Below is a commonly accepted list of Ethiopian public holidays in 2026. These are nationwide observances recognized across Ethiopia.
List of Ethiopian Public Holidays for 2026
| Holiday Name (English) | Holiday Name (Amharic) | Gregorian Date 2026 | Ethiopian Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian Christmas | ገና (Gena) | January 7 | Tahsas 29 | Celebrates the birth of Jesus. |
| Epiphany / Timkat | ጥምቀት (Timket) | January 19 | Tir 11 | Commemorates the baptism of Jesus. Major 3-day festival. |
| Victory of Adwa Day | የዓድዋ ድል (Ye’adowa Dəl) | March 2 | Yekatit 23 | Commemorates the 1896 victory over Italy. |
| International Women’s Day | ዓለም አቀፍ ሴቶች ቀን | March 8 | Yekatit 29 | Widely observed public holiday. |
| Ethiopian Good Friday | ስቅለት (Siklet) | April 3* | Miazia 26* | A day of strict fasting and mourning. (*Date is an estimate). |
| Ethiopian Easter Sunday | ፋሲካ (Fasika) | April 5* | Miazia 28* | The most important religious holiday. Preceded by 55 days of fasting. (*Date is an estimate). |
| Labour Day | የሠራተኞች ቀን | May 1 | Miyazya 23 | International Workers’ Day. |
| Ethiopian Patriots’ Victory Day | የአርበኞች ቀን (Ye’Arbegnoch Qen) | May 5 | Miyazya 27 | Marks the end of the Italian occupation in 1941. |
| Downfall of the Derg Day | ደርግ የወደቀበት ቀን | May 28 | Ginbot 20 | Commemorates the fall of the Mengistu regime in 1991. |
| Eid al-Fitr | ኢድ አልፈጥር (Īd Al-Fetir) | March 31* | Miazia 23* | End of Ramadan. (*Islamic calendar date is estimated). |
| Eid al-Adha | ኢድ አልአድሃ (Īd Al-Adeha) | June 7* | Sene 30* | Feast of Sacrifice. (*Islamic calendar date is estimated). |
| Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Mawlid) | መውሊድ (Mawlid) | August 22* | Nehase 16* | (*Islamic calendar date is estimated). |
| Ethiopian New Year’s Day | እንቁጣጣሽ (Enkutatash) | September 11 | Meskerem 1 | The first day of the Ethiopian year 2019. |
| Finding of the True Cross (Meskel) | መስቀል (Meskel) | September 27* | Meskerem 17* | Commemorates the discovery of the True Cross. Major festival with demera bonfires. (*Date is an estimate). |
Download Ethiopian Holidays 2026 in PDF
Summary
- January: 7 (Christmas), 19 (Timkat)
- March: 2 (Adwa), 8 (Women’s Day), ~31 (Eid al-Fitr*)
- April: ~3 (Good Friday), ~5 (Easter Sunday/Fasika)
- May: 1 (Labour Day), 5 (Patriots’ Day), 28 (Derg Downfall)
- June: ~7 (Eid al-Adha*)
- August: ~22 (Mawlid*)
- September: 11 (New Year), ~27 (Meskel*)
Important: The dates for Fasika (Easter), Meskel, and Islamic holidays are estimates based on current calculations. They are typically confirmed by religious authorities closer to the date. It is advisable to verify these specific dates in early 2026 if planning travel or events.
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