For more than one million Muslims in California, celebrating Eid has sometimes come with a difficult choice: observe one of the most important days on the Islamic calendar, or show up for school or work.
A new California law is trying to change that.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 2017, officially recognising Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays in California.
The move makes California the second US state, after Washington, to recognise both Muslim holidays at state level.
But what does the change actually mean?
What California’s new Eid law changes
Because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, the dates of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha change each year. This means the holidays can fall during the school or working week.
Under the new law, state and school employees can use existing personal holiday credits or leave to observe Eid.
Public schools and community colleges can also close for Eid through local agreements.
However, the law does not mean every school, government office and private business in California will automatically close.
Instead, it gives both Eids formal recognition and provides clearer options for accommodating Muslim students and employees who want to observe them.
Muslims have faced a difficult choice
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, co-sponsored the legislation and says the issue has affected Muslim families for years.
CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said Muslim students and employees have too often faced a choice between observing their faith and meeting school or work commitments.
For students, that pressure can begin at a young age.
Adam Khaja, an 11th-grade student in California, told LAist that recognising Eid sends an important message about belonging.
He said Muslims should not have to give up an important part of their identity to participate fully in Californian society.
Oussama Mokeddem, CAIR-California’s legislative and government affairs director, also described the signing as an important moment for Muslims in California and across the United States.
What the change means in practice
California is home to more than one million Muslims, according to CAIR-CA.
The state already recognises several religious and cultural holidays, including Diwali and Lunar New Year. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha now join that calendar.
Washington became the first US state to recognise both Eids as state holidays in 2025. California has now followed.
The new law does not mean California will simply shut down when Eid arrives. Its effect is more practical.
A Muslim student could have a clearer path to observe Eid without having to choose between the celebration and a normal school day. State and school employees also have clearer options to use existing leave for the holidays.
For California’s Muslim population, the change removes some of the friction that can come when an important religious holiday falls on an ordinary working day.
And in America’s most populous state, more than one million Muslims now have both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha formally recognised on the state calendar.
