Public holidays in Niger
Encyclopedia
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
observe twelve official public holidays. These include international commemorations, the commemoration of important dates in the history of Niger
History of Niger
This is the history of Niger. See also the history of Africa and the history of West Africa.-Pre-historic Niger:Humans have lived in what is now Niger from the earliest times...
, and religious holidays. Both Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
holidays are observed as official public holidays. While the former colonial power, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, instituted Christian observances, the vast majority of Nigeriens are Muslim
Islam in Niger
Islam in Niger accounts for the vast majority of the nation's religious adherents. The faith is practiced by more than 90% of the population, although this figure varies by source and percentage of population who are classified as Animist...
.
Because Muslim holiday
Muslim holidays
There are two main holidays in Islam, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar. The...
are dependent on the Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
, and -- like Christian Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
-- move from year to year. Some Muslim holidays are also dependent upon astronomical sightings (e.g.: the observance of moonrise
Moonrise
Moonrise is a book written by Penny Wolfson. The full name, Moonrise; One Family, Genetic Identity, And Muscular Dystrophy, refers to her family and her son, Ansel, who has struggled through his life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. As Ansel progresses in life, he gets weaker, and begins to use a...
for Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
). National commemorations and secular international holidays are fixed on the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, the standard civil calendar used in Niger as most of the world.
Nigeriens celebrate a number of other holidays, festivals, and commemorations which are not public holidays. Some are yearly civic commemorations, some religious, ethnic, or regional festivals which may be widely celebrated only by specific groups or in specific areas. Other yearly events, such as cultural festivals, markets, or sporting events may be much anticipated events without being legal holidays.
Official holidays
Below are the twelve official public holidays recognized by the Government of NigerGovernment of Niger
The government of Niger is the apparatus through which authority functions and is exercised: the governing apparatus of Nigerien state. The current system of governance, since the Constitution 18 July 1999, is termed the Fifth Republic of Niger. It is a semi-presidential republic, whereby the...
. Businesses, schools, and public services are closed on these days. They are often dates of public festivals, political speeches, and large gatherings.
Fixed holidays
| Date | English name | Remarks |
| January 1 | New Year's Day New Year's Day New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome... |
|
| April 24 | Concord Day Concord Day (Niger) National Day of Concorde is a national holiday in Niger, celebrated every 24 April since 1995.-History:Concord Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the 24 April 1995 Peace Accord between the Government of Niger and the Organisation of Armed Resistance at the Congressional Palace in Niamey... |
Commemorates the peace accords ending the Tuareg Rebellion in 1995 |
| May 1 | Labour Day Labour Day Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for... |
"la fête du travail (1er mai)": Nigerien observance of International Workers' Day International Workers' Day International Workers' Day is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries... |
| August 3 | Nigerien Independence Day Independence Day (Niger) Independence Day in the Republic of Niger is commemorated on August 3, marking the nation's independence from France in 1960. Since 1975, it is also Arbor Day, as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification.... |
Commemoration of Niger's 1960 independence from France |
| December 18 | Nigerien Republic Day Republic Day (Niger) December 18th 1958 is commemorated in the Republic of Niger as Republic Day, the national holiday.-Importance of date:Although not the date of formal, complete independence from France, December 18 marks the founding of the Republic and creation of the Presidency of the Republic of Niger, following... |
Commemoration of the First Republic of Niger, semi-independent under France, 1959. |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | |
Movable holidays
The following are official public holidays whose date may vary, according to their corresponding calendar. Some Muslim holidayMuslim holidays
There are two main holidays in Islam, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar. The...
observance is also dependent upon local astronomical observance. For the period 2008 -- 2013, the order they occur:
| Month: 2008 -- 2013 | Name and Translation | Remarks |
| January -- December | Eid al Adha: locally Tabaski (Feast of Sacrifice) | Commemoration of Abraham's sacrifice: feasting on Lamb or Goat. Especially important family gathering in Niger. |
| January -- December | First day of Muharram Muharram Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited... (Islamic New Year) |
|
| April -- May | Easter Monday Easter Monday Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures... |
Christian holiday of the Resurrection, breaking the Lenten fast. |
| March -- January | The Prophet's Birthday | Mawlid Mawlid Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,... , locally Mouloud: celebrated with overnight gatherings of families and communities. |
| October -- August | Laylat al-Qadr Laylat al-Qadr Lailatul Qadr , the Night of Destiny, Night of Power, Night of Value, the Night of Decree or Night of Measures, is the anniversary of two very important dates in Islam that occurred in the month of Ramadan... |
Nightly prayers and reflection in the last 10 nights of Ramadan Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and... . |
| November -- September | Eid al Fitr | Evening feasts and parties to celebrate the breaking of the Ramadan Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and... fast. Regional gatherings and festival include the carnival festivities at the Sultan Sultanate of Damagaram The Sultanate of Damagaram was a powerful pre-colonial state in what is now southeastern Niger, centered on the city of Zinder.- Rise :The Sultanate of Damagaram was founded in 1731 by Muslim Kanouri aristocrats, led by Mallam... 's Palace in Zinder Zinder Zinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000... . |
| January -- November | Tabaski (Feast of Sacrifice) - second possible observance | |
Other festivals
Nigeriens celebrate a number of holidays and festivals. Many are regional, recognized partially or only locally by government, or are traditions of specific ethnic groups. They include:- The Cure saléeCure SaleeThe Cure Salee, or "Festival of the Nomads" is a yearly gathering of the Tuareg and Wodaabe peoples in the northern Niger town of Ingall. Cure Salée marks the end of the rainy season, and usually occurs in the last two weeks of September...
