December Holiday List 2026: Public & Bank Holidays

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Key Holidays in December 2026, What They Are

Indigenous Peoples Faith Day (1 December), Arunachal Pradesh: A state holiday in Arunachal Pradesh recognising and celebrating the indigenous tribal faiths and religious traditions of the diverse communities of the state. Arunachal Pradesh is home to more than 100 tribes with distinct spiritual traditions, and this observance affirms their cultural identity.

Feast of St. Francis Xavier (3 December), Goa: One of Goa's most significant Catholic observances, the feast day of St. Francis Xavier (Francisco de Jasso Azpilicueta, 1506–1552), the Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to Goa, India, and across Asia and is Goa's patron saint. His body is preserved and displayed at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. Every ten years, the body is exposed for a special Exposition, the most recent was in 2024. His feast is a bank holiday in Goa.

Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma (12 December), Meghalaya: Commemorates Pa Togan Nengminza Sangma, a Garo freedom fighter who led resistance against the Ahom king in the early 19th century before Meghalaya's incorporation into British India. He is celebrated as a symbol of Garo identity and indigenous resistance. A bank holiday in Meghalaya.

Death Anniversary of U Soso Tham (18 December), Meghalaya: U Soso Tham (1873–1940) was the greatest poet in the Khasi language, known as the Bard of Khasi Land, who composed the Khasi epic Ki Sngi Barim U Blei (The Golden Times of God). His poetry is considered fundamental to Khasi literary culture. His death anniversary is a bank holiday in Meghalaya.

Guru Ghasidas Jayanti (18 December), Chhattisgarh: The birth anniversary of Guru Ghasidas (1756–1850), the founder of the Satnami movement, a spiritual and social reform movement among the Chamar community of Chhattisgarh that rejected caste hierarchy and Brahminical rituals, emphasising the equality of all human beings before the divine. A bank holiday unique to Chhattisgarh.

Goa Liberation Day (19 December), Goa, Daman & Diu: Marks the day Indian armed forces liberated Goa from Portuguese colonial rule on 19 December 1961, ending 451 years of Portuguese presence in Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The military operation was called Operation Vijay and lasted approximately 36 hours. A gazetted bank holiday in Goa and Daman & Diu.

Christmas Day (25 December), Most states: Celebrated globally by Christians to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas Day is a public holiday in most Indian states. In India, it is observed with midnight church services, carol singing, decorations, gift exchanges, and festive meals. Goa, Kerala, the Northeast states, and urban metros see the most elaborate celebrations. A bank holiday across most of India, Chhattisgarh is a notable exception.

Tamu Losar (30 December), Sikkim: The new year festival of the Gurung (Tamu) community, one of the major communities in Sikkim and parts of Nepal. Losar means "new year" in Tibetan dialects. The Gurung calendar (based on a 12-year animal cycle) begins with Tamu Losar on 30 December. Observed with traditional music, dance, family gatherings, and community prayers.

New Year's Eve (31 December), Manipur, Mizoram: Both Manipur and Mizoram observe New Year's Eve as an official government and bank holiday, a tradition rooted in these states' strong Christian communities and the central significance of the Western calendar's new year transition. Banks in all other states are open on 31 December.

December 2026, States with Most Bank Holidays

Extractable Answer Blocks

How many bank holidays are there in December 2026? For most Indian states, December 2026 has three bank holidays: the 2nd Saturday (12 December), Christmas Day (25 December), and the 4th Saturday (26 December). States like Goa and Meghalaya have five or more closures due to additional regional festivals. Chhattisgarh does not observe Christmas but has Guru Ghasidas Jayanti (18 December) instead. Mizoram observes New Year's Eve (31 December) as an additional closure.

Is 25 December 2026 a public holiday in India? Yes. Christmas Day on 25 December 2026 (Friday) is a gazetted public and bank holiday across most of India under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. It is observed in all major states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Goa, and the Northeast. Chhattisgarh is the notable exception, where Christmas is not on the state holiday list. Banks in Chhattisgarh remain open on 25 December 2026.

Is 26 December 2026 a bank holiday? Yes, nationwide, but for a specific reason: 26 December 2026 is the 4th Saturday of December. Per the RBI's standing directive, all scheduled commercial banks across India close on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month. The closure has nothing to do with Boxing Day, India does not recognise Boxing Day as a public holiday. In Haryana, it also coincides with Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti.

Is Christmas a national holiday in India? No. Christmas (25 December) is a gazetted holiday in most states but not one of India's three national holidays. India's national holidays are Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August), and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October), mandatory for every bank and institution in every state. Christmas is a central government gazetted holiday observed in most states, with each state government having the authority to include or exclude it.