When is Islamic New Year?
In 2026, Islamic New Year falls on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of Islamic New Year
Islamic New Year marks 1 Muharram, the opening of the Hijri year. The era is counted from the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622, but the holiday does not claim that the migration occurred on the first day of Muharram. Morocco makes 1 Muharram one paid day.
The Ministry of Endowments sought reports from its delegates and participating Royal Armed Forces units on June 15, 2026. Because the crescent was not sighted, Dhu al-Hijjah completed 30 days and 1 Muharram 1448 fell on Wednesday, June 17—one day later than many calculated calendars had estimated.
Islamic New Year is a paid, non-working holiday under Morocco’s public-administration Decree 2-77-169 as amended; paid holidays for covered agricultural and non-agricultural employment are governed by Decree 2-04-426 and Labour Code Articles 217–223. The decrees do not create an automatic Monday substitute when a holiday falls at the weekend. A bridge or exceptional closure requires a separate decision, as the Government issued for March 23, 2026.
How Islamic New Year is observed
Statutory lunar holiday on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, fixed by the ministry’s moon-sighting announcement. Current government notices, employer policies and local schedules in Morocco should be checked for closures, substitute dates and public-service arrangements.
Traditions of Islamic New Year
Community practice
Many people treat the day quietly through prayer, reflection, family time or wishes for a blessed year rather than through an Eid-style communal feast. Customs differ by region, language, religious practice and household resources.
Public programme
Mosques and media may discuss the Hijra, sacred month of Muharram and ethical renewal; there is no single mandatory New Year ceremony. The official programme does not imply identical participation or political interpretation across Morocco.
Planning the day
Use Morocco’s annual sighting result, not an imported calculation, and check local openings for the one-day holiday. Essential services, transport and private businesses may follow their own published schedules.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Morocco official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Morocco may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: Moroccan public-service legal database: consolidated Decree 2-77-169, Moroccan administration ministry: working hours and public holidays, Moroccan Labour Code, including Articles 217–223 on paid holidays, Morocco national portal: national and religious holiday calendar, Ministry of Endowments: Muharram 1448 began June 17, 2026, Encyclopaedia Britannica: Muharram and the Hijri calendar, Encyclopaedia Britannica: Islamic religious calendar.
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