Sierra Leone • February 18, 2026 • Wednesday
Also known as: Ramadan Start
Ramadan na di naint mont insai di Islamic calenda we de kam wit plenti blesin, preya, en self-discipline. Na Sierra Leone, dis mont no bi jus rilijon tin, na big tin we de join di wan wol kontri togieda. As about 78% pan di pipul dɛm na Muslims, di hol kontri de chenj in step wen Ramadan bigin. Di spirit of Ramadan na about for kam klos to God (Allah), for tɛnk Am for Wetin I don du, en for fil di pen we di po pipul de fil. Na wan tɛm we di Muslim dɛm de fast frotom mɔnin tɛm we sun de rɛz (Fajr) te go tɛm we sun de go dɔŋ (Maghrib).
Dis holy mont de memba di tɛm we di Holy Quran fɔs kam dɔŋ to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). I de tich di pipul dɛm aw for gɛt sɔfa-ed, aw for de kɔntrol dɛmsef, en aw for sho lɛk to dɛm neba. Na Sierra Leone, Ramadan na tɛm we yu de si mɔ pishin, mɔ yoniti, en mɔ charity. Pipul dɛm de hɛp dɛm wan we no gɛt, de shep it, en de pre togieda na di masid dɛm. Di fɛst de of Ramadan na di start of a 29 or 30 de jɔni we de pul pɔsin kɔmɔt na di tin dɛm of dis wol en mek am mɔ spiritual.
Di start of Ramadan de dipɛnd pan wen dɛm si di nyu mun. For di year 2026, di tin dɛm we dɛm don luk sho se Ramadan go bigin na di ivin of Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Dat min se di fɔs de we pipul dɛm go fast (di fɔs Roza) na:
Holiday Day: Wednesday Holiday Date: February 18, 2026 Tɛm we lɛf: I lɛf 46 days fɔ mek di fastin start.
Di date fɔ Ramadan no de fiks pan di Gregorian calenda (di wan we wi de yuz ebridey) bikɔs Islam de yuz di lunar calenda. Di lunar calenda de fɔlo di mun, so Ramadan de kam bifo bi ten or ilɛvin de ebri year. Na dat mek sɔmtɛm Ramadan de kam na dry sizon, sɔmtɛm I kam na rɛny sizon. For 2026, I de kam na di middle of dry sizon, so di ples go wɔm smɔl, en pipul dɛm go nid for gɛt sɔfa-ed wit di tɔst. Di Imam Council na Sierra Leone en di authorities dɛm go anans di fiks date wen dɛm si di mun wit dɛm yon ay or wen dɛm gɛt nyus kɔmɔt na Saudi Arabia.
Ramadan na wan pan di Faiv Pillar dɛm of Islam (Sawm). For Sierra Leone, di histri of Islam don dip far insai di culture. Di pipul dɛm bɛliv se na insai dis mont Allah opin di do of ɛvin en lɔk di do of ɛl. Di fɔs tɛm we di Quran kɔmɔt na di "Laylat al-Qadr" (Di Nait of Pawa), we de kam insai di las ten de of di mont.
For Sierra Leone Muslim dɛm, Ramadan na tɛm for "Taqwa" – dat na for de frit God en for du Wetin I se. I no jus de about for no it or drink; I de about for mek yu at klin. Yu no fɔ tɔk bad tɔk, yu no fɔ fɛt, yu no fɔ gɛt bad tɔt, en yu no fɔ du ɛnitin we go mek Allah vɛks. Na tɛm for rid di Quran frotom start to finish. Plenti pipul de tray for finish di hol buk insai di tɛti de.
Di we aw Ramadan de go na Sierra Leone rili fayn for si. Di de de bigin rili ɛli bifo di sun kɔmɔt.
Sierra Leone gɛt in yon special we for du Ramadan.
If yu de na Sierra Leone during Ramadan, yu fɔ no se di kontri gɛt rɛspɛkt for rilijon. Even if yu no bi Muslim, na gud tin for sho rɛspɛkt.
