Why You'll Want to Keep This Holiday List Handy All Year
Here’s the thing: a good holiday calendar isn’t just a list of red-letter days. It’s a planning tool. Indians, more than most, juggle a packed festival calendar, regional observances, family functions, and travel that books out months in advance. Knowing the full set of National & Public Holidays in India 2026 ahead of time means you’re never scrambling for last-minute train tickets during the Diwali rush or realizing too late that you could’ve turned a single day of leave into a five-day getaway. Even tools like a Leave Encashment Calculator India can help you make smarter decisions about how you utilize or encash your remaining leaves while planning your year.
The 2026 calendar is a good one. Several holidays land on a Friday or Monday, a few festivals cluster nicely around weekends, and with smart annual leave planning in India 2026, you can carve out more breaks than you’d think without burning through all your paid leave. We’ll get to those long weekends a little further down. First, the lists.
List of National Holidays in India 2026
Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
26 January 2026 | Monday | Republic Day |
15 August 2026 | Saturday | Independence Day |
2 October 2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
Republic Day 2026 in India falls on a Monday, which is the best possible outcome, a built-in three-day weekend to kick off the year. Independence Day 2026 in India falls on a Saturday, while Gandhi Jayanti 2026 falls on a Friday, setting up another easy long weekend in October. For organizations planning around these holidays, using a top Leave Management System can help streamline leave requests, maintain workforce availability, and ensure smooth holiday scheduling.
List of Public & Restricted Holidays in India 2026 | Government Holiday List 2026
Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Restricted |
3 January | Saturday | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | Restricted |
14 January | Wednesday | Makar Sankranti / Pongal / Magh Bihu | Restricted |
23 January | Friday | Vasant Panchami | Restricted |
26 January | Monday | Republic Day | National / Gazetted |
1 February | Sunday | Guru Ravidas Jayanti | Restricted |
12 February | Thursday | Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti | Restricted |
15 February | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri | Restricted |
19 February | Thursday | Shivaji Jayanti | Restricted |
3 March | Tuesday | Holika Dahan | Restricted |
4 March | Wednesday | Holi | Gazetted |
19 March | Thursday | Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padwa / Ugadi | Restricted |
20 March | Friday | Jamat-ul-Vida | Restricted |
21 March | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr / Ramzan Id (tentative) | Gazetted |
26 March | Thursday | Ram Navami | Gazetted |
31 March | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti | Gazetted |
3 April | Friday | Good Friday | Gazetted |
5 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Restricted |
14 April | Tuesday | Vaisakhi / Tamil New Year | Restricted |
15 April | Wednesday | Bohag Bihu (Assam) | Restricted |
1 May | Friday | Buddha Purnima | Gazetted |
9 May | Saturday | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti | Restricted |
27 May | Wednesday | Id-ul-Zuha / Bakrid (tentative) | Gazetted |
26 June | Friday | Muharram (tentative) | Gazetted |
16 July | Thursday | Rath Yatra | Restricted |
15 August | Saturday | Independence Day | National / Gazetted |
26 August | Wednesday | Milad-un-Nabi / Id-e-Milad (tentative) | Gazetted |
26 August | Wednesday | Onam / Thiru Onam | Restricted |
28 August | Friday | Raksha Bandhan | Restricted |
4 September | Friday | Janmashtami | Gazetted |
14 September | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi | Restricted |
2 October | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | National / Gazetted |
18 October | Sunday | Maha Saptami | Restricted |
19 October | Monday | Maha Ashtami | Restricted |
20 October | Tuesday | Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) | Gazetted |
26 October | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Restricted |
29 October | Thursday | Karva Chauth | Restricted |
8 November | Sunday | Diwali / Deepavali | Gazetted |
9 November | Monday | Govardhan Puja | Restricted |
11 November | Wednesday | Bhai Dooj | Restricted |
15 November | Sunday | Chhath Puja | Restricted |
24 November | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Gazetted |
24 November | Tuesday | Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day | Restricted |
23 December | Wednesday | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | Restricted |
24 December | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Restricted |
25 December | Friday | Christmas Day | Gazetted |
TOP Festivals 2026 Dates: Your Quick Festival Calendar
Diwali 2026 Date in India
The one everyone plans around. Diwali 2026 in India falls on Sunday, 8 November, with Lakshmi Puja as the main day. The five-day celebration runs from Dhanteras on 6 November to Bhai Dooj on 10 November:
Dhanteras Friday, 6 November
Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi) Saturday, 7 November
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja Sunday, 8 November
Govardhan Puja Monday, 9 November
Bhai Dooj Tuesday, 10 November
Since the main day falls on a Sunday this year, central government staff don’t automatically get a compensatory day off, but many states declare extra holidays around it, so keep an eye on your state notification.
Holi 2026 Date in India
Holi 2026 in India is on Wednesday, 4 March, with Holika Dahan the previous evening on Tuesday, 3 March. A midweek Holi, sadly, but a well-placed leave or two can still earn you a break.
