West Bengal Government releases official holiday calendar for 2025 | Check dates

The West Bengal government has officially released the holiday calendar for 2025, which includes 25 government holidays throughout the year. These holidays are spread across various national, religious, and cultural observances, with some offering extended breaks and others coinciding with weekends, reducing the overall benefit for government employees.

The year begins with a government holiday on 1st January for the English New Year, which falls on a Wednesday. Following that, there is a holiday on 6th January for Prakash Parv, celebrated by the Sikh community. Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary will be observed on 12th January, but it falls on a Sunday, making it a "wasted" holiday for government employees. The next holiday is on 23rd January (Thursday) for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday, followed by Republic Day on 26th January, which unfortunately falls on a Sunday, offering no additional time off for state employees.

In February, the government observes Saraswati Puja on 2nd February (Sunday) and provides an additional holiday on 3rd February (Monday). Guru Ravidas’ birthday is observed on 12th February (Wednesday), and Shab-e-Barat, along with Panchanan Bharmar’s birth anniversary, will be observed on 14th February (Friday), providing another long weekend. The month concludes with a holiday on 26th February (Wednesday) for Shivratri.

March includes several notable holidays, including Dol Yatra on 14th March (Friday) and 15th March (Saturday), creating a two-day holiday weekend. The holiday for Harichand Thakur’s birth anniversary will be observed on 27th March (Thursday), and if government employees take leave on 28th March (Friday), they will have an extended long weekend. Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed on 31st March (Monday) and 1st April (Tuesday), creating a six-day break for employees.

April brings additional breaks, with Mahavir Jayanti on 10th April (Thursday), followed by Good Friday on 18th April (Friday). Easter Saturday on 19th April also contributes to the extended holiday period. Eid-ul-Zuha will be observed on 6th June (Friday) and 7th June (Saturday), forming another long weekend for employees. Rath Yatra on 27th June (Friday) and Hul Diwas on 30th June (Monday) are also part of the list, offering another pair of long weekends.

The holiday calendar continues into July with Muharram on 6th July (Sunday) and Raksha Bandhan on 15th August (Friday). Independence Day will coincide with Janmashtami on 15th August (Friday), creating a long weekend for state employees. In September, Mahalaya falls on 21st September (Sunday), which is a wasted holiday. Durga Puja holidays begin on 26th September (Friday) and last until 4th October (Saturday), with an additional holiday for Lakshmi Puja on 6th October (Monday) and 7th October (Tuesday). This period will offer employees an extended time off.

October also includes holidays for Kali Puja from 20th October (Monday) to 22nd October (Wednesday), followed by Bhai Dooj on 23rd October (Thursday). Diwali falls on 14th November (Friday), which offers another long weekend for government employees. November also marks the holiday for Guru Nanak Jayanti on 5th November (Wednesday) and Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on 15th November (Saturday). Christmas will be observed on 25th December (Thursday), marking the last holiday of the year.

A significant highlight of the 2025 holiday calendar is the extended breaks surrounding the major festivals. Employees will have several opportunities for long weekends, including during Durga Puja, Eid, and Diwali. The state government has also included holidays for lesser-known festivals like Harichand Thakur’s birth anniversary and Panchanan Bharmar’s birth anniversary. Karam Puja is also listed, though the exact date has not yet been confirmed. Overall, the government holiday list for 2025 provides ample time off, with a mix of long weekends and holidays tied to significant cultural and religious observances.