Public holidays Nov–Dec 2026 by state: Deepavali 8 Nov, Christmas 25 Dec and 3 state holidays

In the last two months of 2026, there are five public holidays on the official list: two federal holidays (Deepavali and Christmas Day) and three state holidays. All the dates below come from the 2026 Public Holidays Schedule issued by the Cabinet, Constitution and Intergovernmental Relations Division (BKPP), Prime Minister's Department. We checked the BKPP website on 21 Oct 2026 and found no notice of additional holidays or replacement holidays for this period.

Public holidays from 1 Nov to 31 Dec 2026

In the BKPP schedule, Deepavali is marked * with the note "Subject to change". That is why we label it Expected, as in our Deepavali 2026 article.

Holidays by state: Perak, Selangor and Sabah get extra days off

Sarawak has no Deepavali holiday because the state is not marked for Deepavali in the BKPP schedule. Christmas Day, on the other hand, is a holiday in all 16 states and territories.

Deepavali replacement holiday on 9 Nov is still expected

Deepavali falls on a Sunday. Section 3 of the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) states that if a public holiday falls on a weekly rest day, "the following day shall be a public holiday" (translated from Malay), unless the State Authority or the Minister decides otherwise by Gazette. In Sabah, the Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 56) has the same rule for holidays that fall on a Sunday.

Based on these rules, Monday, 9 Nov 2026 is expected to be a replacement holiday in Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya), Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah and Selangor. As of 21 Oct 2026, we have not found a separate official notice about this replacement holiday, so its status remains Expected.

In Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. Sunday is a working day there, so Deepavali is observed on Sunday 8 Nov itself and there is no replacement holiday on the Monday.

Christmas Day falls on a Friday in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu

Act 369 defines the weekly rest day as Sunday, or Friday in states that observe Friday as the weekly rest day. So for these three states, Christmas on Friday 25 Dec falls on the weekly rest day.

The BKPP schedule does not list a replacement holiday for Christmas, and we have not found any official announcement from the Kedah, Kelantan or Terengganu state governments about one. Check your state government's official portal before planning your leave.

School holidays in this period

According to Appendix C of the Ministry of Education (MOE) 2026 Academic Calendar, schools get one additional day off for Deepavali:

• Monday, 9 Nov 2026: Group A (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu) and Sarawak (MOE allocated holiday).
• Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026: Group B except Sarawak.

Tuesday 10 Nov is a school holiday only, not a public holiday.

The year-end school holidays start on Friday, 4 Dec 2026 for Group A and Saturday, 5 Dec 2026 for Group B. Both end on Thursday, 31 Dec 2026. According to MOE, Christmas Day falls within the year-end school holidays. The 2027 school session starts on Monday, 4 Jan 2027 (MOE Circular Letter No. 1 of 2026). Full details are in our Year-end school holidays 2026 article.

Long weekends you can plan for

For workers who are off on Saturday and Sunday, assuming the 9 Nov replacement holiday is announced:

• Saturday 7 – Monday 9 Nov: three days in the states expected to get the replacement holiday. In Perak, the break starts on Friday 6 Nov, so it is four days.
• Friday 11 – Sunday 13 Dec: three days in Selangor.
• Friday 25 – Sunday 27 Dec: three days in all states with a Saturday and Sunday weekend. In Sabah, the break starts on Thursday 24 Dec, so it is four days.

In Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, Christmas runs straight into the Friday and Saturday weekend (25–26 Dec).

What it means for you

• Private sector employees: confirm with your employer whether Monday 9 Nov is a day off for you.
• Parents: Group B children are off on Tuesday 10 Nov even though it is a working day, so plan childcare early.
• Long-distance travel: the school holidays and the Christmas weekend overlap, so book early and check the replacement holiday status again before 8 Nov.

We will update this page if BKPP or a state government announces a replacement holiday or an additional holiday. The full list by state is on the Malaysia public holidays hub.