Day of Ashura in Algeria
In Algeria, the Day of Ashura is a paid public holiday observed on 10 Muharram, the tenth day of the first month of the Hijri calendar. It combines a legal day off with religious observance and local practices that include charity and family meals.[1][2]
A public holiday set by law
Algeria’s 1963 law on legal holidays lists Achoura (10 Moharram) as a one-day holiday. It states that the listed holidays are paid days off for personnel in public administrations, public establishments and offices, delegated services, local authorities, and commercial, industrial, craft, and agricultural businesses, including workers paid by the hour or day.[1]
The Ministry of Labour’s English-language labour legislation page also lists Ashura as a one-day legal holiday and says legal holidays suspend work while remaining paid. It includes public administrations, public offices, delegated services, local authorities, and businesses within its summary.[2]
Meaning and observance
Ashura falls on the tenth day of Muharram, which the Algerian public broadcaster describes as the first month of the Hijri calendar. The day is religious in character as well as a statutory holiday.[2][3]
Radio Algérienne reports that Ashura observance in Algeria includes zakat and family gatherings around special meals, with different foods in different regions. Its report gives the village of Timechret in Bouira Province as an example of a community continuing practices associated with solidarity and sharing.[3]
Planning around the holiday
The legal status means workers in the covered public services and business sectors have a paid holiday. The cited law and ministry page do not specify that every shop or service closes, so travelers should check directly with individual businesses and providers before making plans.[1][2]
The holiday follows the Hijri calendar rule of 10 Muharram. The calendar facts shown for this page list no substitute or observed day when Ashura falls on a weekend.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Ashura a paid day off in Algeria?
Yes. Algerian law lists Achoura on 10 Muharram as a paid holiday for personnel across the public services and business sectors it names, including hourly and daily-paid workers.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Day of Ashura in Algeria:
- 2 août 1963 — Journal officiel de la République algérienne- Journal officiel de la République algérienne démocratique et populaire
- Labour Legislation- Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
- Fête de Achoura : des valeurs ancestrales de solidarité et de partage- Radio Algérienne