Is Islamic New Year a public holiday? Read what will be open & closed on Muharram

The Islamic New Year falls on the first day of Muharram, which is considered as the first month in the lunar Islamic calendar. This year the Islamic New Year will be observed on August 19 - August 20. The Islamic new year is not a public holiday in India. But the 11th day of the Islamic new year, that is Muharram, will be observed as a public holiday. 

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Islamic new year holiday in India

The Islamic New Year is a public holiday in countries such as India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates, among many others. Meanwhile, it is not a nationwide public holiday in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. On the other side, Islamic businesses and organisations may have altered opening hours and there may be some congestion around mosques, particularly in the evening and at night.

What will be open and closed on Muharram?

Muharram is a compulsory public holiday in India, the government offices, post offices and banks will be closed on the day. Islamic stores, businesses and other organizations may be closed. 

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Public Holidays list 2020

The Central Government Administrative offices across India have 14 important holidays that are mandatorily given to every employee. The working hours are generally from 9 am to 5 pm. Apart from these 14 compulsory national holidays, custom holidays come on several important occasions so that the members of the central government can take rest or enjoy the festivals and national holidays. Here is a list of Central Government Holidays list 2020 from the month of August to December.

Compulsory Custom Holidays:

Holiday occasion	Date
Idul’l Zuha (Bakri Eid)	August 1, 2020
Independence Day	August 15, 2020
Muharram	August 30, 2020
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday	October 02, 2020
Dussehra (Vijay Dashmi)	October 10, 2020
Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday (Id-E-Milad)	October 30, 2020
Diwali	November 14, 2020
Guru Nanak’s Birthday	November 30, 2020
Christmas Day	December 25, 2020

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Custom Holidays list 2020 (From August-December)

Holiday Description	Date
Idul Zuha - Bakri Id	August 1, 2020
2nd Saturday	August 8, 2020
Janmashtami	August 12, 2020
Independence Day	August 15, 2020
Muharram	August 30, 2020
2nd Saturday	September 12, 2020
Mahatama Gandhi Birthday	October 2, 2020
Sunday	October 4, 2020
2nd Saturday	October 10, 2020
Dussehra - Vijay Dashmi	October 25, 2020
Prophet Mohammad's birthday	October 30, 2020
Diwali - Deepavali	November 14, 2020
Guru Nanak's birthday	November 30, 2020
2nd Saturday	December 12, 2020
Christmas day	December 25, 2020

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