Public holidays in Egypt


are celebrated by the entire population of Egypt. Holidays in Egypt have many classifications. Some holidays are religious and others are secular, while some can be fixed holidays on the calendar while others are movable. There are four Islamic holidays and two Christian holidays. The national day of Egypt is celebrated on July, 23 which coincides with the annual celebration of the Egyptian revolution of 1952 when the modern republic of Egypt was declared, ending the period of the Kingdom of Egypt.
Government offices and ministries in Egypt rest on Fridays of each week. In addition, banks and many institutes have non-working days on Saturdays too which is an official resting-day or Sundays which is not official but commonly used as a resting-day by non-governmental institutes and shops with Christian religious observance. Some barbershops and hairdressers close their shops on Mondays instead of Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they keep their shops open.

National holidays

The following holidays are celebrated across the country, where government offices and ministries are closed. These holidays are either national secular holidays or important religious holidays.

Fixed holidays

The following holidays occur annually on a fixed day of the calendar:
DateEnglish nameArabic nameDescription
January 7Christmas Dayعيد الميلاد المجيدCelebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, according to the Coptic Calendar
January 25Revolution Day 2011
National Police Day
عيد ثورة 25 يناير
عيد الشرطة
Celebrates the day of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution of 2011, protesting the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak.
Celebrates the anniversary of Police officers resistance against the British Army in 1952 during the final months of the colonial era.
April 25Sinai Liberation Dayعيد تحرير سيناءCelebrates the final withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982.
May 1Labour Dayعيد العمال
June 3030 June Dayعيد ثورة 30 يونيوObserves the June 2013 Egyptian protests, which saw President Mohamed Morsi deposed by the military a few days later.
July 23Revolution Dayعيد ثورة 23 يوليوCelebrates the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 which led to the declaration of the modern republic of Egypt. This is considered the National Day of Egypt.
October 6Armed Forces Dayعيد القوات المسلحةCelebrates Egypt's initial military success in the October War which led to the liberation of the land of Sinai from occupation back to Egyptian sovereignty.

Some government-related offices, including most universities, are also closed on the Coptic Orthodox date of Epiphany, 19 January.

Movable holidays

The following days are public holidays but the date on which each occurs varies, either because the date is fixed relative to the lunar Islamic calendar or has no fixed date in any calendar. In order in which they occur:
DateEnglish nameArabic nameDescription
April or MaySham El Nessim شم النسيمThe Monday following Orthodox Easter
1 MuharramIslamic New Yearعيد رأس السنة الهجريةThe first day of the year based on the lunar Islamic calendar
12 Rabi' al-AwwalBirthday of the Prophet Muhammadالمولد النبوي الشريفThe Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, according to the Sunni account
1–3 ShawwalEid al-Fitrعيد الفطر المباركBreaking of the fast of Ramadan, for three days
10–13 Zul-HiggaEid al-Adhaعيد الأضحى المباركEnd of the Hajj and commemoration of the Sacrifice of Abraham, for four days