
Important Days in 2026 presents a list of international and national important days for 2026, highlighting their significance. It provides a month-wise breakdown of important dates to help students preparing for competitive exams and professionals with event planning. Observing special days is a global tradition, emphasizing crucial causes, cultural heritage, and historical milestones.
India celebrates numerous important national holidays and observances in 2026. Monthly important days 2026 are like Republic Day falls on January 26 (Monday), marking the Constitution's adoption. Maha Shivratri is on February 15 (Sunday), followed by Holi on March 4 (Tuesday). Ramzan Id (tentative March 21), Rama Navami (March 26), and Mahavir Jayanti (March 31) cluster in late March. Good Friday is April 3 (Friday), Labour Day/Buddha Purnima on May 1 (Friday). Independence Day remains August 15 (Saturday), Gandhi Jayanti October 2 (Friday), Dussehra October 20 (Tuesday), Diwali November 8 (Sunday), Guru Nanak Jayanti November 24 (Tuesday), and Christmas December 25 (Friday). Regional festivals vary by state.
Download the PDF list of calender 2026 from the given download link below. Candidates are advised to download and check and learn the Important days in 2026 with themes as it is very crucial in your upcoming exams. Important days 2026 for competitive exams is a separate topic for the aspirants in the exams.
Important Days 2026 Calendar PDF (Download)
Understanding the distinction between national and international observances is essential for grasping their global and local impact. While national days are specific to a country, international days promote broader awareness and often address worldwide issues.
| Difference Between National and International Days | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aspect | National Days | International Days |
| Scope | Celebrated within a specific country. | Observed globally across multiple nations. |
| Purpose | Honors a country’s history, culture, or events. | Raises awareness of global issues or causes. |
| Examples | Independence Day (USA), Republic Day (India). | World Environment Day, International Women’s Day. |
| Organizer | Governed by national governments. | Often organized by the UN or global organizations. |
January marks the beginning of the year with various observances, including global new year celebrations and significant national days. Important days in India 2026 range from cultural festivities to days dedicated to awareness.
| Important Days in January 2026 | |
| Date | Event |
| 1st January | English New Year, Global Family Day |
| 1st January to 31st January | National Road Safety Month 2026 |
| 4th January | World Braille Day |
| 5th January | National Birds Day |
| 6th January | World War Orphans Day |
| 8th January | African National Congress Foundation Day |
| 9th January | Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day) |
| 10th January | World Hindi Day |
| 11th January | Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 12th January | National Youth Day (Birthday of Swami Vivekanand) |
| 13th January | Lohri |
| 14th January | Makar Sankranti |
| 15th January | Army Day |
| 20th January | Penguin Awareness Day |
| 23rd January | Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Birthday |
| 24th January | National Girl Child Day |
| 25th January | India Tourism Day, National Voters Day |
| 26th January | Republic Day of India, International Customs Day |
| 27th January | International Holocaust Day |
| 28th January | Birth Anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai, Data Protection Day, KM Cariappa Day |
| 30th January | Martyr’s Day (Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom Day), World Leprosy Eradication Day |
| 31st January | International Zebra Day |
| Important Days in February 2026 | |
| 1 February | Indian Coast Guard Day |
| 2 February | World Wetlands Day |
| 4 February | World Cancer Day |
| 5 to 13 February | Kala Ghoda Festival |
| 6 February | International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation |
| 6 to 12 February | International Development Week |
| 8 February | Safer Internet Day |
| 10 February | National Deworming Day, World Pulses Day |
| 11 February | World Day of the Sick, International Day of Women and Girls in Science |
| 12 February | Darwin Day, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, National Productivity Day |
| 13 February | World Radio Day, Sarojini Naidu Birth Anniversary |
| 14 February | Saint Valentine’s Day, Vasant Panchami |
| 18 to 27 February | Taj Mahotsav |
| 20 February | Arunachal Pradesh Foundation Day, World Day of Social Justice |
| 21 February | International Mother Language Day |
| 22 February | World Thinking Day |
| 24 February | Central Excise Day |
| 27 February | World NGO Day |
| Important Days in March 2026 | |
| 1 March | Zero Discrimination Day, World Civil Defence Day, Self-Injury Awareness Day |
| 3 March | World Wildlife Day, World Hearing Day |
| 4 March | National Safety Day, Employee Appreciation Day, Ramakrishna Jayanti |
| 8 March | International Women’s Day |
| 9 March | No Smoking Day (Second Wednesday of March) |
