Government Holidays 2026
The Central Government Holidays 2026 list offers a detailed overview of all gazetted and restricted holidays observed by central government offices across India. In this article, you’ll find the complete Central Government Holidays 2026 calendar, including month-wise gazetted and optional holidays to help you plan your year efficiently.
Upcoming Holidays:
- New Year's Day falls on Thursday, 1 January 2026.
- Hazarat Ali's Birthday is observed on Saturday, 3 January 2026.
- Pongal / Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
- Republic Day will be celebrated on Monday, 26 January 2026.
Gazetted and Restricted Central Government Holidays in 2026
Gazetted holidays are mandatory public holidays declared by the Government of India. All central government offices remain closed on these days. Restricted holidays are optional for central government employees may avail any two of these during the year as per their personal or religious preferences.
Gazetted Holidays 2026
The following table lists all Gazetted Central Government holidays 2026, which are mandatory holidays observed by all Central Government offices across India:
Month | Date | Day | Holiday Name |
| January | 26 Jan | Monday | Republic Day |
| March | 4 Mar | Wednesday | Holi |
| March | 21 Mar | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr (Tentative) |
| March | 26 Mar | Thursday | Rama Navami |
| March | 31 Mar | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti |
| April | 3 Apr | Friday | Good Friday |
| May | 1 May | Friday | Buddha Purnima |
| May | 27 May | Wednesday | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) (Tentative) |
| June | 26 Jun | Friday | Muharram (Tentative) |
| August | 15 Aug | Saturday | Independence Day |
| August | 26 Aug | Wednesday | Id-e-Milad (Tentative) |
| September | 4 Sep | Friday | Janmashtami |
| October | 2 Oct | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
| October | 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra |
| November | 8 Nov | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) |
| November | 24 Nov | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| December | 25 Dec | Friday | Christmas Day |
Restricted Holidays 2026
Below is the list of Restricted (Optional) government holidays for Central Government employees in 2026:
Month | Date | Day | Holiday Name |
| January | 1 Jan | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| January | 3 Jan | Saturday | Hazarat Ali's Birthday |
| January | 14 Jan | Wednesday | Pongal / Makar Sankranti |
| January | 23 Jan | Friday | Vasant Panchami |
| February | 1 Feb | Sunday | Guru Ravidas Jayanti |
| February | 12 Feb | Thursday | Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti |
| February | 15 Feb | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri |
| February | 19 Feb | Thursday | Shivaji Jayanti |
| March | 3 Mar | Tuesday | Holika Dahan |
| March | 19 Mar | Thursday | Ugadi / Gudi Padwa |
| March | 20 Mar | Friday | Jumat-ul-Vida |
| April | 5 Apr | Sunday | Easter Sunday |
| April | 14 Apr | Tuesday | Vaisakhi / Mesadi |
| April | 15 Apr | Wednesday | Bahag Bihu |
| May | 9 May | Saturday | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti |
| July | 16 Jul | Thursday | Rath Yatra |
| August | 26 Aug | Wednesday | Onam |
| August | 28 Aug | Friday | Raksha Bandhan |
| September | 14 Sep | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| October | 18 Oct | Sunday | Maha Saptami |
| October | 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Ashtami |
| October | 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti |
| October | 29 Oct | Thursday | Karva Chauth |
| November | 9 Nov | Monday | Govardhan Puja |
| November | 11 Nov | Wednesday | Bhai Dooj |
| November | 15 Nov | Sunday | Chhath Puja |
| November | 24 Nov | Tuesday | Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day |
| December | 23 Dec | Wednesday | Hazarat Ali's Birthday |
| December | 24 Dec | Thursday | Christmas Eve |
The Central Government of India's official holiday list for 2026 is a must-have for all employees and departments under the national government. It spreads out gazetted and optional holidays throughout the year, making it easier to plan time off and work schedules.
Related Articles:
1. Stock Market Holidays 2026
2. Bank Holidays List 2026
3. Long Weekends in 2026
4. RBI Holiday List 2026
5. Post Office Holidays 2026
Related State-wise Government Holidays Articles:
1. Tamil Nadu Government Holidays 2026
2. Karnataka Government Holidays List 2026
3. Telangana Government Holidays List 2026
4. Maharashtra Government Holidays List 2026
5. Punjab Government Holidays List 2026
6. Haryana Government Holidays List 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
REPAKA PAVAN ADITYA
I manifest my zeal in financial quantitative & quantitative research and have been instrumental in creating a robust process for the evaluation and monitoring of mutual funds. I’m responsible for Equity and Mutual Funds Research while creating instrumental mathematical models for portfolio construction after evaluating funds, and I play an integral role in analyzing changes in mutual funds, micro, and macro-economic indicators, and equity market events and trends. My views on asset classes which are integral in creating an investment strategy for any profile. Read more
Clear offers taxation & financial solutions to individuals, businesses, organizations & chartered accountants in India. Clear serves 1.5+ Million happy customers, 20000+ CAs & tax experts & 10000+ businesses across India.
Efiling Income Tax Returns(ITR) is made easy with Clear platform. Just upload your form 16, claim your deductions and get your acknowledgment number online. You can efile income tax return on your income from salary, house property, capital gains, business & profession and income from other sources. Further you can also file TDS returns, generate Form-16, use our Tax Calculator software, claim HRA, check refund status and generate rent receipts for Income Tax Filing.
CAs, experts and businesses can get GST ready with Clear GST software & certification course. Our GST Software helps CAs, tax experts & business to manage returns & invoices in an easy manner. Our Goods & Services Tax course includes tutorial videos, guides and expert assistance to help you in mastering Goods and Services Tax. Clear can also help you in getting your business registered for Goods & Services Tax Law.
Save taxes with Clear by investing in tax saving mutual funds (ELSS) online. Our experts suggest the best funds and you can get high returns by investing directly or through SIP. Download Black by ClearTax App to file returns from your mobile phone.
Office Address - Defmacro Software Private Limited, C 245A, Ground floor, Room No 1, Vikas Puri, West Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110018, India
Cleartax is a product by Defmacro Software Pvt. Ltd.
ISO 27001
Data Center
SSL Certified Site
128-bit encryption