End of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) in Algeria

A three-day paid public holiday

Algeria’s Law No. 23-10 amended the country’s legal-holiday list to make Eid al-Fitr a three-day holiday. The law names it “Aïd El Fitr El Moubarek” and sets the same three-day duration for Eid al-Adha.[1]

The Ministry of Labour describes legal holidays as paid days when work is suspended across public administration, public offices, delegated services, local authorities and businesses, including for hourly- and daily-paid workers. Its English page still lists Eid al-Fitr as two days, but the later 2023 law specifies three.[1][2]

The date follows the lunar calendar

Eid al-Fitr falls on 1 Shawwal, the month that follows Ramadan in the Islamic lunar calendar. In Algeria, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Wakfs’ National Commission for Crescent Observation announces the start of the holiday after sighting the new moon; the commission includes religious scholars and experts from the national astronomy research centre.[3]

Prayer, greetings and family visits

Accounts of Eid in Algeria describe worshippers gathering at mosques for the Eid prayer, then exchanging greetings and returning home to celebrate. The occasion is associated with gratitude after Ramadan and with values of compassion, solidarity and family connection.[5]

Family visits are a familiar part of the celebration. Algerian Radio also reports that some families visit cemeteries to remember deceased relatives, and that community members may visit patients in hospitals with small gifts and treats.[5]

Sweets and a local Eid custom

Coffee or tea and pastries feature in reported Eid gatherings. A report covering celebrations in several Algerian cities names tchareks, makrout elouz, dziriyettes, halwat tabaa and baklawa among the sweets served. The same account describes large round copper trays called s’ni used to present the pastries.[5]

One custom reported by Algerian Radio is Haq al-Milh, also called Haq al-Taam in some regions. After the Eid prayer, a family may gather for coffee and sweets, and a man may place a gift such as a ring or money in the empty cup or on the tray as a gesture of appreciation for a woman’s work during Ramadan. The practice varies by family and has faded in some areas.[4]

What to expect for services

Public offices and covered workplaces observe the statutory paid holiday. Shops and services can have different arrangements: a report on Eid in Algeria describes adjusted public-transport services, mobilized post offices and shops open to meet families’ needs. Check directly with a business or transport operator for its holiday hours and routes.[2][5]