Holidays in January 2020 & 2019

Holidays are something you look forward to. Getting to know the holidays in advance helps you plan a trip with the loved ones. Here, we have compiled the list of holidays in the month of January 2020.

Apart from the national holiday, i.e., ‘Republic Day’, there are many regional holidays which are celebrated in the first month of the year. Read on to find out more about that.

List of Holidays in January 2020

India celebrates Republic Day, a national holiday, and a lot of regional public holidays in January 2020. Listed below are the public holidays celebrated in January 2020:

The following table outlines the list of holidays in January 2020

Note: Swami Vivekananda birthday and Republic Day fall on Sundays in 2020

Bank Holidays in January 2020

A Bank Holiday is a day when banks remain closed. While banks are closed on every second and fourth Saturdays of a month, there are other days as well when banks in the country are closed on account of various festivals. Listed in the table below are the days when banks will be closed in the month of January 2020.

Note: Check the government gazette to authenticate the dates

Description of Holidays in January 2020

• New Year’s Day: New Year’s Day is observed on the first day of the month of January. The celebrations as part of the holiday differ according to one’s culture.
• Mannam Jayanthi: The day is celebrated in honour of Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai. Born on 2 January 1878, Pillai is recognised as the founder of Nair Service Society.
• Missionary Day: Missionary Day commemorates the arrival of two Welsh Christian missionaries in the state. On the occasion, prayers are held in churches and community feasts are organised.
• Bhogi: Bhogi is the first day of the four-day Makar Sankranti festival. On the day, a bonfire is lit at dawn with logs of wood, and other wooden things that are not useful.
• Pongal: A harvest festival, Pongal marks the beginning of Uttarayan, sun’s journey northwards. As part of the festival, Kolam is drawn in addition to swinging and cooking of delicious Pongal.
• Makar Sankranti: Makar Sankranti marks the first day of sun’s transit into Capricorn. The festival is observed with social festivities like colourful decorations, kite flying, bonfires, feasts, and dances.
• Bhogali Bihu: Bhogali Bihu marks the end of the harvesting season. The festival is marked by feasts and bonfires. Traditional Assamese games are held in rural places as part of the celebrations.
• Tusu Puja: Tusu Puja is celebrated at the time of harvest by the tea tribes. As part of the festival, folk goddess Tusu is worshipped. Tusu Puja is also known as ‘Til Sankranti’ in some places as ‘til’ (black sesame seed) is considered significant during the puja.
• Thiruvalluvar Day: Thiruvalluvar Day is celebrated in honour of celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The day is celebrated at the end of the three-day festival of Pongal.
• Uzhavar Tirunal: Uzhavar Tirunal, a farmer’s festival is celebrated when the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn. The festival is celebrated with lots of joy and gaiety. As part of the festival, women sing and dance to music that is specific to the festival.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthday:  The day is celebrated in honour of Subhas Chandra Bose. A prominent freedom fighter, Bose fondly called ‘Netaji’ was instrumental in establishing the Indian National Army (INA). On his birthday, his role in the country’s freedom struggle is remembered.
• Sonam Lhochar: The festival is celebrated by the Tamang community and it marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. As part of the festival, men and women adorn traditional attires, dance to the rhythmic beats of ‘damphu’ and enjoy exotic Tamang cuisine.
• Himachal Statehood Day: The day is celebrated to mark Himachal Pradesh becoming the 18th state of the country on 25 January 1971.
• Vasant Panchami: A Hindu festival, Vasant Panchami highlights the incoming of spring. The festival is centred on the Hindu goddess Sarasvati. As part of the festival, people dress in yellow and feast on ‘kesar halwa’ which is made of flour, sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder. Students place their books, pens, and pencils near the feet of the goddess and seek her blessings.
• Me-dam-me-phi: An auspicious festival, Me-dam-me-phi is celebrated by the Ahom people to show respect to the departed ancestors. The festival helps in creating unity, developing the feeling of brotherhood and mutual understanding among each other.

Given that we have provided you the list of holidays for January 2020, you can start planning a vacation with your near and dear ones straight away.

Being the first month of the calendar year, January has many holidays. The month has one national holiday called ‘Republic Day’, which is celebrated on 26 January every year. The entire country celebrates this national holiday. Regional holidays in January 2019 vary based on the customs and traditions of different states. As a result, festival holidays tend to differ from one state to another. Let’s understand more about the month of January.

