Holidays in Syria

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The Friday is mostly Muslim Syria officially closed on . Authorities, banks and most shops are closed. Except in the Christian Quarter, where the shops are open on Fridays but closed on Sundays.

On national holidays, official offices and schools are closed in Syria, but shops are open (exception May 1st). Parades take place in the streets, and the state television program reports praise for the state.

Over 80 percent of the Syrian population are Muslim . The Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar . Christmas is also popular with non-Christians, but not as a religious festival. During the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice and the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast , all official offices and banks are closed.

In 2012, around 10 percent of Syrians were Christians of various denominations (see Religions in Syria ). Christians of the Western and Eastern Churches ( Syriacs ) celebrate Easter strictly separately. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, and Armenian Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6th . There are also some local holy festivals of the Syrian Christians such as the anniversary of St. Thecla on September 24th in Maalula , which is celebrated by Greek Orthodox believers in a procession.

date Surname Arabic Remarks
January 1st New Year عيد راس السنة الميلادية / 'Īd Ra's as-Sanät al-Mīlādīyä
8th of March Revolution day ثورة الثامن من اذار / Ṯaurät aṯ-Ṯāmin min Āḏār "Republic Day", the Baath Party took power in 1963
March 21st Mother's Day عيد الأم / 'Īd al-'Umm
17th April Independence day Id al-Jalaa  /عيد الجلاء / 'Īd al-Ğalā' Day of the withdrawal of the French colonial power, 1946
movable Easter عيد الفصح غريغوري / 'Īd al-Fiṣḥ Ġrīġūrī According to the Gregorian calendar
movable Orthodox Easter عيد الفصح اليوليوسي / 'Īd al-Fiṣḥ al-Yūliyūsī According to the Julian calendar
1st of May Labor Day Yom al-Umal  /عيد العمال / 'Īd al-'Ummāl
May 6th Day of the Martyrs Id asch-Schuhada  /عيد الشهداء / 'Īd aš-Šuhadā' In 1916 the Ottomans hanged 21 Syrian nationalists in Damascus and Beirut
October 6th Veterans day حرب تشرين التحريرية / Harb Teshreen Al-Tahririyyah Beginning of the October War 1973
November 16 Corrective Movement Day ذكرى الحركة التصحيحية To power of Hafez al-Assad in 1970
25 December Christmas عيد الميلاد المجيد / 'Īd al-Mīlād al-Mağīd
Islamic holidays according to the lunar calendar
10. Dhu l-hijjah Islamic Festival of Sacrifice عيد الأضحى / 'Īd al-'Aḍḥà 4 days
1. Shawwal Feast of Breaking the Fast عيد الفطر / 'Īd al-Fiṭr End of the fasting month of Ramadan , 3 days
12. Rabīʿ al-awwal Mawlid المولد النبوي / al-Maulid an-Nabawī Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed
1. Muharram Muslim New Year عيد راس السنة الهجرية / 'Īd Ra's as-Sanät al-Hījrīyä

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