California Makes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha Official State Holidays

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation in late September 2026 recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official state holidays. The law gives Muslim state employees the right to observe both days and allows public school districts and community colleges to close in observance.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha commemorates the conclusion of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Newsom also signed a separate bill acknowledging the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. That measure requires public schools and universities to make reasonable attempts to avoid scheduling major events on those dates, but it does not mandate closures or grant the same official status as the Muslim holiday law.

Critics pushed back quickly. Rabbi Michael Barclay called the move "kowtowing and catering" to a specific religious group, arguing that the state was placing Islamic holidays on a tier above other faiths. He noted that Muslims make up roughly 1% of California's population, compared to 55% who identify as Christian and 3% who are Jewish.

The California Family Council said the law crossed the line from accommodation into state-sponsored religious promotion, particularly given the possibility that curriculum guides could be developed to teach the theological significance of the holidays.

A federal lawsuit filed on September 17, 2026, alleged that the city of Dearborn, Michigan, violated the rights of a Christian resident by funding public celebrations of Muslim holidays while declining to recognize Easter and Passover. That case is separate from the California legislation but reflects similar tensions playing out in multiple states.

Supporters of the California law said it reflects the state's growing Muslim population and its commitment to religious inclusion. The law takes effect immediately.