No it na pɔblik: Try for no it, drink, or smok na striit or na front of pipul dɛm we de fast. I no agɛnst di lɔ, but na rɛspɛkt yu de sho. Drɛs fayn: Drɛs modestly. Avoid klos dɛm we de sho bɔdi tumɔs, especially if yu de go nia masid or rilijon ples. Wɔk tɛm: Sɔm ofis dɛm de klos ɛli (lɛk 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM) for mek workers go os go rɛdi for Iftar. Trafik: Trafik de plenti rɔnd 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM bikɔs ɛvribɔdi de rush for go os go brok fast. After 7:30 PM, di striit dɛm de empty smɔl for a while. Join di Iftar: If a Muslim frɛnd invite yu for Iftar, go! Na big ɔnɔ dat. Yu go it fayn Salone it en yu go fil di love of di community.
Ramadan Start na official pɔblik holiday na Sierra Leone. For 2026, on February 18, 2026, dis na wetin yu fɔ ɛkspekt:
Government Ofis: Dɛm go lɔk for di holiday de. Bank dɛm: Dɛm go lɔk on di holiday, but dɛm go open normal de after dat wit sɔm smɔl chenj na tɛm. Makit en Shop: Plenti shop dɛm go lɔk na mɔnin, but dɛm go opin na aftanun. Di big makit dɛm lɛk Big Market or Bombay Street go busy wit pipul dɛm we de bay it. Restaurant: Sɔm restaurant dɛm go lɔk na de tɛm, but dɛm go opin big tɛm na nait for Iftar. Dɛm wan we de insai big hotel dɛm go kɔntinyu for sɛrv it for visitors. Skul: Skul dɛm go lɔk for di holiday de.
Na Sierra Leone, Ramadan Start de kam togieda wit Armed Forces Day sɔmtɛm, so di holiday spirit de rili big. Pipul dɛm de yuz dis tɛm for rɛst en for tɛnk God for di pis we de na di kontri.
Di it we wi de it na Ramadan na sɔmtin we de mek pɔsin mɔt wata. Pap (Ogi/Akamu): Dɛm de mek am wit kɔn or millet. I gud for di bɛlɛ after lɔng de of fastin. Dates: Na di fɔs tin for it. Fried Fish en Gravy: For dinner. Ginger Beer: A cold ginger drink for kɔl di bɔdi. Fruit Salad: Mango, pawpaw, en banana de plenti na Salone.
As Ramadan de fɛnish, pipul dɛm de bigin rɛdi for "Pray-Day" (Eid-ul-Fitr). Dɛm de bay nyu klos for di pikin dɛm, dɛm de klin dɛm os, en dɛm de bɔl rɛs. Di spirit of Ramadan de rich in pikinini tɛm na di nait of di mun sighting for Eid.
For di year 2026, Ramadan na Sierra Leone go bi tɛm of big spiritual rɛflɛkshɔn. I de bigin on February 18, 2026. As di kontri de go thru di 46 days we lɛf, di at of di pipul dɛm de rɛdi for di sakrifis. No mata if yu na Muslim or no, di lɔsn we Ramadan de tich – lɛk pishin, charity, en yoniti – na tin dɛm we de hɛp for mek Sierra Leone wan fayn ples for liv.
Ramadan Kareem to ol Sierra Leoneans! Mek dis mont bles wi yoniti en wi pis.
Common questions about Ramadan Start in Sierra Leone
Ramadan de bigin pan Wednesday, February 18, 2026. If we luk di kalenda frum tide, i dɔn lɛf 46 dez fɔ mek di fast bigin. Di fast de bigin fɔ tru wen dɛn si di nyu mun na di ivin bifo di fɔs de. Na Sierra Leone, dis na wan impɔtant tɛm we mɔslɛm dɛn de wet fɔ am wit bɛtɛ at fɔ pre ɛn fast fɔ tɛti dez.
Yes, February 18, 2026 na pɔblik olide na Sierra Leone. Bikɔs Ramadan de bigin di sem de wit Armed Forces Day, bɔku biskit ɛn skul dɛn de kloz. Gɔvmɛnt ofis dɛn ɛn bank dɛn kin kloz ɔ dɛn kin ridiuz dɛn wok tɛm fɔ rɛspɛkt di mɔslɛm pipul dɛn we de fast. I nɔto ful neshɔnal klozɛt lɛk Eid, bɔt bɔku biznɛs de slɔ dawn fɔ mek pipul dɛn ebul fɔ pre.
