Holidays

Holidays in Tunisia

In Tunisia, 98 percent of the population is Muslim. All major Islamic holidays such as the Feast of Sacrifice, Muhammad’s birthday and the beginning and end of the fasting month of Ramadan therefore determine the holiday calendar.

The holidays are calculated according to the lunar calendar and therefore have movable dates. In addition, international dates such as New Year’s Day and Labor Day on May 1 are considered holidays, as well as state commemorations of political occasions. Thus, there is a Memorial Day of the Forgotten Blood of the Martyrs of April 9, 1938, and quite recently, Revolution Day in 2011.

Overview

New Year’s Day – January 1

Revolution and Youth Day – January 14

Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad – February/March

Independence Day -20 March

Martyrs’ Day-April 9

Labor Day -1 May

Republic Day – July 25

Beginning of Ramadan – August

Women’s Day – August 13

Breaking of the Fast (end of Ramadan) – September

Fest of Sacrifice – November

Islamic New Year – December

Worth knowing about selected holidays

Ramadan

While the mid-summer fasting month of Ramadan must only be observed by Muslims, its strict restrictions certainly affect holidaymakers in Tunisia. Many hotels and restaurants are closed between sunrise and sunset. Alcohol and cigarettes are also prohibited during the day for non-Muslim tourists. Food and drinks are best taken tactfully to the room during Ramadan. The end of the fasting month is celebrated with a festival lasting one to several days.

Fest of Sacrifice

For Tunisians, the Feast of Sacrifice in November is the biggest Islamic holiday. On the day before the Feast of Sacrifice, the sheep chosen as sacrificial animals are lovingly decorated with colorful ribbons by the children and paraded through the streets. Early in the morning of the Feast of Sacrifice, the sheep are slaughtered. For breakfast there are traditionally lamb skewers, then lamb grilled and finally Osbane, a round sausage – the typical Tunisian sacrificial feast dish.

Republic Day

Republic Day is a national holiday in Tunisia. Houses and streets are decorated with flags on July 25, and roadblocks announce the visit of the president, who is touring the country that day. He makes speeches and is greeted with cheers and flowers, and there is boisterous celebrating and dancing on the beach promenades. On July 25, 1957, the Republic of Tunisia was proclaimed. A year earlier, Tunisia had achieved independence from France.