Public Holidays & Cuti Bersama in Indonesia 2026

Prophet Muhammad's Birthday / Maulid Nabi (Tentative) is a statutory national public holiday in Indonesia, observed on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal in the Islamic Hijri calendar to mark the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The date is subject to moon sighting and may shift by one or two days from the tentative date listed, following official Indonesian government confirmation. Indonesia has a particularly rich tradition of Maulid celebrations that weaves Islamic devotion with local cultural expression across the archipelago's diverse communities.

• ✦Maulid Nabi celebrations in Indonesia range from large-scale mosque gatherings featuring readings of the Barzanji (a classical Arabic text praising the Prophet) and communal meals, to uniquely local expressions such as Grebeg Maulud in Yogyakarta and Surakarta — a royal Javanese court ceremony featuring a procession of gunungan (mountains of food and produce) distributed to the public.
• ✦In Banten, West Java, the Maulid Nabi is marked by the distinctive Panjang Jimat tradition, a procession of sacred heirlooms from the Kasepuhan Palace; in Lombok, the Bayan community holds the Lebaran Topat ceremony — demonstrating how Indonesia's Maulid observances reflect the nation's extraordinary cultural diversity within a shared Islamic framework.

International Literacy Day on 8 September is observed in Indonesia through government programmes, school events, and campaigns by educational organisations, with particular relevance given Indonesia's ongoing efforts to improve literacy rates across its remote and rural provinces. The Ministry of Education and Culture typically marks the occasion with national programmes and announcements. It carries no public holiday status. ---

G30S/PKI Remembrance Day on 30 September marks the anniversary of the events of the night of 30 September to 1 October 1965, when a group of military officers killed six Indonesian Army generals in what became known as the September 30th Movement (Gerakan 30 September). The event triggered the fall of President Sukarno, the rise of General Suharto, and a brutal anti-communist purge in which an estimated 500,000 to one million people were killed. It is a deeply contested date in Indonesian history — under Suharto, a mandatory anti-communist film (Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI) was broadcast annually, a practice discontinued after reformasi. It is not a public holiday. ---

Pancasila Sanctity Day (Hari Kesaktian Pancasila) on 1 October is a national observance in Indonesia, established by the Suharto government to counter the events of 30 September 1965 by affirming the invincibility (kesaktian) of the Pancasila over communist ideology. Flag-raising ceremonies and moments of reflection are held at government institutions. It carries no public holiday status and its observance has become less formalised in the post-Suharto reformasi era. ---

Halloween on 31 October is an informal cultural observance in Indonesia with no public holiday status and no roots in Indonesian cultural or religious tradition. It is observed through themed parties and events in tourist areas, expatriate communities, shopping malls, and entertainment venues in Jakarta, Bali, and Surabaya. Its visibility is limited compared to countries with Western cultural traditions. ---

Heroes' Day (Hari Pahlawan) on 10 November is a nationally observed commemorative day in Indonesia, marking the Battle of Surabaya on 10 November 1945 — one of the bloodiest battles of the Indonesian National Revolution, in which Indonesian fighters resisted British and Dutch forces in a fierce urban struggle that galvanised the independence movement. The day honours all Indonesian national heroes and is marked with flag ceremonies, visits to hero cemeteries (Taman Makam Pahlawan), and civic programmes across the country. It is not a statutory public holiday but is formally observed by government institutions. ---

National Father's Day (Hari Ayah) on 12 November is an Indonesian national observance celebrating fathers and paternal figures, established in 2006. Unlike many countries that observe Father's Day on a Sunday in June, Indonesia's Hari Ayah falls on a fixed date in November. It carries no public holiday status but is acknowledged in schools, families, and on social media across the country. ---

National Mother's Day (Hari Ibu) on 22 December is Indonesia's officially established Mother's Day, commemorating the First Indonesian Women's Congress (Kongres Perempuan Indonesia I) held in Yogyakarta on 22 December 1928 — a landmark gathering of women's organisations that addressed education, marriage law, and women's rights. It differs from the international Mother's Day in May and carries a civic dimension beyond the personal, reflecting the women's movement's contributions to Indonesian national development. It is not a statutory public holiday but is widely observed through school events, government ceremonies, and family celebrations. ---

Christmas Eve on 24 December is a meaningful cultural and religious occasion for Indonesia's Christian communities, with midnight Mass services held at Catholic and Protestant churches across the country — particularly in Christian-majority regions of Eastern Indonesia, North Sumatra, and among urban Christian communities in Jakarta and other major cities. It carries no public holiday status but is warmly observed within Christian communities. Shopping centres and hotels in tourist areas often run Christmas Eve programmes catering to the broader Indonesian and international public. ---

Christmas Day on 25 December is a statutory national public holiday in Indonesia, recognised in acknowledgement of the country's significant and diverse Christian population across its many islands and provinces. It is one of only a few Muslim-majority countries to designate Christmas as a national public holiday, reflecting Indonesia's Pancasila principle of religious coexistence. Christmas is observed with church services, family meals, and community celebrations, particularly in Christian-majority provinces including North Sulawesi, North Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, and the Papua provinces.

• ✦Christmas church services at large Protestant and Catholic congregations in Manado, Ambon, Kupang, Jayapura, and Jakarta's major Christian churches draw substantial congregations, with services sometimes held across multiple shifts to accommodate the numbers of worshippers.
• ✦Christmas in Indonesia is celebrated alongside the country's remarkable religious plurality — in many Indonesian cities and neighbourhoods, Muslim neighbours exchange greetings and visit Christian families on Christmas Day, and some community mosques illuminate Christmas decorations in a spirit of neighbourly solidarity (toleransi) that reflects the Indonesian ideal of rukun (social harmony).

Boxing Day Celebrations on 26 December are informally observed in parts of Indonesia, primarily in regions with historical British colonial connections or strong Christian community ties, as well as in tourist areas catering to international visitors. It carries no public holiday status in Indonesia. Most Christmas-period activities in Indonesia centre on Christmas Day itself and New Year's Eve rather than an organised Boxing Day tradition. ---

New Year's Eve on 31 December is one of the most festive evenings of the Indonesian calendar, celebrated with large public countdowns, fireworks, concerts, and gatherings in major cities and tourist destinations. Jakarta's Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia Roundabout) and Bali's Seminyak and Kuta areas are among the most popular public celebration points, drawing enormous crowds. It carries no public holiday status, though 1 January is a statutory public holiday, making the overnight celebration a natural prelude to the official holiday. ---