Public Holidays in Nepal 2026 – Hindu, Buddhist & National Days

Nepal's 2026 public holiday calendar spans two Bikram Sambat years. Dates from January through 13 April 2026 fall within the official 2082 BS holiday schedule, while the 2083 BS schedule begins with Nepali New Year on 14 April 2026. Nepal's holiday system also distinguishes nationwide holidays from holidays limited to particular religions, communities, geographical areas, women employees, educational institutions or the Kathmandu Valley.

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Next Public Holiday in Nepal

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Public Holidays in Nepal 2026

[public_holidays country="Nepal" year="2026"]

How Nepal’s Public Holiday Calendar Works

The Government of Nepal publishes its annual government and public holiday schedule according to the Bikram Sambat calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. As a result, a Gregorian calendar year can overlap two official Nepali holiday schedules.

For Gregorian 2026, the relevant official schedules are 2082 BS and 2083 BS. The Ministry of Home Affairs 2082 holiday notice governs the beginning of 2026, while the 2083 holiday notice applies from Nepali New Year on 14 April 2026 onward.

Nationwide and Limited Public Holidays in Nepal

Not every holiday listed in Nepal's official annual notice applies to the entire population. The Ministry of Home Affairs separates nationwide public holidays from leave that applies only to specified religions, communities, geographical areas, women employees, educational institutions or particular locations.

This distinction is important when using a Nepal public holiday calendar. A festival may be officially recognized without creating a nationwide public holiday for everyone.

Regional Holi Holidays in Nepal

Fagu Purnima, commonly known as Holi, is officially observed on different dates in different parts of Nepal rather than as one uniform nationwide holiday date.

The 2082 BS government schedule assigns separate Holi dates to designated hill and mountain districts and to designated Terai districts. For that reason, those Holi dates should be treated as geographically applicable holidays rather than added to a database table that is intended to contain only nationwide dates.

Religious and Community-Specific Holidays

Nepal's official holiday notice contains some leave provisions that apply only to followers of a particular religion or members of a particular community. These should not automatically be classified as nationwide public holidays.

The official schedules separately identify holidays connected with communities including Muslims, Christians, Kirat communities, Sikhs and other groups. The applicability stated in the government notice should therefore be checked before adding any such date to a national holiday database.

Eid Holidays in Nepal in 2026

Islamic holiday dates can require a later government announcement because their observance depends on the religious calendar and confirmation of the applicable date.

For Eid al-Fitr in 2026, the date was subsequently confirmed for 21 March. The Office of the President published its Eid al-Fitr message dated Chaitra 7, 2082, corresponding to Saturday, 21 March 2026.

The annual 2083 schedule similarly left the date of Bakar Eid, or Eid al-Adha, to subsequent confirmation. The Ministry of Home Affairs later issued a public-holiday notice for Jestha 14, 2083, corresponding to 28 May 2026.

Dashain Holidays in Nepal in 2026

Dashain creates one of Nepal's longest official holiday periods. The 2083 BS government schedule provides a continuous Dashain holiday period from Asoj 31 through Kartik 6.

In Gregorian 2026, the corresponding Dashain holiday period runs from 17 October through 23 October. Ghatasthapana is separately recognized earlier in the festival cycle on 11 October 2026.

Because each day in the official multi-day Dashain period is independently a holiday, each calendar date should be stored as a separate row in a structured public holiday database.

Tihar Holidays in Nepal in 2026

The official 2083 BS schedule provides a five-day Tihar holiday period from Kartik 22 through Kartik 26. In the Gregorian calendar, this corresponds to 8 November through 12 November 2026.

Tihar is therefore represented by five individual holiday dates in the VisaBoards database rather than by a single date range.

Nepali New Year in 2026

Nepali New Year marks the beginning of the Bikram Sambat year. In 2026, the first day of 2083 BS falls on Tuesday, 14 April and is an official nationwide public holiday.

The date is particularly relevant when interpreting the 2026 holiday calendar because it also marks the point at which the 2083 BS annual government holiday schedule begins to apply.

Public Holidays on 1 May 2026

Several nationally recognized observances coincide on Friday, 1 May 2026. The official 2083 BS schedule recognizes International Labour Day on this date, while Buddha Jayanti and the Kirat Ubhauli observance also fall on the same calendar day.

For database purposes, these coinciding observances can be represented in one date row when the aim is to identify the public-holiday date rather than count each celebration as a separate day off.

