Special days in India: 2026 and 2027 dates

India has more family days than almost anywhere. Some are about one relationship: Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj for brothers and sisters, Teachers’ Day on 5 September for the people who taught you, Children’s Day on 14 November. Others are festivals the whole family keeps, like Holi, Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali.

Most festival dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so they move every year. Raksha Bandhan can be in early August one year and late August the next. The table below has this year’s and next year’s dates so you can plan travel, gifts and calls in good time.

With family spread across cities, these days are often the reason everyone calls home at once. A rakhi in the post or a video call on Bhai Dooj keeps siblings close even when they live far apart.

Relationship days

Day	2026	2027
Valentine's Day For love and romance	Sat, Feb 14	Sun, Feb 14
Mother's Day For mothers and mother figures	Sun, May 10	Sun, May 9
Father's Day For fathers and father figures	Sun, Jun 21	Sun, Jun 20
International Day of Friendship The UN day of friendship	Thu, Jul 30	Fri, Jul 30
Friendship Day For friends	Sun, Aug 2	Sun, Aug 1
Teachers' Day For teachers	Sat, Sep 5	Sun, Sep 5
Wife Appreciation Day For wives	Sun, Sep 20	Sun, Sep 19
Children's Day For children	Sat, Nov 14	Sun, Nov 14

Global days

Day	2026	2027
Halloween An evening of costumes and treats	Sat, Oct 31	Sun, Oct 31
New Year's Eve The last night of the year	Thu, Dec 31	Fri, Dec 31

Hindu

Day	2026	2027
Holi The festival of colors	Wed, Mar 4	Mon, Mar 22
Raksha Bandhan For brothers and sisters	Fri, Aug 28	Tue, Aug 17
Janmashtami Krishna's birth	Fri, Sep 4	Wed, Aug 25
Navratri Nights honoring the goddess	Sun, Oct 11 – Mon, Oct 19	Thu, Sep 30 – Fri, Oct 8
Dussehra Good over evil	Tue, Oct 20	Sat, Oct 9
Diwali The festival of lights	Sun, Nov 8	Fri, Oct 29
Bhai Dooj For brothers and sisters	Wed, Nov 11	Sun, Oct 31
Guru Purnima For gurus and mentors	No date listed	Sun, Jul 18

Islamic

Day	2026	2027
Eid al-Fitr The end of Ramadan	Expected Sat, Mar 21	Expected Wed, Mar 10
Eid al-Adha The festival of sacrifice	Expected Wed, May 27	Expected Mon, May 17
Milad-un-Nabi The Prophet's birth	Expected Wed, Aug 26	Expected Sun, Aug 15

Buddhist

Day	2026	2027
Buddha Purnima Honoring the Buddha	No date listed	Thu, May 20

Christian

Day	2026	2027
Good Friday The crucifixion of Jesus	Fri, Apr 3	Fri, Mar 26
Easter Sunday The resurrection of Jesus	Sun, Apr 5	Sun, Mar 28
All Saints' Day Remembering those we have lost	Sun, Nov 1	Mon, Nov 1
St Nicholas' Day Small gifts, often for children	Sun, Dec 6	Mon, Dec 6
Christmas Eve The night before Christmas	Thu, Dec 24	Fri, Dec 24
Christmas The birth of Jesus	Fri, Dec 25	Sat, Dec 25

Expected dates follow the moon and can move by a day. They are confirmed closer to the time.

Notes on Indian dates

Navratri runs for nine nights, so it is shown as a range. Dussehra follows the day after.
Friendship Day in India is the first Sunday of August, separate from the UN’s International Day of Friendship on 30 July.
Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Milad-un-Nabi depend on the sighting of the moon. Dates marked “Expected” can move by a day.
Buddha Purnima is the name used in India for Vesak.

Planning gifts for Diwali? Our Diwali gift list for the family has a free template.