When is Eid al-Fitr?
In 2026, Eid al-Fitr falls on Friday, March 20, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr, commonly called the Ramadan feast, begins the month of Shawwal and closes the fast. It became part of the statutory national calendar in recognition of Côte d’Ivoire's large and regionally diverse Muslim population, while the Gregorian date continues to depend on the Islamic lunar calendar.
Ivorian Muslim institutions confirm the date near the end of Ramadan. In 2026 the feast fell on Friday, March 20; the principal state-attended prayer at Riviera Golf emphasised fraternity, solidarity and peace rather than turning one local ceremony into a uniform national script.
The 2011 amendment does not create a general Monday-substitution rule. It grants a following day only when Labour Day, Independence Day, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha or Christmas falls on a Sunday; it gives no substitute merely because another holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday. Eid al-Fitr receives a next-day holiday only if the feast falls on Sunday. Because it falls on Friday in 2026, no additional occurrence is generated.
Eid al-Fitr is among the statutory holidays and non-working days listed in Article 2 of Decree No. 96-205 as amended. Under Article 4, an hourly or daily worker is not automatically paid when the day is not worked, whereas a monthly worker's salary is maintained; if work proceeds, the decree provides ordinary scheduled pay rather than a statutory premium. A collective agreement or contract may be more favourable.
How Eid al-Fitr is observed
Nationwide statutory holiday on Friday, March 20 in 2026. Morning prayer grounds and mosques draw large crowds, and opening times for markets, transport and private businesses vary after prayers.
Traditions of Eid al-Fitr
Congregational prayer
Worshippers bathe, dress carefully and attend a morning Eid prayer and sermon; arrangements range from neighbourhood mosques to large open or official gatherings.
Zakat al-Fitr
Households provide the prescribed end-of-Ramadan charity before the prayer so that people in need can share in the feast.
Greetings, meals and visits
Relatives and neighbours exchange greetings and food after a month of fasting. Recipes, clothing and visiting patterns vary among Ivorian communities rather than following one national form.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Côte d’Ivoire official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Côte d’Ivoire may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: Decree No. 2011-371 amending Côte d’Ivoire’s public-holiday rules, Côte d’Ivoire Labour Code (Law No. 2015-532), Article 24, Consolidated Decree No. 96-205 on public holidays, Ministry of Culture: 2026 event postponed for Eid al-Fitr on March 20, Government press review: Eid al-Fitr prayer, March 20, 2026.
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