| 10 March | CISF Raising Day |
| 12 March | Mauritius Day |
| 14 March | Pi Day, International Day of Action for Rivers |
| 15 March | World Consumer Rights Day |
| 16 March | National Vaccination Day |
| 18 March | Ordnance Factories Day (India) |
| 20 March | International Day of Happiness, World Sparrow Day, Hindi New Year |
| 21 March | World Forestry Day, World Down Syndrome Day, World Poetry Day |
| 22 March | World Water Day |
| 23 March | World Meteorological Day |
| Important Days in April 2026 | |
| 1 April | Odisha Foundation Day, Aprils Fools’ Day, Prevention of Blindness Week |
| 2 April | World Autism Awareness Day |
| 4 April | International Day of Mine Awareness |
| 5 April | National Maritime Day |
| 7 April | World Health Day |
| 10 April | World Homoeopathy Day (WHD) |
| 11 April | National Safe Motherhood Day (NSMD), National Pet Day |
| 13 April | Vaisakhi / Baisakhi / Vishu, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre |
| 14 April | B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti, Tamil New Year |
| 15 April | Bengali New Year / Bihu |
| 17 April | World Haemophilia Day |
| 18 April | World Heritage Day |
| 21 April | National Civil Service Day |
| 22 April | World Earth Day |
| Important Days in May 2026 | |
| 1 May | International Labour Day or May Day, Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day |
| 2 May | World Asthma Day (First Tuesday of May) |
| 3 May | Press Freedom Day |
| 4 May | World Laughter Day (first Sunday of May), Coal Miners Day, International Firefighters Day |
| 7 May | World Athletics Day |
| 8 May | World Red Cross Day, World Thalassaemia Day |
| 9 May | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti |
| 11 May | National Technology Day |
| 12 May | Mother’s Day (Second Sunday of May), International Nurses Day |
| 15 May | International Day of Families |
| 17 May | World Telecommunication Day, World Hypertension Day, National Endangered Species Day (Third Friday in May) |
| 18 May | Armed Forces Day (Third Saturday of the May), World AIDS Vaccine Day, International Museum Day |
| 21 May | National Anti-Terrorism Day |
| 22 May | International Day for Biological Diversity |
| 26 May | National Memorial Day (last Monday of May) |
| 31 May | Anti-Tobacco Day |
| Important Days in June 2026 | |
| 1 June | World Milk Day, Global Day of Parents |
| 2 June | International Sex Workers’ Day, Telangana Formation Day |
| 3 June | World Bicycle Day |
| 4 June | International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression |
| 5 June | World Environment Day |
| 7 June | World Food Safety Day |
| 8 June | World Brain Tumour Day, World Oceans Day |
| 12 June | World Day Against Child Labour |
| 14 June | World Blood Donor Day |
| 15 June | World Wind Day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day |
| 16 June | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev |
| 17 June | World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (International) |
| 18 June | Autistic Pride Day, International Picnic Day |
| 19 June | World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, World Sauntering Day |
| 20 June | World Refugee Day (International) |
| Important Days in July 2026 | |
| 1 July | National Doctor’s Day, National Postal Worker Day, Canada Day, Chartered Accountants Day (India), National U.S. Postage Stamp Day, National Gingersnap Day |
| 2 July | World UFO Day, National Anisette Day |
| 3 July | National Fried Clam Day |
| 4 July | Independence Day USA |
| 6 July | World Zoonoses Day |
| 7 July | World Chocolate Day, Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra |
| 9 July | National Sugar Cookie Day |
| 11 July | World Population Day, National 7-Eleven Day |
| 12 July | National Simplicity Day, Paper Bag Day, Malala Day |
| 14 July | Bastille Day or French National Day |
| 15 July | World Youth Skills Day, Social Media Giving Day |
| 17 July | World Day for International Justice, World Emoji Day |
| 18 July | International Nelson Mandela Day |
| 20 July | International Chess Day, Moon Day |
| 21 July | Guru Purnima |
| 22 July | Pi Approximation Day, National Mango Day or Mango Day, Chandrayaan 2 launching date |
| 24 July | National Thermal Engineer Day |
| 25 July | National Refreshment Day (Fourth Thursday in July) |
| 26 July | Kargil Vijay Diwas |
| 27 July | National Parent’s Day (Fourth Sunday in July) |
| 28 July | World Nature Conservation Day, World Hepatitis Day |
| Important Days in August 2026 | |
| 6 August (First Sunday of August) | Friendship Day |
| 1 August | National Mountain Climbing Day, Yorkshire Day |
| 4 August | U.S. Coast Guard Day |
| 6 August | Hiroshima Day |
| 7 August | National Handloom Day |
| 8 August | Quit India Movement Day |
| 9 August | Nagasaki Day, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples |
| 12 August | International Youth Day, World Elephant Day |
| 13 August | International Lefthanders Day, World Organ Donation Day |
| 14 August | Youm-e-Azadi (Pakistan Independence Day) |
| 15 August | National Mourning Day (Bangladesh), Independence Day in India, Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary |
