  18. 8 December: Liberation Dayيوم التحريرLiberation Day, added in October 2025, for 8 December 2024, when opposition forces entered Damascus and Bashar al-Assad left the country.Tuesday
  19. 25 December: Christmas Dayعيد الميلاد المجيدChristmas, 25 December, which the decree lists for all Christians. It falls on a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027.Friday

Long weekends

Long weekends in Syria in 2026

Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.

  • 3daysThu 1 Jan to Sat 3 JanNew Year's Day
  • 6daysWed 18 Mar to Mon 23 MarSyrian Revolution Day, Eid al-Fitr holiday, Eid al-Fitr, Newroz, Eid al-Fitr holiday, Newroz holiday
  • 3daysFri 3 Apr to Sun 5 AprEaster Sunday
  • 3daysFri 10 Apr to Sun 12 AprEaster Sunday
  • 4daysWed 27 May to Sat 30 MayEid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha

2027

Public holidays in Syria in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's Dayعيد رأس السنة الميلاديةFriday
  2. 10 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرWednesdayDate moves
  3. 11 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرThursdayDate moves
  4. 12 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرFridayDate moves
  5. 18 March: Syrian Revolution Dayعيد الثورة السوريةThursday
  6. 21 March: Newrozعيد النوروزSunday
  7. 28 March: Easter Sundayعيد الفصح غريغوريSundayDate moves
  8. 17 April: Independence Dayعيد الجلاءSaturday
  9. 1 May: Labour Dayعيد العمالSaturday
  10. 2 May: Easter Sundayعيد الفصح اليوليوسيSundayDate moves
  11. 16 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىSundayDate moves
  12. 17 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىMondayDate moves
  13. 18 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىTuesdayDate moves
  14. 19 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىWednesdayDate moves
  15. 6 June: Islamic New Yearعيد رأس السنة الهجريةSundayDate moves
  16. 15 August: Prophet's Birthdayالمولد النبويSundayDate moves
  17. 8 December: Liberation Dayيوم التحريرWednesday
  18. 25 December: Christmas Dayعيد الميلاد المجيدSaturday

Observances

Days marked in Syria that are not days off

  1. 19 February: First day of RamadanرمضانThe first day of the fasting month, listed by timeanddate as an observance. It is not one of the days off the decree names.ThursdayDate moves

The holidays removed in October 2025 were the anniversaries of the old government. The 8 March holiday had marked the Baathist coup of 1963 as a revolution, and 6 October had marked the opening of the war of 1973; Martyrs' Day and Teachers' Day went with them. Independence Day on 17 April, which predates the Baath, stayed.

Newroz came on to the list in two steps. When the October 2025 decree was issued, North Press Agency reported that it had passed over Kurdish requests, including a call from a Kurdish unity conference in Qamishli in April 2025 for Newroz to become a holiday. The decree of January 2026 on Kurdish rights then made it a paid national holiday, alongside the recognition of Kurdish as a national language.

The decree applies to workers covered by the Basic Law for State Workers, and, as the Presidency's notice of March 2026 set out, public bodies whose work cannot stop keep essential services running during a holiday. Before the change of government, the Central Bank of Syria's official schedule for 2024 still listed the anniversary of the October war on 6 October and gave Eid al-Fitr three days and Eid al-Adha four.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in Syria

Which holidays did Syria add and remove in 2025?

Decree No. 188 of 5 October 2025 added Syrian Revolution Day on 18 March and Liberation Day on 8 December, the anniversary of the fall of the Assad government. It removed the 8 March anniversary of the Baathist coup of 1963, the 6 October anniversary of the 1973 war, Martyrs' Day and Teachers' Day. A decree of January 2026 then added Newroz on 21 March.

How long is the Eid holiday in Syria?

Wikipedia's list of Syrian holidays gives three days for Eid al-Fitr and four for Eid al-Adha, the pattern the Central Bank of Syria followed in its 2024 schedule. In 2026 the Presidency went further for Eid al-Fitr, closing public institutions for six days from Wednesday 18 March to Monday 23 March so that Revolution Day, the Eid, Mother's Day and Newroz ran together.

Is Easter a holiday in Syria?

Yes, twice. The 2025 decree lists Easter by the Western calendar and Easter by the Eastern calendar separately, so the Western and the Eastern churches each have their own day. Because the Syrian weekend is Friday and Saturday, Easter Sunday falls on a working day and the holiday is a real day off: Sunday 5 April and Sunday 12 April in 2026.

Why do Mother's Day and Newroz fall on the same day in Syria?

Both are fixed on 21 March. Mother's Day was already a holiday, and the October 2025 decree kept it; Kurdish groups had asked for Newroz, the spring new year, to be recognised as well, and the January 2026 decree did so. The two now share one date, a Saturday in 2026 and a Sunday in 2027.

What is Liberation Day in Syria?

The holiday on 8 December for the fall of the Assad government in 2024, when opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham entered Damascus and Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, ending 53 years of his family's rule. It was created by Decree No. 188 of October 2025 and falls on a Tuesday in 2026.

What day is Syrian Independence Day?

17 April, called Eid al-Jala, the Day of Evacuation, because it marks the departure of the last French troops in April 1946. It was kept when the Baathist anniversaries were dropped in 2025; it falls on a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027.

What are the weekend days in Syria?

Friday and Saturday. The Central Bank of Syria lists its official holidays as coming in addition to the weekly holiday on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday is the first working day. A holiday that falls on a Friday or a Saturday, such as Labour Day and Independence Day in 2026, brings no extra day off.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-10-02. The page counts from Saturday, 3 October 2026, the day it was built.