Eid al-Adha 2026: Schools, banks, offices, stock markets — What's open, what's closed?
Eid al-Adha 2026: Schools, banks, offices, stock markets — What's open, what's closed?A boy feeds goats on the eve of Bakra Eid (Eid al-Adha) festival(PTI)Eid al-Adha 2026, also known as Bakrid, is being celebrated in most parts of India on 28 May. This festival of sacrifice commemorates the devotion of Prophet Ibrahim and is one of the most significant occasions in the Islamic calendar.Bakra Eid is observed as a government holiday, and the central government administrative offices across the country will remain closed on Thursday. The Eid ul-Adha holiday was shifted from May 27 to May 28.The personnel ministry on May 22 in a statement said, "Central government administrative offices located at Delhi/New Delhi shall remain closed on 28th May, 2026, on account of Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) (in place of 27th May, 2026)," it said in a statement.However, in Jammu and Kashmir, Bakra Eid was observed on 27 May due to local moon sightings.What's closed?Schools and colleges: All schools, government and private, across India will be closed for Eid al-Adha on Thursday. Similarly, all colleges will be closed on Bakri Eid.Government offices: Eid al-Adha will be observed as a public holiday for Central Government offices and most state government offices nationwide.Banks: Banks in most states will remain closed today for Bakrid/Eid al-Adha, since it is a gazetted holiday.Stock market: The Indian stock market will remain closed for trading on Thursday, 28 May, on account of Bakri Id. This means that the trading activity across both exchanges - BSE and NSE - will remain suspended today.What's open?Public transport: Public transport, including bus, train, metro and auto rickshaw services, will be available in India to benefit commuters.Emergency services: Emergency services like hospitals, ambulances, medicine shops, the fire department and others will be open today.Shops and markets: Shops and malls will remain open today despite the holiday. Shoppers can expect a normal day at markets.What is Eid al-Adha?Eid al-Adha, or the ‘Feast of Sacrifice,’ is the Islamic festival that begins during the Hajj, on the 10th day of the lunar month of Zil Hajj or Dhul-Hijja.A joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world, Eid al-Adha marks Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to God.It is observed on the 10th day of Zil Hajj, the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar and coincides with Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.What is Hajj?Hajj is one of the five Pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer (Namaz), almsgiving (Zakat), and fasting (Ramadan).The Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and involves a series of religious rituals.About the AuthorLivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Parliament, PMO, PIB, finance ministry, home ministry, among other union ministries and government departments. 4. National News: From metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and e
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