: annual gathering of Tuareg and FulaniFula peopleFula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
nomadic clans at Ingall (August or September) ; - GuérewolGuérewolThe Guérewol is an annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger. Young men dressed in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women...
: The "BororoWodaabeThe Wodaabe or Bororo are a small subgroup of the Fulani ethnic group. They are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel, with migrations stretching from southern Niger, through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, and the western region of the Central African Republic....
" Fulani matchmaking festival at the end of the rainy season (August or September). Famous for the traditional makeup and dancing of young Fulani men eager to woo a spouse, Guérewol take place both in conjunction with the Cure saléeCure SaleeThe Cure Salee, or "Festival of the Nomads" is a yearly gathering of the Tuareg and Wodaabe peoples in the northern Niger town of Ingall. Cure Salée marks the end of the rainy season, and usually occurs in the last two weeks of September...
, as well as at other traditional gather spots of nomadic people in northern Niger ; - "National Day of Nigerien Women" -- "Journée nationale de la femme nigérienne" (13 May). Commemorates a 1992 march by women in Niamey during the National Conference period, demanding greater involvement of women in national institutions. Made a "National Commemoration" 25 November 1992.
- "Festival national de la jeunesse, des sports et de la culture": Government sponsored national youth sport and cultural competition (annual) ;
- National championship of Lutte TraditionnelleLutte TraditionnelleLutte Traditionnelle is the name used to describe related styles of West African Folk wrestling, known as Laamb in Senegal, Boreh in The Gambia, Evala in Togo, and KoKowa / Kokawa in Hausa areas of Nigeria and Niger, or simply Lutte Traditionnelle, in Niger and Burkina Faso...
(traditional wrestling). Contestants progress from RegionalRegions of Niger||Niger is divided into 7 Regions . Each department's capital is the same as its name.-Current regions:*Agadez Region*Diffa Region*Dosso Region*Maradi Region*Tahoua Region*Tillabéri Region*Zinder Region...
championships to team completion which awards a prestigious trophy -- a ceremonial sabreSabreThe sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
-- to one region ; - "Foires agro-sylvo pastorales": annual Agropastoral governance and cultural forum, Niamey ;
- "Prix Dan Gourmou" : Annual music competition and festival, Niamey;
- "FIMA", "Festival International de la Mode Africaine" (International Festival of African Fashion) every two years in Niamey ;
- "Rencontres Théâtrales du Niger": National theater festival ;
- "Festival international de conte"/ " Gatan - Gatan ": Festival of traditional story telling ;
- "Salon international de l'artisanat pour la femme" (SAFEM): Women Artisans festival, Niamey;
- "Festival de l'Aïr" (27-29 December): Music and arts festival at IférouaneIferouaneIferouane , also spelled Iferouan, is an oasis town in northern Niger, in Agadez Department. It is located northeast of Arlit in the northern Aïr,in the Ighazar valleynear the Tamgak Range....
; - " Hotoungo " at Gangui, a local traditional farmers gathering and festival;
- " Bianou " festival at AgadezAgadez-Sources:* Aboubacar Adamou. "Agadez et sa région. Contribution à l'étude du Sahel et du Sahara nigériens", Études nigériennes, n°44, , 358 p.* Julien Brachet. Migrations transsahariennes. Vers un désert cosmopolite et morcelé . Paris: Le Croquant, , 324 p. ISBN : 978-2-91496865-2.*. Saudi Aaramco...
; - " Wassan Kara " festival at ZinderZinderZinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
; - The " Guetna " at TassaraTassara-References:...
, Annual festival among the nomadic Diffa ArabsDiffa ArabsDiffa Arabs is the Nigerien name given to Arab nomadic tribespeople living in eastern Niger, mostly in the Diffa Region...
.; - Annual AnzaAnzaAnza may refer to:Anza ,area in agadir city , in Morocco* Anza, California, a town in Riverside County* Anza, Imperial County, California* Anzá, Antioquia, a town in Colombia* Anza , a river in Piedmont, Italy...
animist religious festival at Massalata - Konni, near Dogondutchi ; - Traditional fishermen's festival at Karay-Kopto on the River Niger;
- " Gossi ", a Soninké animist festival at Karma-Songhaï on the River Niger;
- "Fête de la girafe" (15 September), KouréKouré, NigerKouré is a rural community located east of Niamey, the capital of Niger. The town lies on both sides of the road from Niamey to Dallol Bosso.Kouri is best known for West African Giraffes , endemic subspecies of West Africa....
, near Niamey, celebrating the West African GiraffeWest African GiraffeThe West African Giraffe, Niger Giraffe or Nigerian Giraffe is a subspecies of giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots, which is found in the Sahel regions of West Africa...
native to the area; - le " Sharow " Puel festival ;
- Traditional boxing tournaments ("Faka") each year after harvest in December or January, Zinder Region;
- " Mani Hori ": festival of traditional Songhai women's crafts, each year after harvest in December or January.