Independence Day is a public holiday in Benin, observed on August 1 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary when Benin gained its independence from France on this day in 1960.
Benin is a country in West Africa. In the 15th century, Europeans arrived the coastal region and began slave trading. Benin became the major slave-trading center in the next 200 years and earned the region "The Slave Coast".
The French took over the area and made it a French protectorate in 1894, which became a French colony in 1904 as French Dahomey. Following the collapse of the French Fourth Republic in 1958, French Dahomey became a self-governing colony. On August 1, 1960, it gained its full independence as the Republic of Dahomey, renamed the Republic of Benin in 1991. Hubert Maga was the nation's first President.
The following is the list of Independence Day in Benin from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Independence Day | Aug 01, 2022 | Monday |
| Independence Day | Aug 01, 2023 | Tuesday |
| Independence Day | Aug 01, 2024 | Thursday |
| Independence Day | Aug 01, 2025 | Friday |
| Independence Day | Aug 01, 2026 | Saturday |
Please check more public holidays in Benin: