Korité

Korité is the common Beninese and wider West African name for Eid al-Fitr, the festival beginning on 1 Shawwal after Ramadan. It closes a month of daylight fasting, prayer, charity and religious discipline for participating Muslims. Benin’s 1990 holiday law calls it the “day of Ramadan” and makes the officially declared first day a paid non-working holiday nationwide.

Muslim communities are especially numerous in northern Benin and in major commercial centres, but practice varies by region, family and Islamic tradition. The feast begins with purification, festive dress and congregational prayer where organised, followed by greetings, visits and meals. Zakat al-fitr or other assistance helps people in need take part. The public holiday recognises the occasion without implying that every Beninese citizen fasts or attends prayer.

Islamic dates move roughly eleven days earlier each Gregorian year and depend on the locally accepted religious and government determination. The Ministry of Labour officially declared Friday, March 20, 2026 paid and non-working nationwide; this is therefore a confirmed 2026 date, not merely an astronomical forecast. The definition intentionally returns no future occurrence until a reliable annual date is supplied. Hospitals, transport, security and other continuous services may operate under applicable work and compensation arrangements.