State holidays: Eid

The law formally adds the two Islamic holidays to California’s civil calendar and creates leave and school-calendar options around their annually changing dates. It does not require state offices, schools, colleges, courts, local governments, or private businesses to close or hold religious observances.

What the law does ​

• Adds Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to California’s list of state holidays.
• Excludes both Eid holidays from judicial holidays.
• Allows public school and community college governing boards to close for Eid through collective bargaining agreements.
• Allows public schools and educational institutions to offer optional, existing-resource-funded instruction on Eid history.
• Lets eligible state employees choose eight hours of holiday credit for either Eid instead of a personal holiday credit, including on the date designated by their group for annually variable holidays.
• Lets specified state employees use accrued vacation, annual leave, or compensating time off for either Eid, subject to operational needs and collective bargaining agreements.

Who it affects ​

• State employees seeking leave or holiday credit for Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha.
• Public school and community college students, employees, and governing boards.
• California courts and court employees, which do not receive Eid as a judicial holiday.

Context ​

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, and Eid al-Adha on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, under the Islamic lunar calendar.