New Year’s Day in Algeria
Algeria observes Gregorian New Year’s Day on January 1 as a legal, paid holiday. The law gives the date a distinct place alongside other public holidays, including the Amazigh New Year on January 12.[1][2]
A legal holiday for workers
Algeria’s Law No. 63-278 of July 26, 1963, lists January 1 as “Gregorian New Year” and sets it as a one-day holiday. The Ministry of Labour’s explanation says legal holidays are paid and apply to public administrations, public offices, local authorities and businesses, including workers paid by the hour or by the day.[1][2]
A 2018 amendment added Amenzu n Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year, as a separate one-day legal holiday on January 12. The two dates therefore mark different New Year observances in Algeria: January 1 is the Gregorian New Year, while January 12 is the Amazigh New Year.[3]
What the holiday means
The legal name identifies January 1 as the start of the Gregorian calendar year. Algeria’s official holiday framework recognizes it as a civil holiday; the cited law does not describe particular religious rites, family customs, regional practices or foods associated with the date. Claims about specific celebrations should therefore be treated cautiously unless supported by local evidence.[1]
The holiday has been on Algeria’s legal list since the 1963 law. Later amendments to that law have changed other listed holidays while retaining the remaining provisions, including January 1. The 2023 amendment, for example, adjusted the duration of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays and left the rest unchanged.[1][4]
Work and service arrangements
The holiday is a paid day off for workers covered by the legal holiday provisions. A government communiqué about New Year’s Day also says institutions, administrations and businesses must arrange continuity for services organized in shifts. This allows shift-based services to keep operating where required; the communiqué does not specify opening hours for individual offices or services.[2]
The sources confirm the holiday’s legal status and the continuity requirement, but do not give a general schedule for banks, shops, schools or public transport. Their opening hours and service levels may depend on the provider, so residents and visitors should check directly with the service they plan to use.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
Is New Year’s Day a paid day off in Algeria?
Yes. January 1 is listed as a legal paid holiday for public administrations, public offices, local authorities and businesses, including hourly- and daily-paid workers.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Algeria:
- Loi n° 63-278 du 26 juillet 1963 fixant la liste des fêtes légales- Journal officiel de la République algérienne démocratique et populaire
- Communiqué: A l’occasion du nouvel An- Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; Prime Minister’s Office and Directorate General of the Public Service and Administrative Reform
- Loi n° 18-12 du 18 Chaoual 1439 correspondant au 2 juillet 2018 modifiant et complétant la loi n° 63-278 du 26 juillet 1963 fixant la liste des fêtes légales- Journal officiel de la République algérienne démocratique et populaire
- Loi n° 23-10 du 8 Dhou El Hidja 1444 correspondant au 26 juin 2023 modifiant la loi n° 63-278 du 26 juillet 1963 fixant la liste des fêtes légales- Journal officiel de la République algérienne démocratique et populaire