Plan Your Holidays and Long Weekends for 2025
As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to start planning vacations, family time, or some well-deserved rest. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions has released the 2025 holiday calendar, which includes 17 official holidays and 34 optional holidays.
This year brings many chances for long weekends and extended breaks. However, four major holidays—Republic Day, Gudi Padwa, Shri Ram Navami, and Muharram—fall on Sundays, which might feel like a missed opportunity. On the bright side, Bhaubij, part of the Diwali festival, falls on Thursday, October 23, giving a rare three-day Diwali holiday!
Key Holidays and Long Weekends
Here are some highlights of the 2025 holiday calendar:
- Holi: Friday, March 14 – A colorful long weekend.
- Ramadan Eid: Monday, March 31 – Another chance for an extended break.
- Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti: Monday, April 14 – Perfect for a summer day off.
- Good Friday: Friday, April 18 – A relaxing spring weekend.
- Buddha Purnima: Monday, May 12 – Start the week with a holiday.
Optional Holidays
Optional holidays allow flexibility for personal or cultural preferences. Some key dates include:
- Makar Sankranti / Pongal: Tuesday, January 14
- Shivaji Jayanti: Wednesday, February 19
- Dussehra: A three-day celebration starting Monday, September 29, and ending with Mahanavmi on Wednesday, October 1.
- Surya Shashthi (Chhat Puja): Tuesday, October 28
Plan Your Long Weekends
Many holidays fall close to weekends, making it easy to plan trips or downtime:
- Holi (March 14): Friday holiday for a long weekend.
- Eid-e-Milad (September 5): A Friday holiday for another extended break.
- Good Friday (April 18): Perfect for a weekend getaway.
Some holidays, like Bakri Eid on Saturday, June 7, or Independence Day on Friday, August 15, also offer chances to create short mid-week breaks.
Make the Most of 2025
This year offers a great balance of official and optional holidays, providing plenty of opportunities to relax, spend time with loved ones, and travel. The added Bhaubij holiday during Diwali makes 2025 extra special.
Start planning your holidays now to create beautiful memories that will last all year long!
