Public Holidays in Bahrain
Bahrain, being a Muslim country, Islamic festivals are celebrated, and majority of the public holidays are on Islamic festivals and events. Muslim festivals are celebrated based on local sightings of various phases of the moon, and so the dates cannot be fixed.
During the Ramadan month which precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night. Therfore, normal business patterns are interrupted. Several restaurants are closed during the day, and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some of the festivals have more than one holiday, during which, the government offices and banks are usually closed.
Here is the general list of public holidays in Bahrain:
- National Day – 16th December
- New Year’s Day – 1st January
- Mouloud (Birthday of the Prophet) – 15th February
- Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) – in the month of August
- Eid Al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)
- Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year)
- Ashoura