Parliament has passed the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, ushering in a sweeping revision of Ghana’s national holiday calendar.
Among the most notable changes is a new policy allowing public holidays that fall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays to be shifted to the nearest Friday or Monday. The move is aimed at enhancing productivity and providing more consistent long weekends for citizens.
First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, who presided over proceedings, declared:
“Honourable members, the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Amendment Bill 2025 is duly read the third time and passed.”
The bill introduces several major changes to existing commemorations:
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July 1 is reinstated as Republic Day, marking Ghana’s 1960 transition to a republic. This symbolic change restores a holiday many consider pivotal to national identity.
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A new public holiday for the Muslim community, called Shaqq Day, will be observed a day after Eid-ul-Fitr. The day provides room for continued spiritual reflection and community celebration following the Islamic fast.
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The bill repeals August 4 as Founders’ Day and restores September 21 as Founder’s Day, in honour of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and a central figure in the independence movement.
This reversion to celebrating a single Founder is expected to reignite debates about who should be credited with Ghana’s independence and how national memory is constructed.
The government argues that the changes strike a balance between productivity, religious inclusivity, and historical clarity.
Already, reactions on social media and among political circles suggest the revised calendar will spark renewed discussions around national identity, holiday economics, and the politics of remembrance.
The amended holiday structure is set to take effect later this year, with the Ministry of the Interior expected to issue formal guidelines on implementation and calendar adjustments.