Election Holidays in Nepal in March 2026

Nepal can announce additional one-off public holidays after the annual calendar has been published. In connection with the House of Representatives election, the government announced public holidays from Falgun 20 through Falgun 22, 2082.

These correspond to 4, 5 and 6 March 2026. Because these were subsequently declared public holidays, they should be included in an accurate historical record of Nepal's 2026 nationwide holiday dates even though they were not part of the original annual schedule.

International Women’s Day in Nepal

International Women’s Day is listed in the official 2082 BS schedule under nationwide public-day holidays. In 2026, it falls on Sunday, 8 March.

This is distinct from certain other leave provisions in Nepal's holiday framework that apply specifically to women employees, such as Teej-related leave. The official schedule classifies International Women’s Day itself as a nationwide public holiday.

Public Holidays and Essential Services in Nepal

The annual Ministry of Home Affairs notice contains special arrangements for public services during holidays. Certain essential and emergency services must continue operating even on public holidays.

The government schedule identifies services such as hospitals, emergency services, policing, detention facilities, fire services, telecommunications and other necessary public functions as services for which continuity arrangements must be maintained.

Can Nepal Announce Additional Public Holidays?

Yes. Nepal can announce additional holidays after the annual schedule has been issued. One-off holidays may arise from elections, government decisions or other special circumstances.

The official annual notices also allow provincial governments to declare additional holidays within their jurisdiction, subject to the applicable rules. Those provincial holidays should not be treated as nationwide holidays unless a central government decision makes them applicable across Nepal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nationwide public holiday dates are there in Nepal in 2026?

The verified 2026 dataset contains 37 individual nationwide public-holiday dates when the officially declared March election holidays and International Women’s Day are included and each day of the multi-day Dashain and Tihar periods is counted separately. Regional, community-specific, women-only and other limited holidays are excluded from this total.

Why does Nepal's 2026 holiday calendar use two Bikram Sambat years?

Gregorian 2026 overlaps 2082 BS and 2083 BS. The 2082 schedule applies at the beginning of the year, while 2083 BS begins with Nepali New Year on 14 April 2026.

When is Nepali New Year in 2026?

Nepali New Year is Tuesday, 14 April 2026. It marks the first day of 2083 BS and is an official public holiday.

When is Dashain in Nepal in 2026?

Ghatasthapana is observed on 11 October 2026, while the main official Dashain holiday period runs from 17 October through 23 October 2026.

When are the Tihar holidays in Nepal in 2026?

The official Tihar holiday period runs from 8 November through 12 November 2026, creating five separate public-holiday dates.

Is Holi a nationwide holiday on one date throughout Nepal?

No. Nepal's official holiday schedule assigns Fagu Purnima or Holi to different dates in specified hill and mountain districts and specified Terai districts. It should therefore not be represented as one nationwide date.

Is International Women’s Day a public holiday in Nepal in 2026?

Yes. The official 2082 BS government holiday schedule lists International Women’s Day as a nationwide public holiday. It falls on Sunday, 8 March 2026.

Were there election holidays in Nepal in 2026?

Yes. Public holidays were subsequently announced for 4, 5 and 6 March 2026 in connection with the House of Representatives election.

Are all religious festivals public holidays for everyone in Nepal?

No. Nepal's official schedules distinguish between nationwide holidays and holidays that apply only to followers of particular religions or members of specified communities. The stated applicability must be checked for each holiday.

Can provincial governments declare extra holidays in Nepal?

Yes. The annual government notice allows provinces to declare additional holidays under specified rules. A provincial holiday does not automatically become a nationwide public holiday.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Nepal

• Government of Nepal, Ministry of Home Affairs – Government and Public Holidays in 2082: official annual schedule covering the portion of 2082 BS that falls in early 2026.
• Government of Nepal, Ministry of Home Affairs – Government and Public Holidays in 2083: official annual schedule beginning on Nepali New Year, 14 April 2026.
• Office of the President of Nepal – Eid al-Fitr 2082: confirms the 2026 Eid al-Fitr observance date.
• Ministry of Home Affairs public-holiday notice for Jestha 14, 2083: subsequent official notice supporting the 2026 Bakar Eid holiday.
• Government public-holiday notice for the House of Representatives election: confirms the additional public holidays from Falgun 20 through Falgun 22, 2082.