Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Benin 2026
Benin has 12 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 4 days around Day Off for Vodoun Festival & Vodoun Festival & Traditional Day (Thu 8 Jan – Sun 11 Jan). Take Wednesday off and turn the Day Off for Vodoun Festival & Vodoun Festival & Traditional Day break into a 5-day run.
12
Long weekends
5
Longest break (days)
12
Bridge day opportunities
All long weekends in Benin 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 2 Jan) | 4d |
| Wed 7 Jan – Sun 11 Jan | Day Off for Vodoun Festival, Vodoun Festival, Traditional Day | 4 | Wednesday(Wed 7 Jan) | 5d |
| Thu 19 Mar – Sun 22 Mar | Korité | 3 | Thursday(Thu 19 Mar) | 4d |
| Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr | Easter Sunday, Easter Monday | 3 | Friday(Fri 3 Apr) | 4d |
| Thu 30 Apr – Sun 3 May | Labour Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 30 Apr) | 4d |
| Thu 14 May – Sun 17 May | Ascension Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 15 May) | 4d |
| Fri 22 May – Mon 25 May | Whit Monday | 3 | Friday(Fri 22 May) | 4d |
| Wed 27 May – Sun 31 May | Tabaski | 1 | Thursday + Friday(Thu 28 May, Fri 29 May) | 5d |
| Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug | Maouloud | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 24 Aug, Tue 25 Aug) | 5d |
| Fri 23 Oct – Mon 26 Oct | Armed Forces Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 23 Oct) | 4d |
| Fri 27 Nov – Mon 30 Nov | National Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 27 Nov) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 4d |
Best long weekends in Benin 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
January
Day Off for Vodoun Festival & Vodoun Festival & Traditional Day
Wed 7 Jan – Sun 11 Jan
5
days
May
Tabaski
Wed 27 May – Sun 31 May
5
days
August
Maouloud
Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug
5
days
January
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
4
days
How to use bridge days in Benin
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In Benin 2026, there are 12 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Day Off for Vodoun Festival & Vodoun Festival & Traditional Day: take Wednesday off to turn a 4-day break into 5 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Day Off for Vodoun Festival
Thu 8 Jan
Vodoun Festival
Fri 9 Jan
Traditional Day
Sat 10 Jan
Tabaski
Wed 27 May
Maouloud
Wed 26 Aug
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Korité
Fri 20 Mar
Easter Sunday
Sun 5 Apr
Easter Monday
Mon 6 Apr
Labour Day
Fri 1 May
Ascension Day
Thu 14 May
Whit Monday
Mon 25 May
Armed Forces Day
Mon 26 Oct
National Day
Mon 30 Nov
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
St. Stephen's Day
Sat 26 Dec
Continue exploring
More for Benin 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in Benin 2026
Full list of 19 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Benin 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Benin 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Country overview
Benin holidays overview
All years at a glance — upcoming public holidays.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Benin have in 2026?
Benin has 12 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in Benin in 2026?
The longest break is 5 days from Wednesday, 7 January 2026 to Sunday, 11 January 2026, centred around Day Off for Vodoun Festival and Vodoun Festival and Traditional Day (taking Wednesday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in Benin 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Day Off for Vodoun Festival & Vodoun Festival & Traditional Day (Thu 8 Jan – Sun 11 Jan). Take Wednesday as annual leave to get a 5-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in Benin?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.