Independence Day National
Independence Day celebrates the day Sudan gained its independence. It is marked with official ceremonies, flag raising, and public celebrations across the country.
Sudan Public Holidays 2026
Official Calendar
Complete Guide to Islamic Holidays, National Days & Work Schedule in Sudan
Sudan Public Holidays List 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Hijri date | Days off | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Day | Thursday | 12 Rajab 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Coptic Christmas | Wednesday | 18 Rajab 1447 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Eid al-Fitr | Friday | 1 Shawwal 1447 AH | 3 days (20 March – 22 March) | Religious | |
| Coptic Easter | Sunday | 24 Shawwal 1447 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Eid al-Adha | Wednesday | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH | 3 days (27 May – 29 May) | Religious | |
| Islamic New Year | Tuesday | 1 Muharram 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Prophet's Birthday | Tuesday | 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Christmas Day | Friday | 16 Rajab 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious |
Weekend days: Friday and Saturday
Note: Religious holiday dates may vary based on moon sighting and could change by one day. Please check official sources for confirmation.
Long Weekends 2026
Plan your vacations! There are 4 long weekends this year where public holidays connect with regular weekend days.
-
3 days off 1 January – 3 January
Independence Day
-
3 days off 20 March – 22 March
Eid al-Fitr
-
3 days off 10 April – 12 April
Coptic Easter
-
4 days off 27 May – 30 May
Eid al-Adha
Sudan Calendar 2026
Public holiday Weekend
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Independence Day | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 — Coptic Christmas | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 1 January Independence Day
- 7 January Coptic Christmas
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 — Eid al-Fitr | 21 — Eid al-Fitr |
| 22 — Eid al-Fitr | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 20 March Eid al-Fitr
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 — Coptic Easter | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
- 12 April Coptic Easter
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 — Eid al-Adha | 28 — Eid al-Adha | 29 — Eid al-Adha | 30 |
| 31 |
- 27 May Eid al-Adha
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 — Islamic New Year | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
- 16 June Islamic New Year
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 — Prophet's Birthday | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
- 25 August Prophet's Birthday
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 — Christmas Day | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 25 December Christmas Day
Religious Holidays
- Based on Islamic (Hijri) calendar
- May vary based on moon sighting
- Move about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year
National Holidays
- Fixed dates every year
- Celebrate historical events
- Usually single-day observances
2026 Holiday Summary
- Total public holidays
- 8
- National holidays
- 1
- Religious holidays
- 7
- Total days off
- 12
- Long weekends
- 4
- Weekend days
- Friday and Saturday
About Public Holidays in Sudan
Sudan's public holiday calendar reflects the country's independence history and Islamic heritage. Independence Day on 1 January marks Sudan's independence in 1956, making it one of the first African nations to gain independence from colonial rule. Islamic religious holidays follow the Hijri calendar and include Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, the Prophet's Birthday, and the Islamic New Year, confirmed through moon sighting. Sudan has experienced significant political and security upheaval in recent years, which has affected the consistent observance of public holidays across the country. Sudan's economy is based on agriculture, livestock, mining, and crop exports, with the standard work week running Sunday through Thursday and the weekend on Friday and Saturday. Islamic holidays such as Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha shift dates annually according to the lunar Hijri calendar, with religious authorities announcing final dates based on moon sighting.
Practical Information for Residents and Visitors
- Public holidays are officially declared, though current conditions may affect sector-wide observance.
- National holidays include Independence Day and Islamic religious holidays.
- Religious holiday dates are determined by official moon sighting.
- Monitoring local developments and official announcements before planning is strongly advised.
Official source: Government of Sudan
Public Holiday Details 2026
Coptic Christmas Religious
Coptic Christmas is celebrated on 7 January by Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians and is an official public holiday for all Egyptians.
Eid al-Fitr Religious
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and falls on 1 Shawwal in the Hijri calendar. Families attend the Eid prayer in the morning, visit relatives and exchange gifts, and children traditionally receive Eidiya money. The exact start is confirmed by moon sighting, so the date can move by one day. See Eid 2026 dates for all Arab countries.
Coptic Easter Religious
Coptic Easter is celebrated by Sudan's Coptic and Orthodox Christians and follows the Eastern church calendar.
Eid al-Adha Religious
Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, begins on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, the day after pilgrims stand at Mount Arafat during the Hajj. Muslims perform the Eid prayer and many sacrifice a sheep or other livestock, sharing the meat with family, neighbours and those in need. It is the longest public holiday of the year in most Arab countries. See Eid 2026 dates for all Arab countries.
Islamic New Year Religious
The Islamic New Year (Ras al-Sana al-Hijriya) falls on 1 Muharram and marks the start of a new Hijri year, commemorating the Prophet Muhammad's migration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. It is a quiet, reflective holiday rather than a festive one.
Prophet's Birthday Religious
Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi al-Awwal. In Sudan it is an official holiday, often marked with religious lectures, poetry recitals in praise of the Prophet and traditional sweets.
Christmas Day Religious
Christmas Day on 25 December celebrates the birth of Jesus and is an official holiday in Sudan for all citizens.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does Sudan have in 2026?
Sudan has 8 public holidays in 2026: 1 national and 7 religious, adding up to about 12 days off.
When is Eid al-Fitr 2026 in Sudan?
Eid al-Fitr in Sudan falls on Friday, 20 March 2026 (1 Shawwal 1447 AH), with 3 days off (20 March to 22 March).
When is Eid al-Adha 2026 in Sudan?
Eid al-Adha in Sudan falls on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH), with 3 days off (27 May to 29 May).
What are the weekend days in Sudan?
The official weekend in Sudan is Friday and Saturday.
How many long weekends are there in Sudan in 2026?
There are 4 long weekends where public holidays connect with the weekend. The longest is 4 days, from 27 May to 30 May.