Green March Day
🇲🇦 Morocco
- Public Holiday
- Countrywide
- Fixed date
Overview
Green March Day, known in Arabic as Eid Al Massira Al Khadra, commemorates the mass march that Morocco launched into the then-Spanish Sahara on 6 November 1975. It is celebrated in Morocco as a national holiday, though the territory's status remains disputed internationally.
What It Is
Green March Day is a nationwide public holiday in Morocco, held every year on 6 November. As a countrywide day off, it is observed throughout the kingdom rather than in a single region. The date is traditionally marked with official commemorations, and the King customarily delivers a national address on the anniversary, making it one of the fixed moments in Morocco's civic calendar.
Why It Matters
In Moroccan national memory, the Green March is a defining moment of unity and a step in completing the country's territorial integrity. It was announced by King Hassan II on 16 October 1975, hours after the International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion on Western Sahara, and some 350,000 volunteers were selected to cross the border while Spain was preparing to withdraw from the territory. The event remains contested: the United Nations Security Council deplored the march in Resolution 380, and the Sahrawi people's claim to self-determination is still unresolved.
Countries Celebrating
1 country
See what else is celebrated today around the world.
Discover other holidays and observances happening right now.