California has granted state holiday status to the Muslim festivals Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha through a measure signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, according to RT. The designation makes California the second American state to recognize both observances.

Washington established that precedent in 2025, RT reported. California has a Muslim population estimated at up to one million, placing it among the largest Muslim communities in the country.

The available account establishes the recognition and Newsom’s signature, but does not provide the measure’s text, its effective date or its implementation provisions. It therefore does not establish whether government offices will close, whether public employees will receive paid time off or whether school calendars will change.

Those distinctions are central to understanding a holiday announcement. Formal recognition, an office closure and a right to paid leave are separate questions. The designation alone does not answer all three.

What the two Eid festivals mark

Eid al-Fitr marks the completion of Ramadan, the month during which observant Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. Its observance commonly includes communal prayers, charitable giving, family visits and shared meals. Customs differ across countries and communities.

Eid al-Adha is the festival of sacrifice, associated with Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. It falls during the period of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, although Muslims around the world observe the festival whether or not they undertake the pilgrimage.

The festivals occupy different places in the Islamic calendar and commemorate different religious occasions. Recognizing both therefore covers two distinct annual observances rather than alternative names for the same holiday.

The Islamic calendar follows lunar months. Its year is shorter than the Gregorian year used for most American government and business schedules, so the festivals move through the seasons over time. Their Gregorian dates are not fixed from one year to the next, and communities may differ in how they determine the start of a lunar month.

That calendar background explains why identifying an observance and setting its date on an administrative calendar are separate tasks.

What state recognition establishes

American states maintain their own holiday provisions, distinct from the federal holiday calendar. A California designation does not itself create a federal holiday or establish a nationwide entitlement to time off.

The practical operation of a state holiday depends on the governing legal provisions and the institution involved. Public agencies, schools and private employers do not necessarily follow identical calendars. Private-sector leave can also depend on employer policies and applicable employment law.

Washington’s earlier recognition supplies a precedent for acknowledging both festivals at state level. The supplied reporting does not describe Washington’s implementation, however, so it cannot establish that California will use the same arrangements.

What to watch

The measure’s published text and any implementation guidance will be the documents to check for an effective date, the employees or institutions covered, and rules for scheduling the observances. Until those details are confirmed, the reported change establishes recognition without resolving its practical effects on work and school calendars.