Morocco Independence Day

Morocco Independence Day

November 18

Independence Day, also known as Fete de l'Independence, is a national holiday commemorating Morocco's independence from France on November 18, 1927; a secret treaty in 1904 had divided Morocco between France and Spain.
Throne Day, March 3, was also a public holiday, commemorating the anniversary of King Hassan II's accession in 1961. When King Hassan II died in 1999, his son, Mohammed VI (b. 1963), became king, and now it is his birthday on August 21 that is celebrated, along with July 30, his coronation day.
Other public holidays in Morocco include: August 20, the anniversary of the king's and people's revolution, and November 6, the anniversary of the Green March in 1975. In order to claim the Western Sahara for Morocco, more than 300,000 Moroccans marched into the territory, which the Spanish still controlled; Spanish troops left the area by early 1976.

CONTACTS:
Moroccan National Tourist Office
20 E. 46th St., Ste. 1201
New York, NY 10017
212-557-2520; fax: 212-949-8148

SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 193
NatlHolWrld-1968, p. 30

Celebration day: Nov 18