Your Ultimate Guide to Central Government Holidays in 2026!
Planning your year ahead? Whether you’re a Central Government employee or just curious about the official holidays, we’ve got you covered with the complete list for 2026. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) has released the official list of holidays to be observed in Central Government offices across India.
The holidays are divided into two main categories: Compulsory Holidays (Gazetted Holidays) and Restricted Holidays. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you plan your long weekends and festive celebrations!
Compulsory Holidays for 2026
These are the holidays that are mandatorily observed in all Central Government offices located in Delhi/New Delhi. For offices outside of Delhi, 14 holidays are to be observed compulsorily, including the three National Holidays.
Here is the list of compulsory holidays for the year 2026:
- Republic Day: January 26, Monday
- Holi: March 4, Wednesday
- Id-ul-Fitr: March 21, Saturday
- Ram Navami: March 26, Thursday
- Mahavir Jayanti: March 31, Tuesday
- Good Friday: April 3, Friday
- Buddha Purnima: May 1, Friday
- Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid): May 27, Wednesday
- Muharram: June 26, Friday
- Independence Day: August 15, Saturday
- Milad-un-Nabi (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad): August 26, Wednesday
- Janmashtami (Vaishnva): September 4, Friday
- Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday: October 2, Friday
- Dussehra: October 20, Tuesday
- Diwali (Deepavali): November 8, Sunday
- Guru Nanak’s Birthday: November 24, Tuesday
- Christmas Day: December 25, Friday
Restricted Holidays for 2026
In addition to the compulsory holidays, Central Government employees are permitted to choose any two holidays from a list of Restricted Holidays.
Here is the list of Restricted Holidays for 2026:
- New Year’s Day: January 1, Thursday
- Hazarat Ali’s Birthday: January 3, Saturday
- Makar Sankranti/Magha Bihu/Pongal: January 14, Thursday
- Sri Panchami/Basant Panchami: January 23, Friday
- Guru Ravidas’s Birthday: February 1, Sunday
- Birthday of Swami Dayananda Saraswati: February 12, Thursday
- Maha Shivratri: February 15, Sunday
- Shivaji Jayanti: February 19, Thursday
- Holika Dahan: March 3, Tuesday
- Dolyatra: March 3, Tuesday
- Chaitra Sukladi/Gudi Padava/Ugadi/Cheti Chand: March 19, Thursday
- Jamat-Ul-Vida: March 20, Friday
- Easter Sunday: April 5, Sunday
- Vaisakhi/Vishu/Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day): April 14, Tuesday
- Vaisakhadi (Bengal)/Bahag Bihu (Assam): April 15, Wednesday
- Birthday of Rabindranath Tagore: May 9, Saturday
- Rath Yatra: July 16, Thursday
- Parsi New Year’s Day/Nauraj: August 15, Saturday
- Onam or Thiru Onam Day: August 26, Wednesday
- Raksha Bandhan: August 28, Friday
- Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayak Chaturthi: September 14, Monday
- Dussehra (Saptami): October 18, Sunday
- Dussehra (Mahashtami): October 19, Monday
- Dussehra (Mahanavami): October 20, Tuesday
- Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday: October 26, Monday
- Karaka Chaturthi (Karwa Chauth): October 29, Thursday
- Naraka Chaturdasi: November 8, Sunday
- Govardhan Puja: November 9, Monday
- Bhai Duj: November 11, Wednesday
- Pratihar Shashti or Surya Shashti (Chhat Puja): November 15, Sunday
- Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day: November 24, Tuesday
- Hazarat Ali’s Birthday: December 23, Wednesday
Stay informed and plan your year with this comprehensive guide! We hope this helps you make the most of your time off in 2026.
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