Good Time to Visit
Weather
The dry season runs from October to May, whilst heavy rains are common in July and August (up to 20 cm a month). Temperatures are fairly hot all year round (on average, 25°C (77°F) or higher), but they are particularly high in March to May, when they can reach over 40°C (104°F). More information can be found in Climate in Niger.
Visitors are advised to bring lightweight cottons and linens. Waterproofs are advisable from May to October, and warmer clothes may be needed for cool evenings, especially in the north.
Festivals
The Cure Salée, between July and September, sees nomads gather their cattle and lead them to the new pastures. Festivities are punctuated with music, dance and camel races.
A particular highlight of this period is the Gerewol festival of the Wodaabe tribe. This occasion sees unmarried men adorn and beautify themselves in order to woo women. They put red ochre on their faces, black on their lips, wear jewellery and create elaborate hairpieces. The idea is to accentuate the ideals of male beauty - long slender bodies, bright white teeth and bodies and straight hair. The bachelors then line up, flash their smiles and roll their eyes, while chanting. The Peulh people celebrate the end of the rainy season with a lively festival.
Elsewhere, in Zinder, you can watch the durbar festivals - cavalry charges, clashing costumes and all. The Islamic festivals of Tabaski and the end of Ramadan are also celebrated in style.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Niger:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| March/April (variable) | Easter Monday |
| 24 April | National Concord Day |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 3 August | Independence Day |
| 18 December | Republic Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet Mohammed) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Tabaski (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.