Eid Holidays 2026 in India
The Eid holidays in India for 2026 span the year, and exact dates depend on the moon:
Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Id) — around Saturday, 21 March (tentative)
Id-ul-Zuha / Bakrid — around Wednesday, 27 May (tentative)
Muharram — around Friday, 26 June (tentative)
Milad-un-Nabi (Id-e-Milad) — around Wednesday, 26 August (tentative)
Christmas 2026 India Holiday
The Christmas 2026 holiday in India falls on Friday, 25 December, and what a way to end the year, with a ready-made long weekend right before New Year’s.
Other Festivals Worth Marking
Makar Sankranti / Pongal (14 Jan), Maha Shivaratri (15 Feb), Ram Navami (26 Mar), Mahavir Jayanti (31 Mar), Buddha Purnima (1 May), Rath Yatra (16 Jul), Raksha Bandhan (28 Aug), Ganesh Chaturthi (14 Sep), Dussehra (20 Oct), Karva Chauth (29 Oct), Chhath Puja (15 Nov), and Guru Nanak Jayanti (24 Nov).
List of Bank Holidays in India 2026
Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
26 January | Monday | Republic Day |
15 February | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri |
4 March | Wednesday | Holi |
21 March | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr (tentative) |
26 March | Thursday | Ram Navami |
31 March | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti |
3 April | Friday | Good Friday |
1 May | Friday | Buddha Purnima |
27 May | Wednesday | Bakrid / Eid al-Adha (tentative) |
26 June | Friday | Muharram (tentative) |
15 August | Saturday | Independence Day |
4 September | Friday | Janmashtami |
2 October | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti |
20 October | Tuesday | Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) |
8 November | Sunday | Diwali |
24 November | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
*Disclaimer*
While every effort has been made to provide accurate dates, holiday schedules may vary depending on state notifications, regional customs, and banking regulations.
Please confirm with your local bank branch before planning financial transactions or official activities.
Weekend Calendar India 2026 & Long Weekends to Look Forward To
Dates | Days Off | Occasion | The Trick |
|---|---|---|---|
24–26 January | Sat–Mon (3) | Republic Day | Falls on Monday — no leave needed |
3–5 April | Fri–Sun (3) | Good Friday + Easter | A clean three-day weekend |
1–3 May | Fri–Sun (3) | Buddha Purnima | National holiday on Friday |
14–16 August | Fri–Sun (3) | Independence Day | Take 14 Aug (Fri) off; 15th is Saturday |
4–6 September | Fri–Sun (3) | Janmashtami | Friday holiday, easy weekend |
2–4 October | Fri–Sun (3) | Gandhi Jayanti | Friday national holiday |
6–10 November | Fri–Tue (5) | Diwali week | Take 6 Nov (Fri) + 9 Nov (Mon) — five days! |
25–27 December | Fri–Sun (3) | Christmas | Perfect end-of-year break |
Who Gets the Most Out of This Holiday List?
- HR teams use it to create accurate leave calendars, manage staffing schedules, and ensure payroll management and compliance align with gazetted holidays. Having all 2026 holidays in one place helps reduce coordination gaps and planning delays.
- Employees can align their leave with festivals and long weekends in 2026 to maximise time off while maintaining a healthy work-life balance and saving their paid leaves.
- Travellers can plan trips around public holidays and extended weekends in advance, as demand for flights and trains during major 2026 festival periods is expected to rise quickly.
Conclusion
That’s your complete guide to the National & Public Holidays in India 2026, covering national, gazetted, restricted, and bank holidays, along with key festival dates and long weekends that make the year easier and more exciting to plan. This list is designed to be your go-to reference for the best holidays in India in 2026, whether you are an HR professional building structured leave calendars, an employee planning your annual leaves, or someone simply trying to make the most of long weekends with family and travel plans.
A well-planned holiday calendar not only helps in better work-life balance but also ensures smarter scheduling, reduced last-minute rush, and more meaningful time off throughout the year. With tools like Zimyo, HR teams and organizations can streamline leave management, improve workflow management, track holidays efficiently, and simplify workforce planning with ease.
So, bookmark this guide and keep it handy as you move through 2026. Here’s to a year filled with well-planned breaks, smoother workflows, and making every holiday count in the best possible way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many holidays are there for 2026?
For central government offices in Delhi/New Delhi, there are 17 compulsory (gazetted) holidays announced for 2026. Additionally, there is a list of restricted holidays (optional) from which employees may choose.
What is the holiday calendar for 2026?
The holiday calendar includes:
- A list of mandated holidays (gazetted) such as major national and festival days.
- A list of restricted or optional holidays from which employees may pick some days.
- Additional holidays vary by states, union territories and banks.
What are the festivals in the Hindu calendar 2026?
Some major Hindu festivals in 2026 include:
- Holi on March 4.
- Ram Navami on March 26.
- Janmashtami is on September 4.
These are included among the list of holidays observed; the exact category (gazetted or restricted) may vary.
What national holidays are in January 2026?
In January 2026 the recognised national holiday (for the central government list) is: Republic Day is on January 26 (Monday).
