California is home to one of the country’s largest Muslim communities, estimated at up to one million people
California has become the second US state to recognize the major Muslim festivals of Eid as official holidays, according to local authorities.
The state is home to one of the country’s largest Muslim communities, estimated at up to one million people.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure into law over the weekend, adding Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to California’s list of state holidays.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, while Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is observed during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Both holidays typically begin with communal prayers and are celebrated with gatherings of family and friends.
The measure was introduced by California lawmaker Matt Haney and backed by Muslim community groups. Haney said recognizing Eid would allow people to celebrate with their families without being forced to make “unnecessary sacrifices.”
Under the new law, workers do not automatically receive a paid day off, nor are government offices, courts, schools, or businesses required to close. State employees can use existing leave to observe Eid, while public schools and community colleges can close under agreements reached with employees.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights group that co-sponsored the measure, welcomed its signing, saying Muslims had for decades faced a “difficult choice” between observing their faith and meeting work or academic obligations.
Washington became the first US state to recognize both Eid holidays in 2025, although its law likewise did not make them mandatory paid days off. Eid has long been observed locally elsewhere in the country, with New York City public schools adding both festivals to their calendar in 2015.
The Muslim population in the US has more than doubled in less than two decades, rising from an estimated 2.4 million in 2007 to around 5.5 million this year, according to the Pew Research Center.
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