List of Holidays in January 2019

India celebrates Republic Day, a national holiday, and a lot of regional public holidays in January 2019.

The following table outlines the list of holidays in January 2019:

List of Monthly Holidays

A bank holiday is a day on which only the banks remain closed, while everything else functions as usual. It differs from one state to another. The regular bank holidays are observed on the second and fourth Saturdays every month. While the second Saturday falls on 12 January 2019, the fourth Saturday of the month falls on the 26th. The list of India bank holidays 2019 is useful if you are one of those seeking banking services frequently.

Bank Holidays in January 2019 in India

List of Trading Holidays 2019

Festival and Holidays in India 2019

India is a land of festivals. In the country, celebrations are an integral part of every month. There have been many reasons behind these occasions and celebrations. The exclusivity about each festival is that they are celebrated in various parts of the nation under diverse names. Like mentioned earlier, January has many festivals to celebrate.

Description of Holidays in January 2019

• New Year’s Day: New Year’s Day or New Year is the first public holiday observed on 1 January every year. The day marks the commencement of the year. The celebrations will differ depending upon the culture.

• Missionary Day: Missionary Day is a Christian festival celebrated only in the state of Mizoram. The Christians pray at churches. Schools, colleges and government offices shall remain closed on account of Missionary Day in the state.

• Swami Vivekananda Birthday: West Bengal celebrates the birthday of Swami Vivekananda every year on the 12th January. Other parts of the country also celebrate the birthday of the great Hindu philosopher. Programs are organised by the branches of Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math.

• Bhogi: Bhogi usually falls on 13 January every year, if not on 14, as per the Gregorian calendar. It is the first day of the 4-day festival of Pongal.

• Pongal: The festival of Pongal is dedicated to the Sun God and usually observed on 14 January every year. People celebrate this festival to thank the Sun God for a prosperous harvest, especially in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

• Sankranti: Sankranti, also known as Makar Sankranti and Maghi, is one of the Hindu festival holidays falling in the month of January every year. The festival signifies the first day of the movement of the Sun into the Makar.

• Tusu Puja: Tusu Puja is a special festival for the tea communities of Assam. They worship Goddess Tusu, who is believed to be a folk goddess of the tea communities in the state.

• Thiruvalluvar Day: Thiruvalluvar Day, a public holiday in January 2019, is celebrated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It falls on the 15th of January every year if not on the 16th.

• Uzhavar Tirunal: Uzhavar Tirunal, a public holiday in January 2019, is celebrated to convey thanks to friends and families for helping in the harvest.

• Jayanti of Subhas Chandra Bose: Subhas Chandra Bose was a prominent freedom fighter and his contributions to the country have been memorable. His birthday is observed on 23 January 2019 in various states.

• Chhotu Ram Jayanti: Haryana celebrates Chhotu Ram Jayanti every year on 25 January to recall the memories of this great politician.

• Statehood Day: Statehood Day is always celebrated on 25 January every year to celebrate the formation of Himachal Pradesh.

• Republic Day: Republic Day is one among the three national holidays and is celebrated on 26 January every year. Celebrations include the Republic Day Parade held in Delhi, which is a grand affair and is watched by citizens all over the country and even abroad.

• Me-dam-me-phi: Me-dam-me-phi is an auspicious festival for the people of Assam who worship ancestors. The festival is observed on 31 January every year and is the last festival holiday falling in January.  

Destination to visit during the holidays in January 2019

• Zanskar, Jammu and Kashmir: The thrill of taking a walk on the snow makes Zanskar one of the best tourist destination to visit this January. The places you can visit in Zanskar are Panikhar, Patnitop, Drang Drung glacier, etc.

• Auli, Uttarakhand: Auli is a famous skiing place in India. The natural landscape covered in snow makes it a beautiful spot to visit in January. Capturing the 180-degree sight of Nanda Devi range is thrilling.

• Delhi: The charm of the city of Delhi and the special celebration of Republic Day lure many tourists in January. Since Republic Day falls on Saturday this year, you can plan a trip to Delhi to spend a day or two.

• Jaipur: It is ideal to visit Jaipur, Rajasthan, popularly known as the pink city of India, during the months of November and February as the temperatures are much lower. During the summer, Jaipur experiences scorching heat. January is a good time to visit Jaipur to enjoy its breathtaking heritage sites.

• Kutch: Kutch, Gujarat, is another charming tourist place to visit during January 2019 India holidays. Tourists can attend Rann Utsav and relax on its surreal beaches.

Holiday Destinations In India