| 16 August | Parsi New Year, Bennington Battle Day |
| 17 August | Indonesian Independence Day |
| 19 August | World Photography Day, World Humanitarian Day |
| 20 August | World Mosquito Day, Sadbhavna Diwas, Indian Akshay Urja Day |
| 23 August | International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism |
| 26 August | Women’s Equality Day |
| 29 August | National Sports Day |
| 31 August | Hari Merdeka (Malaysia National Day) |
| Important Days in September 2026 | |
| 1 September | National Nutrition Week |
| 2 September | World Coconut Day |
| 3 September | Skyscraper Day |
| 5 September | International Day of Charity, Teachers’ Day (India) |
| 7 September | Brazilian Independence Day |
| 8 September | International Literacy Day, World Physical Therapy Day |
| 10 September | World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) |
| 11 September | National Forest Martyrs Day |
| 14 September | World First Aid Day, Hindi Diwas |
| 15 September | Engineer’s Day (India), International Day of Democracy |
| 16 September | Malaysia Day, World Ozone Day |
| 17 September | World Patient Safety Day |
| 18 September | World Bamboo Day |
| 19 September | International Talk Like a Pirate Day |
| 21 September | International Day of Peace (UN), World Alzheimer’s Day |
| 22 September | Rose Day (Welfare of Cancer patients), World Rhino Day, Ayurveda Divas |
| 23 September | International Day of Sign Languages |
| 24 September | World Rivers Day, Antyodaya Diwas, World Maritime Day |
| 25 September | World Pharmacists Day, Antyodaya Diwas |
| Important Days in October 2026 | |
| 1 October | International Day of the Older Persons, International Coffee Day, World Vegetarian Day |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti, International Day of Non-Violence |
| 3 October | German Unity Day |
| 4 October | World Animal Welfare Day |
| 5 October | World Teachers’ Day |
| 6 October | German-American Day |
| 8 October | Indian Air Force Day |
| 9 October | World Postal Day |
| 10 October | World Mental Health Day |
| 11 October | International Day of the Girl Child |
| 12 October | Dussehra |
| 13 October | International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction |
| 14 October | World Standards Day |
| 15 October | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Global Handwashing Day, World White Cane Day, World Students’ Day |
| 16 October | World Food Day, World Spine Day, Boss Day, World Anaesthesia Day |
| 17 October | International Day for the Eradication of Poverty |
| 20 October | World Statistics Day |
| 23 October | Mole Day |
| Important Days in November 2026 | |
| 1 November | World Vegan Day, All Saints’ Day, Rajyotsava Day (Karnataka Formation Day) |
| 2 November | All Souls’ Day |
| 5 November | World Tsunami Awareness Day |
| 6 November | International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict |
| 7 November | Infant Protection Day, National Cancer Awareness Day |
| 9 November | Iqbal Day, Legal Services Day |
| 10 November | World Science Day for Peace and Development |
| 11 November | Armistice Day (Remembrance Day), National Education Day |
| 12 November | World Pneumonia Day |
| 13 November | World Kindness Day |
| 14 November | World Usability Day (Second Thursday in November), World Diabetes Day, Children’s Day |
| 16 November | International Day for Tolerance |
| 17 November | National Epilepsy Day |
| 19 November | International Men’s Day, World Toilet Day |
| 20 November | Universal Children’s Day, Africa Industrialisation Day |
| 21 November | World Television Day, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims |
| 24 November | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| Important Days in December 2026 | |
| 1 December | World AIDS Day |
| 2 December | National Pollution Control Day, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery |
| 3 December | World Day of the Handicapped |
| 4 December | Indian Navy Day |
| 5 December | International Volunteer Day, World Soil Day |
| 7 December | Armed Forces Flag Day, International Civil Aviation Day |
| 9 December | International Anti-Corruption Day |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day |
| 11 December | International Mountain Day |
| 14 December | National Energy Conservation Day |
| 16 December | Vijay Diwas |
| 18 December | Minorities Rights Day in India, International Migrants Day |
| 19 December | Goa’s Liberation Day |
| 20 December | International Human Solidarity Day |
| 22 December | National Mathematics Day |
| 23 December | Kisan Diwas |
| 24 December | National Consumer Rights Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day, National Good Governance Day |
| 31 December | New Year’s Eve |
Recognizing important days plays a vital role in building awareness about global challenges like climate change, education, and human rights. These observances also foster unity by encouraging cross-cultural exchanges and global solidarity. Furthermore, they celebrate achievements, honoring individuals, causes, or milestones that have shaped history. Staying informed about these dates helps us engage meaningfully with significant events.