Boxing Day in Rwanda
Rwanda lists Boxing Day as a public holiday each year on 26 December, calling it the day after Christmas in the official gazette. The holiday calendar and employment protections apply to public holidays.[1][2]
A public holiday on 26 December
The Presidential Order on official public holidays places Boxing Day in its public holiday schedule, immediately after Christmas Day on 25 December. The Kinyarwanda name printed in the order translates as “the day after Christmas,” linking the legal name directly to its calendar position.[1]
Boxing Day is an official public holiday in Rwanda. The order names it “the day after Christmas” in Kinyarwanda.[1]
When the date falls on a weekend
The order fixes Boxing Day on 26 December and sets a general rule for weekend coincidences: except for the 7 April Genocide Memorial Day, when a public holiday falls on a weekend, the following working day becomes a public holiday.[1]
It also provides for cases when consecutive public holidays fall on a weekend. They are compensated on one following working day; if that day is already a public holiday, the holidays are combined into one day on that working day. Check official announcements for the applicable calendar, especially when Christmas and Boxing Day meet a weekend.[1]
Work and pay
Rwanda’s labour law gives an employee the right to an official public holiday with full pay. An employee who works on a public holiday is entitled to an equivalent rest day within the following 30 days.[2]
That rule describes employee entitlements; it does not establish that every workplace closes. The Rwanda Stock Exchange states that it closes on official government holidays, including Boxing Day. Check opening hours with the bank, shop or government counter, and transport arrangements with the provider before you go.[2][3]
What to expect
Boxing Day is a public holiday on 26 December. Employees are entitled to full pay on an official public holiday, and the Rwanda Stock Exchange closes on official government holidays. Visitors and residents should check opening hours and service arrangements with providers before they go.[1][2][3]
Boxing Day in Rwanda: frequently asked questions
When is Boxing Day in Rwanda?
It is listed as a public holiday on 26 December, the day after Christmas Day.[1]
Is Boxing Day a public holiday?
Yes. Rwanda’s Presidential Order includes it in the official public holiday schedule.[1]
What happens if it falls on a weekend?
The order says the following working day becomes a public holiday, subject to its rules for consecutive holidays and its exception for 7 April.[1]
Are banks, shops, and transport services open?
Check opening hours and service arrangements with each provider before you go. The Rwanda Stock Exchange says it closes on official government holidays; check other providers directly.[3]
Do employees get paid time off?
Employees are entitled to full pay on an official public holiday. If they work that day, they are entitled to an equivalent rest day within 30 days.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Rwanda:
- Official Gazette n° Special of 21/10/2022- Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Republic of Rwanda
- Official Gazette no. Special of 06/09/2018- Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Republic of Rwanda
- RSE | Public Holidays- Rwanda Stock Exchange