Ethiopia has 13 regular public holidays: five Orthodox Christian feasts, three Muslim festivals and five national days, including New Year. The next ones are Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) on Thursday 7 January 2027 and Timkat (Epiphany) on Tuesday 19 January 2027. The full lists for 2027 and 2026 are below, with notes on how each holiday affects travel.
Holidays are some of the best days to be in Ethiopia: streets fill with people in white cotton, churches overflow and families gather for big meals. They also mean closed offices, road closures and busy flights. If you are arriving around a holiday, we meet you at Bole airport and plan routes around the crowds, so the celebrations are a highlight rather than a hassle.
What are the public holidays in 2027?
| Option | Time | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) | Thu 7 January | Christian | Church services through the night before; family feasts |
| Timkat (Epiphany) | Tue 19 January | Christian | Processions the day before; huge crowds at Jan Meda in Addis |
| Adwa Victory Day | Tue 2 March | National | Marks the victory at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 |
| Eid al-Fitr | Around 9–10 March | Muslim, moon-dependent | End of Ramadan; mass morning prayer in Addis |
| Siklet (Good Friday) | Fri 30 April | Christian | Church services; the Lent fast continues until Easter |
| Labour Day | Sat 1 May | National | Offices closed |
| Fasika (Easter) | Sun 2 May | Christian | Ends the Lent fast; feasting and family visits |
| Patriots' Victory Day | Wed 5 May | National | Commemorates the end of the Italian occupation |
| Eid al-Adha | Around 16–17 May | Muslim, moon-dependent | Feast of the Sacrifice; prayers and family meals |
| Derg Downfall Day | Fri 28 May | National | Marks the fall of the Derg military government |
| Mawlid | Around 15 August | Muslim, moon-dependent | Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Enkutatash (New Year) | Sun 12 September | National and cultural | Start of Ethiopian year 2020; end of the rainy season |
| Meskel | Tue 28 September | Christian | Demera bonfire in Meskel Square the evening before |
What were the public holidays in 2026?
All of 2026's holidays have now passed. For reference, the dates were:
- Genna: Wednesday 7 January
- Timkat: Monday 19 January
- Adwa Victory Day: Monday 2 March
- Eid al-Fitr: Friday 20 March
- Good Friday: 10 April; Fasika (Easter): Sunday 12 April
- Labour Day: Friday 1 May; Patriots' Victory Day: Tuesday 5 May
- Eid al-Adha: around Wednesday 27 May; Derg Downfall Day: Thursday 28 May
- Mawlid: late August (25 or 26 August, depending on the moon)
- Enkutatash: Friday 11 September (start of Ethiopian year 2019)
- Meskel: Sunday 27 September
Ethiopia also held its general election on Monday 1 June 2026, when most government offices and some businesses closed for the day. That was a one-off, not a regular holiday.
How do holidays affect travel in Ethiopia?
- Offices and banks close. Government offices, banks and many businesses shut on public holidays. Plan any paperwork, and changing money, for the days before.
- Roads close for crowds. Big celebrations in Addis Ababa, such as the Demera bonfire at Meskel Square, Timkat at Jan Meda and the Eid prayer at Addis Ababa Stadium, bring huge crowds and road closures nearby. Traffic across the city can be slow.
- Travel gets busy. Holidays are busy times, so book domestic flights and hotels early if your dates touch Genna, Timkat, Fasika or Meskel.
- Food changes with the fasts. Before Genna and before Fasika many Orthodox Christians fast, so traditional restaurants serve mostly vegan dishes. On the feast day itself, meat is back on every table.
Which holidays are the best to see?
For visitors, the three big spectacles are Timkat, Meskel and Genna. Timkat in Addis centres on Jan Meda, where church processions carry the tabots, the covered replicas of the Ark, and thousands of people in white gather. Meskel's highlight is the Demera, a huge bonfire lit in Meskel Square on the evening before the feast. Genna is more of a family and church occasion, with night-long services before a festive meal.
Eid al-Fitr is also worth seeing. In March 2026 the main Eid prayer in the capital was held at Addis Ababa Stadium, with very large crowds in Addis and across the country. Some famous festival sites, such as Lalibela and Gondar, are in Amhara, where official advice currently warns against all travel. Addis Ababa is the easiest and best-connected place to join the celebrations right now.
For big crowds, keep valuables to a minimum and agree a meeting point with your group. With a driver, you can be dropped close to the action and picked up at a set time and place, instead of trying to find a taxi when the whole city is heading home. We pay hotels and local costs in birr, so you pay us in US dollars or your own currency and carry less cash.
Questions people ask us
When is Ethiopian Christmas in 2027?+−
Genna falls on Thursday 7 January 2027, as it does every year.
When is Ethiopian New Year 2027?+−
Enkutatash is on Sunday 12 September 2027, starting the Ethiopian year 2020. It falls on 12 rather than 11 September because of the Ethiopian leap year.
When is Ethiopian Easter in 2027?+−
Fasika is on Sunday 2 May 2027, with Good Friday (Siklet) on 30 April.
Are banks open on Ethiopian public holidays?+−
No. Banks and government offices close on public holidays, so change money and do paperwork beforehand.
Why are the Eid dates marked as approximate?+−
Muslim holidays follow the lunar Islamic calendar and are confirmed only after the new moon is sighted, so they can move by a day.
Can someone drive me to the Timkat or Meskel celebrations in Addis Ababa?+−
Yes. Ethiopia Driver can meet you at Bole airport, book your hotel and drive you to the celebrations, dropping you close by and collecting you at an agreed time and place. Message us on WhatsApp or email for a fixed quote.
Sources
We checked this answer against these pages on 29 September 2026. Rules and advice change, so check official sources before you travel.
- Holidays and observances in Ethiopia in 2027 · timeanddate.com
- Holidays and observances in Ethiopia in 2026 · timeanddate.com
- Ethiopia public holidays 2027 · Office Holidays
- Ethiopia public holidays 2026 · Office Holidays
- 2027 Ethiopia holidays · CalendarLabs
- Public holidays in Ethiopia · Wikipedia
- The 1447th Eid al-Fitr celebrated across Ethiopia (20 March 2026) · Borkena
- Routine message: national elections on June 1, 2026 · U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia
- Ethiopia travel advice · UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Ethiopian cuisine (fasting) · Wikipedia
Written by the Ethiopia Driver team, Addis Ababa. A family-run driver service. We only write about roads we drive ourselves and we update these answers regularly. Something changed? Tell us on WhatsApp.
