West Bengal govt revises Eid al-Adha holiday schedule to May 28, cancels earlier dates
Kolkata, May 23
The West Bengal government on Saturday declared May 28 as a public holiday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, while revising its earlier holiday cycle, an official order said.
In an order, the West Bengal government also cancelled the previous holidays on May 26 and 27, and mentioned that both days will be observed as working days.
"In terms of Notification No. 4188-F(P2) dated 27th November, 2025, 26th May, 2026 (Tuesday) and 27th May, 2026 (Wednesday) were declared as public holidays on account of the Day before Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid) and Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid) respectively. Now, information has been received that Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid) will be observed on 28th May, 2026 (Thursday). Accordingly, in partial modification of the aforesaid notification, the Governor is pleased to declare 28th May, 2026 (Thursday) as a public holiday under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 on account of Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid)," the official notification said.
"Consequent upon the above, the holidays notified earlier for 26th May, 2026 (Tuesday) and 27th May, 2026 (Wednesday) on account of the Day before Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid) and Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid), respectively, are hereby cancelled. Accordingly, 26th May, 2026 (Tuesday) and 27th May, 2026 (Wednesday) will be working days for all offices, institutions and establishments to which the aforesaid notification applies," the notification added.
Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. The day is marked by prayers, charitable acts, and the ritual sacrifice of animals, with a message of sharing and empathy at its core.
The day starts with the offering of namaz, which is considered compulsory before observing Qurbani (sacrifice) of animals. Afterwards, the meat, along with other sweet dishes are distributed among poor people and relatives. People visit each other's homes on the festival, exchanging greetings and delicious food.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who celebrates Eid, I appreciate the government aligning the holiday with the actual moon sighting. But the notification should have waited until the final confirmation. This flip-flop just creates unnecessary confusion for schools and offices. 😤
Typical Bengal government - announce first, think later. The previous dates were set months in advance. Now they change it 3 days before? How is a small business owner supposed to manage inventory and staffing? Not to mention all the people who booked travel tickets.
I'm glad they corrected it based on the actual moon sighting. Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating! 🎉 May the festival of sacrifice bring peace and prosperity to all. Just wish they had been more careful with the original announcement.
Why does the government always wait till the last minute? The 26th and 27th were already holidays - now they're working days. My kids already have school projects scheduled. This is not good governance, yaar. At least give people a week's notice for such changes.
Actually makes sense. The Islamic calendar is lunar, so the exact date depends on moon sighting. The government can't predict that months in advance. Better to have the correct day than celebrate on the wrong date. Eid Mubarak to all! 🌙✨
D