Public holidays in Tanzania are in accordance with the Public Holidays Ordinance (Amended) Act,[1] 1966 and are observed throughout the nation.
The Public Holidays Ordinance (Amended) Act, 1966 lists twelve public holidays in its schedule. At present, Tanzania has a total of seventeen public holidays:[2] eight religious holidays, three national holidays, two commemorating the death anniversaries of the inaugural leaders of its constituent states and the remaining four of other national importance.
The President of Tanzania may declare additional holidays at his or her discretion, for example, during the general election day. The President of Zanzibar may do the same within the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar.[3] A recent example of this was on 4 November 2015 where President Kikwete announced a national holiday for the next day to celebrate Magufuli winning the presidential election.[4]
| width=100px | Date ! | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | |
| 12 January | Zanzibar Revolution Day Zanzibar Revolutionary Day (End of the Sultanate of Zanzibar) | |
| 7 April | Karume Day Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day (Assassination of Zanzibari President Abeid Karume) | |
| Friday before Easter | Good Friday | |
| Monday after Easter | Easter Monday | |
| 26 April | Union Day (The unification of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar in 1964) | |
| 1 May | Labour Day International Worker’s Day | |
| 7 July | Saba Saba Day Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair Day Industry’s Day[7] | |
| 8 August | Nane Nane Day Farmer’s Day Wakulima ya Nane Nane Peasant’s Day | |
| 14 October | Nyerere Day Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Day (Death anniversary of Julius Nyerere, the father of the nation) | |
| 9 December | Independence Day (End of British rule in 1961) | |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | |
| 26 December | Boxing Day | |
| 12 Rabi' al-awwal | Maulid Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday Birth of the Prophet Eid-Milad Nnabi Maulid an-Nabī | |
| 1 Shawwal | Eid al-Fitr Breaking the Fast | |
| 10 Dhu al-Hijja | Eid al-Hajj Eid al-Adha Feast of the Sacrifice | |
| Total: |
| Key | National holiday | |
|---|---|---|
| Religious holiday |
| width=100px | Date ! | width=180px | Name ! | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | |||
| 12 January | Zanzibar Revolution Day | Marking the end of the Sultanate of Zanzibar | ||
| 7 April | Karume Day | |||
| Friday of Holy Week March or April | Good Friday | Commemorating the Crucifixion of Jesus | ||
| Monday after Easter March or April | Easter Monday | Day compensating for the Sunday commemoration of the resurrection of Christ | ||
| 26 April | Union Day | The unification of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar in 1964 | ||
| 1 May | Labour Day | |||
| 1 Shawwal | Eid al-Fitr | Marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan Breaking of the Fast | ||
| 7 July | Saba Saba Day[8] | Climax of the annual Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair | ||
| 8 August | Nane Nane Day | Farmers' Day | ||
| 14 October | Nyerere Day | Commemoration of the death anniversary of Julius Nyerere, the father of the nation | ||
| 12 Rabi' al-awwal | Maulid Day | Observance of the birth anniversary of the Islamic prophet Muhammad | ||
| 9 December | Independence Day | Celebrating the end of British rule in 1961 | ||
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Commemoration of the birth of Jesus | ||
| 26 December | Boxing Day | |||
| Key | National holiday | |
|---|---|---|
| Religious holiday |
| width=100px | Date ! | width=180px | Name ! | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | |||
| 12 January | Zanzibar Revolution Day | Marking the end of the Sultanate of Zanzibar | ||
| 25 March | Good Friday | Commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus | ||
| 28 March | Easter Monday | Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus | ||
| 7 April | Karume Day | |||
| 26 April | Union Day | The unification of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar in 1964 | ||
| 1 May | Labour Day | |||
| 7 July | Saba Saba Day | Climax of the annual Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair | ||
| 6 July* | Eid al-Fitr | Marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan (2 days) | ||
| 8 August | Nane Nane Day | Farmers' Day | ||
| 12 September* | Eid al-Adha | |||
| 14 October | Nyerere Day | Commemoration of the death anniversary of Julius Nyerere, the father of the nation | ||
| 9 December | Independence Day | Celebrating the end of British rule in 1961 | ||
| 24 December* | Maulid Day | Observance of the birth anniversary of Muhammad | ||
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Commemoration of the birth of Jesus | ||
| 26 December | Boxing Day | |||
* denotes subject to the sighting of the moon