2026 Govt Holiday Calendar Out! Employees Get More Flexibility with Optional Leaves-Check Full List

2026 Govt Holiday Calendar Out. The Central Government has released the list of official public holidays for the year 2026. This year, the holiday calendar includes a total of 14 mandatory public holidays and 12 optional (restricted) holidays. This list is extremely important for government employees, as these dates are used to plan the entire year. For offices located outside Delhi/New Delhi, some rules are different, allowing employees to choose their preferred days from the optional holidays.

This government move has sparked a wave of joy among employees, allowing you to plan your New Year here. So, let’s take a look at this list of government holidays.

Which days will be national holidays in 2026?

According to the calendar, 14 mandatory holidays will be granted in central government offices across the country in 2026. These include major festivals such as Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Guruparva, and Muharram. These holidays are uniformly observed across every state and are mandatory in all central offices.

Different rules for employees working outside Delhi

The rules are slightly different for central government administrative offices located outside Delhi/New Delhi. Employees in such offices must choose three holidays of their choice from the 12 optional holidays, in addition to the 14 mandatory holidays. This selection will be based on the recommendation of the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee in the respective state capital.

In addition, employees can also choose two days from the list of restricted holidays.

Gazetted Holidays for 2026: Important Dates

Eid al-Fitr – March 21
Ram Navami – March 26
Mahavir Jayanti – March 31
Good Friday – April 3
Buddha Purnima – May 1
Eid al-Zuha (Bakrid) – May 27
Muharram – June 26
Independence Day – August 15
Milad-un-Nabi
Eid-e-Milad – August 26
Janmashtami – September 4
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday – October 2
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) – October 20
Diwali (Deepawali) – November 8
Guru Nanak Jayanti – November 24
Christmas Day – December 25

List of Restricted Holidays in 2026

New Year’s Day – January 1
Hazrat Ali’s Birthday – January 3
Makar Sankranti – January 14
Magh Bihu/Pongal – January 14
Shri Panchami/Basant Panchami – January 23
Guru Ravi Das’s Birthday – February 1
Dayananda Saraswati’s Birthday – February 12
Mahashivratri – February 15
Shiva Jayanti – February 19
Holika Dahan – March 3
Dolyatra – March 3
Chaitra Shukla Diwas/Gudi Padav/Ugadi/Cheti Chand – March 19
Jamaat-Ui-Vida – March 20
Easter Sunday – April 5
Vaisakhi/Visu/Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day) – April 14
Vaisakhi (Bengal)/Bahag Bihu (Assam) – April 15
Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday – May 9
Rath Yatra – July 16
Parsi New Year’s Day/Navraaj – August 15
Onam or Thiru Onam Day – August 26
Raksha Bandhan – August 28
Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayaka Chaturthi – September 14
Dussehra (Saptami) – October 18
Dussehra (Maha Ashtami) – October 19
Dussehra (Mahanavami) – October 20
Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti – October 26
Karak Chaturthi (Karva Chauth) – October 29
Narak Chaturdashi – November 8
Govardhan Puja – November 9
Bhai Dooj – November 11
Pratihara Shashthi or Surya Shashthi (Chhath Puja) – November 15
Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji – November 24
Hazrat Ali’s Birthday – December 23
Christmas Eve – December 24

Employees will be able to choose their preferred festivals

The government has also released a list of 12 optional festivals, including Holi, Janmashtami, Ram Navami, Mahashivratri, Makar Sankranti, Onam, Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi, and others. Many festivals are included, such as Chaturthi, Rath Yatra, Basant Panchami, and the New Year of various states.

The central government selects three holidays for offices located in Delhi/New Delhi, while in other states, this responsibility rests with local coordination committees.

Diwali Holiday to Change in 2026

In 2026, Diwali falls on Sunday, November 8th. This raises the question: will the holiday change? According to government rules, if Diwali is celebrated a day earlier in a state, on Naraka Chaturdashi.

If the state government declares a holiday on that day, central government offices located in that state can also declare a holiday on that day. This means that the date of Diwali may vary depending on the state.

This Calendar is Important for Employees

The 2026 holiday calendar is quite balanced and includes major festivals of various religions and communities. Government employees will find it easier to plan their entire year based on mandatory and optional holidays. Especially those employees who are posted outside Delhi will also have the option to choose the festival as per their convenience.