Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr marks the first day of Shawwal and the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of dawn-to-sunset fasting. South Sudan's public-holiday calendar recognises the festival nationally even though Muslims are a minority within a religiously diverse population. Its legal inclusion and the constitution's protection of worship distinguish a nationwide day off from a claim that every resident follows the religious rites.

For 2026 the festival fell on Friday, March 20 after the crescent confirmation. Reporting from Juba and other parts of South Sudan documented worshippers gathering at mosques and open prayer grounds, wearing festive clothing and organising charity. Earlier annual calendars sometimes declared multi-day Eid breaks, but the published 2026 schedule identifies March 20 as the holiday; this guide does not invent March 21–22 extensions without a 2026 ministerial circular.

Eid al-Fitr is one of the full holidays declared annually by the Ministry of Labour. Section 61 of the Labour Act gives employees paid leave on a declared public holiday and, if they must work, either twice their regular hourly rate for the time worked or one paid compensatory day. The Act says holidays are kept on their calendar dates, so it creates no automatic weekend substitute. The 2026 date is recorded only for 2026 because the Islamic date is confirmed from the lunar calendar; a later year's date needs a fresh official announcement.