Marrakech Vacation Guide

Design Your Marrakech Holiday
Design Your Marrakech Holiday

Public Holidays in Marrakech

Although there is no established date for public holidays in Morocco, it is always a good idea to learn about the country’s major bank holidays before traveling.

Most of Morocco’s public holidays are hard to predict since they are scheduled according to the lunar calendar, which means that the dates change year after year. This occurs in other Islamic nations and cities, such as Dubai and Istanbul.

Public holidays in Marrakech

  • Christian New Year: 1 January
  • Proclamation of Independence: 11 January. In 1944 a manifesto demanding full independence for Morocco from the French was presented.
  • Worker’s Day: 1 May
  • The Prophet’s Birthday (Eid Al Mawlid): Commemoration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.  
  • Feast of the Throne: 30 July. Commemorates King Mohammed VI’s coronation in 1999.
  • Oued Ed-Dahab Day: 14 August.  Allegiance Day.
  • Revolution Day: 20 August. Marks the Revolution of Morocco when Mohammed V fought for independence.
  • Ramadan: Ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Citizens of Morocco fast during 30 days from dawn to sunset.
  • Green March Day: 6 November. The Green March was a mass demonstration that took place on 6 November 1975 to take over the Province of Sahara.
  • Independence Day: Morocco commemorates its independence from France and Spain in 1956. Although the country was declared independent on the 2 March 1956, King Mohammed V didn’t proclaim independence until the 18 November of that same year.
  • Festival of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha): Date varies. Commemorates when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son to follow God’s command. This date is considered one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar and it is tradition for families to sacrifice a sheep or a goat and eat it together. 
  • Islamic New Year (Fatih Muharram): Date varies.