Easter Monday in Tanzania
Easter Monday is a public holiday under Tanzania’s Public Holidays Act. Its date follows Easter Sunday, and the law allows some government work to continue on the holiday.[1]
Legal status and work
The Public Holidays Act lists Easter Monday alongside Good Friday and says the days in its schedule are public holidays each year. It does not set a substitute day automatically; the President may proclaim a different day in place of a scheduled holiday. The law also allows a government department head to open offices or require employees to work on a public holiday.[1]
For employees covered by the Employment and Labour Relations Act in Mainland Tanzania, work on a public holiday specified in the Public Holidays Act must be paid at double the employee’s basic wage for each hour worked. That provision concerns extra pay for hours worked; the cited laws do not establish that every private-sector worker is guaranteed the day off. The Act applies to employees in Mainland Tanzania, with listed service exclusions.[2]
Meaning and observance
Easter Monday follows Easter Sunday in the Christian Easter period. Easter is central to the Catholic faith and concerns the death and resurrection of Jesus.[3]
The Public Holidays Act names Easter Monday as a public holiday.[1]
What to expect
Public offices may close for the holiday, but the Public Holidays Act allows departments to open and call employees in. The Bank of Tanzania’s published public-holiday calendar includes Easter Monday, and a public holiday is treated as a bank holiday for references in written law. Check with your bank before making an in-person visit.[1][4][5]
Check with shops, restaurants, schools and transport services directly before making plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is Easter Monday a public holiday in Tanzania?
Yes. It is listed in the schedule to Tanzania’s Public Holidays Act, which says scheduled days are public holidays each year.[1]
Do employees automatically get the day off?
Are banks open on Easter Monday?
Are shops and transport services open?
Shops and transport operators set their own hours, so check with them before you travel.
Sources and references
Sources used for Easter Monday in Tanzania:
- THE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ACT- Office of the Attorney General, United Republic of Tanzania
- THE EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR RELATIONS ACT- Office of the Attorney General, United Republic of Tanzania
- ZANZIBAR CATHOLIC CHURCH- Catholic Church of Zanzibar
- Banking and Financial Institutions Act, 2006- Bank of Tanzania
- PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2025- Bank of Tanzania