California recognises Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha as state holidays
Sacramento, US: California has formally recognised Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays, creating new provisions for Muslim students, public employees and schools to observe the two major Islamic festivals.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2017 (AB 2017), authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, into law on September 27, 2026, adding the two Islamic festivals to California’s statutory list of state holidays.
The law defines Eid al-Fitr as the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar and Eid al-Adha as the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
It allows eligible state employees to use eight hours of vacation, annual leave or compensatory time off to observe either Eid, subject to operational requirements and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
The legislation also authorises K-12 public schools and community colleges to close for Eid through locally negotiated agreements. Muslim students may also be absent from school for the holidays without being penalised for the absence.
The recognition, however, does not mean that every workplace or school in California must close on Eid or that every worker automatically receives an additional paid day off.
The law specifically provides mechanisms through which eligible employees can use existing leave and through which educational institutions can make local arrangements for closures. California courts are also not required to close because of the new designation.
Muslim community welcomes legislation
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), which co-sponsored the legislation, welcomed its enactment, saying it would address longstanding difficulties faced by Muslim students and employees whose religious observances have coincided with school or work obligations.
CAIR-CA Chief Executive Officer Hussam Ayloush said Muslim students and employees had for years been forced to choose between participating in important religious observances and meeting academic or professional obligations.
“AB 2017 removes these structural barriers,” Mr Ayloush said, describing the law as an alignment of state policy with inclusion, equity and respect for cultural diversity.
CAIR-CA said California has more than one million Muslim residents and described the legislation as a response to the practical challenges associated with observing Eid while attending school or work.
The organisation was among the co-sponsors of AB 2017, alongside the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and the Muslim Impact Council.
Before the governor signed the bill, CAIR-CA Legislative and Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem described its passage through the legislature as a milestone for Muslim Californians.
“For decades, Muslim students and workers have been forced to make the difficult choice between their faith and their professional or academic obligations,” Mr Mokeddem said after the legislature approved the measure.
Recognition comes amid concerns over anti-Muslim incidents
CAIR-CA also linked its support for the legislation to what it described as an increase in hostility towards Muslim communities.
The organisation said CAIR had documented an 183 per cent increase in incidents targeting mosques and Islamic centres between May and July compared with the same period the previous year.
That figure is a CAIR assessment and should be understood as such rather than as an official government statistic.
CAIR-CA said formal recognition of Eid sends a message that Muslim religious and cultural practices are accommodated within California’s public institutions.
California follows Washington
California becomes the second US state to recognise both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha at state level, following Washington state, which adopted similar recognition in 2025.
Eid al-Fitr marks the conclusion of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, while Eid al-Adha falls during Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, and coincides with the annual Hajj period.
The dates of both festivals change annually because the Islamic calendar follows lunar cycles.
The California law forms part of a broader state approach to recognising religious and cultural observances, with Eid joining other recognised holidays and observances including Lunar New Year and Diwali.
For California’s Muslim community, the practical significance of AB 2017 lies not simply in adding two names to the state holiday calendar, but in providing a statutory framework through which schools, public employees and educational institutions can better accommodate Eid observance.
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