Holiday calendar

Public holidays in Ethiopia

dates, names and what's closed

Reviewed & updated by יהב עטיה · About the team

It's worth planning around Ethiopia's holiday calendar: attractions, museums and banks close, public transport switches to a holiday timetable, and flight and hotel prices around long weekends jump. On the upside — festivals, parades and markets you won't see on an ordinary day.

Coming up

Upcoming public holidays in Ethiopia

Wednesday 6 January 2027Christmas Day · ልደተ-ለእግዚእነ/ ገና
Tuesday 19 January 2027Epiphany · ብርሐነ ጥምቀት
Monday 8 February 2027First day of Ramadan · ረመዳን
Tuesday 2 March 2027Victory at Adwa Day · የዓድዋ ድል በዓል
Tuesday 9 March 2027End of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) · ዒድ አል ፈጥር
Sunday 28 March 2027Day of Lament · የቀይ ሽብር መታሰቢያ ቀን
Friday 30 April 2027Good Friday · ስቅለት
Sunday 2 May 2027Easter Sunday · ፋሲካ
Sunday 16 May 2027Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) · ዒድ አል አድሐ
Friday 28 May 2027Derg Downfall Day · ደርግ የወደቀበት ቀን
Saturday 14 August 2027Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid) · መውሊድ
Saturday 11 September 2027New Year's Day · እንቁጣጣሽ
Monday 27 September 2027Finding of the True Cross · ብርሐነ-መስቀል

All 2026 holidays in Ethiopia

Tuesday 6 JanuaryChristmas Day · ልደተ-ለእግዚእነ/ ገና
Monday 19 JanuaryEpiphany · ብርሐነ ጥምቀት
Wednesday 18 FebruaryFirst day of Ramadan · ረመዳን
Monday 2 MarchVictory at Adwa Day · የዓድዋ ድል በዓል
Friday 20 MarchEnd of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) · ዒድ አል ፈጥር
Saturday 28 MarchDay of Lament · የቀይ ሽብር መታሰቢያ ቀን
Friday 10 AprilGood Friday · ስቅለት
Sunday 12 AprilEaster Sunday · ፋሲካ
Wednesday 27 MayFeast of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) · ዒድ አል አድሐ
Thursday 28 MayDerg Downfall Day · ደርግ የወደቀበት ቀን
Tuesday 25 AugustBirthday of Muhammad (Mawlid) · መውሊድ
Friday 11 SeptemberNew Year's Day · እንቁጣጣሽ
Sunday 27 SeptemberFinding of the True Cross · ብርሐነ-መስቀል

If you're timing a trip to a holiday

Flights & hotels for Ethiopia

Long weekends around a holiday fill up early and prices climb. Check dates around Christmas Day (Wednesday 6 January 2027) now.

Check flight prices to Ethiopia, every airline at once.

Rates in Ethiopia shift daily. See what your night costs now.

Q&A

Answers to your questions

What's the next public holiday in Ethiopia?

Christmas Day — Wednesday 6 January 2027.

How many public holidays does Ethiopia have?

Ethiopia has 13 public holidays in 2026. Government offices and banks close, and some attractions and shops may be closed or on reduced hours.

What's closed on public holidays in Ethiopia?

Banks, government offices and post offices close. Many supermarkets and shops close or run reduced hours, especially in smaller towns. Public transport usually shifts to a weekend timetable, and museums and attractions vary — check ahead.

Is it worth visiting Ethiopia during a holiday?

It depends on the holiday. Ones with a public tradition — markets, parades, fireworks — are an experience in themselves. Ones where everything shuts and locals stay home are less convenient. The list above flags what to expect on each date.

Are shops open on Sundays in Ethiopia?

Some European countries restrict Sunday and holiday trading by law; others don't. In big cities and tourist areas something is always open, but don't count on a big shop run on a Sunday or holiday.

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About this page

Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.

Sources: Dates: date-holidays

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