Ramadan na di naint mɔnt na di Isalamik kalenda ɛn i de kɔmɛmɔret di tɛm we di fɔs pat pan di Holy Quran bin kam to Prophet Muhammad. Fɔ Sierra Leone, we olmost 78 pasɛnt na pipul dɛn na mɔslɛm, dis tɛm ya na fɔ go klos to Gɔd, fɔ sho bɛtɛ at, ɛn fɔ tɛnk Gɔd fɔ wetin i dɔn du. I de tich pipul dɛn aw fɔ kɔntrol dɛnsɛf ɛn fɔ fil fɔ di wan dɛn we nɔ gɛt fɔ it.
Di de de bigin wit 'Sehri', we na di it we dɛn de it bifo sɔn kɔmɔt, rɔnd 5:50 AM. Afta dat, dɛn nɔ de it ɔ drink natin te sɔn go dɔn. Di tɛm fɔ brok fast, we dɛn kɔl 'Iftar', kin bi rɔnd 7:10 PM na Freetown. Pipul dɛn kin brok fast wit det fruit ɛn afta dat dɛn de it big it wit dɛn fambul dɛn. Di tɛm fɔ it kin chenj smɔl-smɔl bifo di mɔnt dɔn, so pipul dɛn de lisin to redio fɔ no di prapɔ tɛm.
Mɔslɛm dɛn na Sierra Leone de pre fiv tɛm evre de ɛn dɛn de go mɔsk fɔ di spɛshal 'Taraweeh' prɛya na nɛt. Dɛn de rid di Quran bɔku tɛm ɛn dɛn de gi 'Zakat' ɔ chareti to di po pipul dɛn. Wan spɛshal nɛt we dɛn kɔl 'Laylat al-Qadr' (di Nɛt fɔ Pawa) de kam rɔnd March 16, usai pipul dɛn de pre gud fashin pas di ɔda nɛt dɛn bikɔs dɛn biliv se Gɔd de bles dɛn mɔ na da tɛm de.
If yu de vizit Sierra Leone dis tɛm, i gud fɔ rɛspɛkt di wan dɛn we de fast. Nɔ it, drink, ɔ smok na pɔblik ples usai mɔslɛm dɛn de na de-tɛm. Yu nɔ gɛt fɔ fast if yu nɔto mɔslɛm, bɔt i gud fɔ drɛs fain fashin we nɔ de sho bɔdi tumɔs. Bɔku rɛstorant kin kloz na de-tɛm, bɔt dɛn kin opin na nɛt fɔ Iftar. Pipul dɛn na Sierra Leone gɛt rɛlixɔs tɔlɛrans, so dɛn go gladi if yu sho rɛspɛkt fɔ dɛn kolchɔ.
Iftar na Sierra Leone na big tɛm fɔ fambul ɛn frɛnd dɛn. Afta dɛn dɔn it det fruit ɛn drink wata, dɛn kin it jɔlɔf rais, granat sup wit rais, ɔ kras-kasada. Dɛn kin mek bak pap (porridge) ɛn sɔm swit tin dɛn. Makit dɛn na Freetown kin bɔzi wit pipul dɛn we de bay fresh fruit ɛn mit fɔ kuk bɛtɛ it fɔ di ivin. Chareti drav dɛn bak kin bɔku usai dɛn de gi po pipul dɛn it fɔ brok dɛn fast.
Di trefik na Freetown kin chenj fashin. Na de-tɛm, rod dɛn kin fri smɔl, bɔt rɔnd 5:00 PM te 7:00 PM, trefik kin bɔku bikɔs ɛvribɔdi de tray fɔ rich os fɔ go brok fast wit dɛn fambul. Biznɛs dɛn kin kloz eli, ɛn ofis dɛn kin ridiuz dɛn wok tɛm. I gud fɔ bay yu tin dɛn bifo Ramadan bigin bikɔs prayis fɔ sɔm tin dɛn kin go ɔp smɔl na makit.
Ramadan Start dates in Sierra Leone from 2023 to 2025
| Year | Day of Week | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Saturday | March 1, 2025 |
| 2024 | Monday | March 11, 2024 |
| 2023 | Thursday | March 23, 2023 |
Note: Holiday dates may vary. Some holidays follow lunar calendars or have different observance dates. Purple indicates weekends.