California Recognizes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as State Holidays

<p>California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on September 29, 2026, recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays, making California the second state to do so. </p><p>Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of the Sacrifice," traditionally involves the ritual slaughter of livestock, commemorating Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," marks the conclusion of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.</p><p>Assembly Bill 2017, authored by Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) and co-authored by state Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), permits state and school employees to use existing personal holiday credit or leave time to observe these holidays. It also allows K-12 schools and community colleges to close for the holidays through locally negotiated agreements.</p><p>Haney stated, "California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country. No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance."</p><p>The bill was co-sponsored by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA). In 2007, federal prosecutors named CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror-financing case. CAIR has denied any wrongdoing and was never charged. A federal judge later ruled that the government should not have publicly listed the group but found "ample evidence to establish the associations" of CAIR with the Holy Land Foundation and Hamas.</p><p>CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush commended Governor Newsom for signing AB 2017, stating, "We commend Gov. Newsom for signing AB 2017 and sending a powerful message that amid growing hostility, California stands firmly with its Muslim community. Together, we've achieved a historic win for California Muslims."</p><p>The bill passed the state Assembly by a 64-1 vote in May. It faced opposition over a provision allowing the State Board of Education to develop optional curriculum for classroom activities related to the holidays.</p><p>Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, expressed concern that the measure crossed the line from teaching about religion to promoting it, stating it amounted to schools "encouraging the celebration of a religious holiday." The council, which represents over 2,000 churches statewide, also questioned the criteria for recognizing additional religious holidays.</p><p>The two Islamic holidays join Diwali and Lunar New Year among community-specific observances that California has formally recognized in recent years. Washington became the first state to recognize both Eid holidays in 2025.</p>