Benin Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Benin and start planning to make the most of your time off.
The Republic of Benin currently celebrates 13 national holidays each year. It is also not unusual for the government of Benin to declare national holidays throughout the year for different purposes. For instance, the government declared a 5-day national holiday for the inauguration of its president in 2016. In the previous year, there were national holidays declared to register to vote and to vote.
National holidays in Benin are regulated by Ordinance 79-33 issued on July 2, 1979 and by the Labour Code. Ordinance 79-33 establishes the current 13 holidays and has only been changed twice. One amendment removed Vaudoun Day from the list and the second amendment reinstated Vaudoun Day as a national holiday.
The government has the authority to issue one-time holidays at any point if they make an official public announcement. However, these holidays can only be recognised for that one time. Changes to the national holiday list can only be made through a vote of government.