DigiNepal · festivals
Qatar National Day (اليوم الوطني لدولة قطر (Arabic)). Region: Qatar. Tradition: National day (UAE and GCC cultural list). Calendar: Gregorian (fixed by government decree). Dates: Official holiday (QA) 2026: Friday 18 December 2026 [official, source QA]; Official holiday (QA) 2027: Saturday 18 December 2027 [official, source QA]; Official holiday (QA) 2028: Monday 18 December 2028 [official, source QA]. History and significance: Qatar National Day commemorates Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani's succession in 1878 and his role in uniting the tribes of the peninsula. It is marked with a parade on Doha Corniche, fireworks and cultural events at Darb Al Saai. Key rituals and foods: Flag displays, fireworks, parades, heritage villages and traditional dress; foods include national dishes such as machboos, harees and luqaimat. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.