Fun and festivities in Algeria - celebrations, festivals and cultural events

Holidays in Algeria can be separated into two big groups – holidays that have a fixed date and holidays that have a new date every year. New Year is one of the most popular holidays with a fixed date. Just like in the rest of the world, Algeria celebrates New Year at night from December 31st to January 1st. The Labor Day (May 1st) is also a popular annual holiday in the country. Of course, there are national holidays that cherish events of the past. For example, June 19 is the Revolution day. On this day, Ben Bella, the President of Algeria, was deposed in a coup. Local people celebrate the Anniversary of the Revolution on November 1. July 5 is the day of another important national holiday – Independence Day.

What about holidays that have no fixed date? These are national holidays that are celebrated in accordance with the Muslim calendar. The thing is, the Muslim calendar doesn’t coincide with the usual Gregorian calendar adopted in most countries. Because of this peculiarity, many holidays in Algeria have a new date every year. Five Muslim holidays are the national holidays in Algeria. These are the Muslim New Year, Ashura, Mawlid, Uraza Bairam, and Qurban Bairam. Let’s be a bit more detailed about them.

Muslim people have a different understanding of holidays than people practicing other religions. Holidays for Muslims do not always mean fun and, of course, do not mean parties. Alcohol is prohibited in the country! On the Muslim New Year, local people go to mosque. There are no standard rules regarding a holiday feast. Asura is a day of mourning, so people usually fast on this day and one more day – a day before or after Ashura. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Mawlid has a merrier atmosphere. This holiday commemorates the birth of Prophet Muhammad. There are always many holiday activities associated with this holiday. Not just one day but the whole month is considered to be a holiday one. Algerians visit mosques, sing religious songs, and read books about the life of the prophet. During Mawlid, people express their happiness about the birth of God’s messenger, give money to the poor, try to be free of vile thoughts and actions, and talk on spiritual themes. Children get candies and sweets as gifts.

Uraza Bairam is a no less important date for every Algerian. This day marks the end of a long fasting period. On this holiday, people congratulate each other, donate money to the poor, and collect food for people in need. For Uraza Bairam, locals put on their best dresses, cook the most delicious food, make gifts to each other, and share festive food with family and friends. This is a happy day for all Muslims, so they have fun, play, and celebrate. Qurban Bairam is the sacrifice day. On this day, local people sacrifice lambs and give meat to everyone – not only to friends and family but also to the poor and passersby.

That being said, there are not only religious holidays in the country but also interesting festivals that even non-Muslim tourists will find very interesting to attend. For example, the country hosts the European Cultural Festival in May. This event has venues throughout the country and an extensive schedule. During the festival, visitors can attend various exhibitions, music concerts, theatrical plays, shows, film screenings – in short, everything that is connected with culture in some way or another. The main aim of this event is to let people know more about the cultural diversity of the world. Because of this, Algeria invites people from all over the world to participate in the festival.

If you plan to visit Algeria in October, don’t forget to about one more interesting event, the International Festival of Comics. This event, which takes place in the capital, attracts painters who work in this style. Exhibitions of best works, film screenings and awards to the best of the best – the program of this festival is very diverse. Algeria hosts an interesting festival dedicated to modern art for more than two months. This event takes place in the Museum of Modern Art. Travelers, who happen to visit the country in the period from December to February, should definitely visit this interesting event. December is also the time for the Algiers International Film Festival, during which attendees can watch documental and feature motion pictures.