Holidays in December 2026 in Pakistan: 25 December, 26 December and Winter Break Status
Pakistan's December 2026 holidays: Friday 25 December for all, Saturday 26 December for Christians. See bank closures, Sindh's 27 December and winter breaks.
Pakistan has two public holidays in December 2026: Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas on Friday 25 December for everyone, and the Day after Christmas on Saturday 26 December for Christians only. Offices on a five-day week get a three-day weekend from 25 to 27 December. School winter vacations for 2026-27 have not been notified yet in any province we could check.
We read the Cabinet Division's 2026 holiday circular, its two December 2025 notices for Islamabad, the State Bank of Pakistan's December press releases and the High Court of Sindh's holiday notices on 24 October 2026. Last December showed one thing clearly: the plan in January is not always the final word. Here is every December date, what happened last year, and what is still waiting for a notice.
25 and 26 December are the two public holidays in December 2026
The Cabinet Division circular of 19 January 2026 lists Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas on Friday 25 December as a public holiday for all, and the Day after Christmas on Saturday 26 December as a public holiday for Christians only. Both are fixed dates.
| Date | Day | Occasion | Who is off | Status on 24 October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas | Everyone on the federal list | In the 2026 circular |
| 26 December 2026 | Saturday | Day after Christmas | Christians only | In the 2026 circular |
| 27 December 2026 | Sunday | Benazir Bhutto's death anniversary | Sindh, if notified | Not notified for 2026 |
| 31 December 2026 | Thursday | Year end, banks | Working day | Extended bank hours likely, not notified |
The full list of 2026 public holidays in Pakistan shows how every date this year compared with the January plan.
Christmas on a Friday makes a three-day weekend from 25 to 27 December
Because 25 December 2026 is a Friday, staff on a five-day week are off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Christian staff on a six-day week also get Saturday 26 December. Everyone else on a six-day week works that Saturday and is off only on Friday and Sunday.
That Saturday rule matters most in schools, hospitals and some provincial departments that still work six days. If you are a Christian employee in one of them, the 26 December holiday is yours by the circular. You should not need to use leave for it.
Last December Islamabad's offices were closed on 26 December at a day's notice
In 2025 the Cabinet Division first said Friday 26 December was a working day, then reversed itself the next day. That history is the best reason to check again in the week before Christmas, especially in Islamabad.
We read both 2025 notices. On 24 December 2025 the Cabinet Division issued a clarification that Friday 26 December 2025 was "a working day for the Federal Government". On 25 December 2025 a new notification superseded it: the Pakistan Secretariat and all federal offices in the Islamabad Capital Territory would stay closed on 26 December.
The same notice kept hospitals, banks and essential services open, and named MCI, CDA, the ICT Administration, ICT Police, IESCO and SNGPL as staying open. That closure covered Islamabad only, not the provinces. Nothing like it has been notified for 2026.
Sindh observed 27 December as a holiday last year, and it falls on a Sunday in 2026
The Government of Sindh declared Saturday 27 December 2025 a public holiday for Benazir Bhutto's death anniversary, and the High Court of Sindh followed for its courts. In 2026 the date falls on a Sunday, so a weekday closure is unlikely, but no 2026 notice exists yet.
The High Court of Sindh notice of 24 December 2025 cites the Sindh government's notification of 19 December 2025. Sindh's other provincial and local holidays, and the two local holidays each district may declare, are set out in Sindh public holidays for 2026.
Banks close on 25 December and usually stay open late on 31 December
The State Bank closed on 25 December in both 2024 and 2025 and said so in press releases on 23 December 2024 and 22 December 2025. On 31 December 2025 it told banks to keep counters open until 10 pm for tax payments. The 2026 notices are not out.
- 25 December: expect the State Bank's closure notice around 22 or 23 December.
- 26 December: a Saturday. Most branches are shut on Saturdays anyway; selected branches that open on Saturdays follow their own notice.
- 31 December: in 2025 banks opened late for over-the-counter tax payments. A repeat for Thursday 31 December 2026 is likely but not announced.
- 1 January 2027: 1 January was a bank holiday in 2025 and 2026, closed to the public but not to staff. The 2027 date will come in the next holiday circular.
More on the first of January and every other closure is in bank holidays in Pakistan.
School winter vacation for December 2026 is not notified yet
No province we could check has announced 2026-27 winter vacation dates. In Punjab last year the break ran from 22 December 2025 to 10 January 2026 and was then extended to 18 January for cold weather. Treat any 2026 date you see as a guess until the department posts it.
The Punjab notices, their timing and how to check one are covered in Punjab school winter vacation 2026-27. We could not reach the Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Islamabad education sites on 24 October 2026, so we make no claim about their dates.
Plainly put: do not book non-refundable December travel on the strength of a forwarded "winter vacation notification". Last year's real notice came out on 4 December.
Common questions
Is 25 December 2026 a holiday in Pakistan?
Yes. Friday 25 December 2026 is a public holiday for Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas in the Cabinet Division's 2026 circular.
Is 26 December 2026 a holiday for everyone?
No. The Day after Christmas on Saturday 26 December is a public holiday for Christians only.
Are banks open on 31 December 2026?
Yes, 31 December is a working day. In 2025 the State Bank asked banks to stay open until 10 pm for tax payments. The 2026 notice is not out yet.
When do winter vacations start in December 2026?
They are not notified yet. Punjab's last break started on 22 December 2025, but that is not a 2026 date.
Is 27 December a holiday in Sindh?
It was in 2025, for Benazir Bhutto's death anniversary. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday and has not been notified.
Is 1 January 2027 a bank holiday?
It was in 2025 and 2026. The 2027 date will be confirmed in the 2027 holiday circular and a State Bank notice.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read, on 24 October 2026, the Cabinet Division holidays page, its 2026 circular of 19 January 2026 and its notices of 24 and 25 December 2025, all scanned files read as images. We read State Bank press releases of 23 December 2024, 22 December 2025 and 30 December 2025, and the High Court of Sindh notice of 24 December 2025. We could not open the Sindh government's own notification of 19 December 2025, or any provincial education site, so those points are as cited by the court or not stated.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
