Public holidays in North Macedonia
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Public holidays are observed in the Republic of North Macedonia for a number of reasons, including religious and national significance. They are generally accompanied by celebrations.[1] The holidays are regulated by the 1998 Law on Holidays.[2] If a national holiday happens to be observed on a Sunday, the next (working) day (Monday) will be non-working.
National holidays
[edit]| Date | English name | Macedonian name | 2023 date | 2024 date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Нова Година, Nova Godina | 2 January | 1 January | |
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas | Прв ден Божик, Prv den Božik | 7 January | 8 January | |
| April/May | Orthodox Easter Monday | Втор ден Велигден, Vtor den Veligden | 17 April[3] | 6 May[3] | It is always on a Sunday. |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Ден на трудот, Den na trudot | 1 May | 1 May | |
| 24 May | Saints Cyril and Methodius Day | Св. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на сèсловенските просветители; Sv. Kiril i Metodij, Den na sèslovenskite prosvetiteli | 24 May | 24 May | |
| 2 August | Republic Day[4][2] | Ден на Републиката, Den na Republikata | 2 August | 2 August | It marks the day of the proclamation of the Ilinden Uprising in 1903, as well as the proclamation of the republic of Macedonia in 1944. |
| 8 September | Independence Day[4] | Ден на независноста, Den na nezavisnosta | 8 September | 9 September | It marks the day of independence from Yugoslavia, achieved with the 1991 referendum. |
| 11 October | Day of the Macedonian Uprising | Ден на востанието, Den na vostanieto | 11 October | 11 October | It marks the start of the Macedonian anti-fascist resistance during WWII with an attack in Prilep in 1941. |
| 23 October | Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle[2] | Ден на македонската револуционерна борба, Den na makedonskata revolucionarna borba | 23 October | 23 October | It marks the day when the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) was established in 1893. |
| 8 December | Saint Clement of Ohrid Day[2] | Св. Климент Охридски, Sv. Kliment Ohridski | 8 December | 9 December | |
| 1 Shawwal | Eid al-Fitr | Рамазан Бајрам, Ramazan Bajram | 21 April[3] | 10 April[3] | Islamic calendar |
Besides these, there are several major religious and ethnic communities' holidays:
| Date | English name | Macedonian name | 2023 date | 2024 date | Celebrated by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 January | Christmas Eve | Бадник, Badnik | 6 January | 6 January | Orthodox Christians |
| 19 January | Baptism of Jesus | Водици, Vodici | 19 January | 19 January | Orthodox Christians |
| 8 April | International Romani Day | Меѓународен ден на Ромите, Megjunaroden den na Romite | 8 April | 8 April | Ethnic Romani people |
| 5 May | Macedonian Language Day | Ден на македонскиот јазик, Den na makedonskiot jazik | 5 May | 5 May | A working holiday since 2019, it marks the day when the government of Yugoslav Macedonia adopted the Macedonian alphabet as the official script of the republic.[5][6] |
| 23 May | Aromanian National Day[2] | Национален ден на Власите, Nacionalen den na Vlasite | 23 May | 23 May | Ethnic Aromanians |
| 28 August | Assumption of Mary | Успение на Пресвета Богородица, Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica | 28 August | 28 August | Orthodox Christians |
| 28 September | International Bosniaks Day | Меѓународен ден на Бошњаците, Megjunaroden den na Boshnjacite | 28 September | 28 September | Ethnic Bosniaks |
| 1 November | All Saints' Day | Сите Светци, Site Svetci | 1 November | 1 November | Catholics and Protestants |
| 22 November | Albanian Alphabet Day[2] | Ден на Албанската азбука, Den na Albanskata azbuka | 22 November | 22 November | Ethnic Albanians |
| 21 December | Turkish Language Education Day | Ден на настава на турски јазик, Den na nastava na turski jazik | 21 December | 21 December | Ethnic Turks |
| 25 December | Christmas | Божиќ, Božiḱ | 25 December | 25 December | Catholics and Protestants |
| variable | Good Friday | Велики Петок, Veliki Petok | 14 April | 3 May | Orthodox Christians |
| variable | Good Friday | Велики Петок, Veliki Petok | 10 April[3] | 1 April[3] | Catholics and Protestants |
| variable | Pentecost | Духовден, Duhovden | 2 June[3] | 21 June[3] | Orthodox Christians, 7 weeks after Good Friday |
| 10 Tishrei | Yom Kippur | Јом Кипур, Jom Kipur | 25 September[3] | 12 October[3] | Jews |
| 10 Dhu al-Hijjah | Eid al-Adha | Курбан Бајрам, Kurban Bajram | 28 June[3] | 16 June[3] | Muslims |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ According to the Law on Holidays, issued in "Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia", number 21/98 and 18/07, 2007, see here, retrieved on 17 November 2008. (in Macedonian)
- ^ a b c d e f Šari, Ljiljana; Gammelgaard, Karen; Rå Hauge, Kjetil, eds. (2012). Transforming National Holidays: Identity Discourse in the West and South Slavic Countries, 1985-2010. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 9789027206381.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Holiday Calendar | U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia". U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ a b Victor Roudometof (2002). Collective Memory, National Identity, and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria, and the Macedonian Question. Praeger. p. 11. ISBN 9780275976484.
- ^ "5 мај – Ден на македонскиот јазик". Филолошки факултет "Блаже Конески" – Скопје (in Macedonian). Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Од 130-тата седница на Владата на РСМ: 5 Мај прогласен за Ден на македонскиот јазик". Влада на Република Северна Македонија (in Macedonian). 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2023.