Good Time to Visit
Weather
The climate is generally extremely hot and dry, particular between June and August, when the dusty khamsin wind blows from the desert. Between October and April the weather becomes slightly cooler, with occasional light rain (less than 15 cm annually). Average temperatures range from 25°C in January to 35°C in August.
Festivals
Friday is a holiday for offices and government institutions. Other important dates are Labour Day on 1 May and Independence Day on 27 June. Djibouti observes all Islamic feasts and holidays, the dates of which vary according to the religious calendar.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Djibouti:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 27 June | Independence Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Islamic New Year |
| Variable* | Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet) |
| Variable* | Ascension of the Prophet |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.