Stock Market Holiday Calendar: Important Dates Every Investor Should Know
The stock market is an essential part of the economy, where people buy and sell shares of companies. However, the market does not operate every day. There are specific days when trading is closed due to holidays. These holidays are important because they affect trading plans and investment decisions. Understanding these dates helps investors plan their trades and avoid any last-minute surprises.
Why Stock Market Holidays Matter?
Stock market holidays matter for investors because trading is closed on those days. The stock exchanges are shut down on national festivals, religious events, or important days. Investors cannot buy or sell shares when the market is closed for a holiday.
The holidays only apply to weekdays. If the actual event falls on a weekend, the stock market will just remain open as normal. Knowing the holiday calendar in advance helps investors plan trades and investments properly. Any big news that happens on the actual holiday will only affect stock prices when trading resumes after the holiday. Those who invest globally need to check different countries’ market
holidays, too, since every exchange can have different closed dates. Being aware of all the stock market holidays allows investors to schedule their trading activities more effectively.
List of Stock Market Holidays in 2025
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India has announced the following trading holidays for 2025:
Holidays on Weekdays
- Mahashivratri – February 26, 2025 (Wednesday)
- Holi – March 14, 2025 (Friday)
- Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramadan Eid) – March 31, 2025 (Monday)
- Shri Mahavir Jayanti – April 10, 2025 (Thursday)
- Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti – April 14, 2025 (Monday)
- Good Friday – April 18, 2025 (Friday)
- Maharashtra Day – May 1, 2025 (Thursday)
- Independence Day / Parsi New Year – August 15, 2025 (Friday)
- Shri Ganesh Chaturthi – August 27, 2025 (Wednesday)
- Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti / Dussehra – October 2, 2025 (Thursday)
- Diwali Laxmi Pujan – October 21, 2025 (Tuesday)
- Balipratipada – October 22, 2025 (Wednesday)
- Prakash Gurpurab Sri Guru Nanak Dev – November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)
- Christmas – December 25, 2025 (Thursday)
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Holidays Falling on Weekends
- Republic Day – January 26, 2025 (Sunday)
- Shri Ram Navami – April 6, 2025 (Sunday)
- Bakri Id – June 7, 2025 (Saturday)
- Muharram – July 6, 2025 (Sunday)
How Holidays Impact Trading
Stock market holidays significantly influence trading activity and liquidity in the following key ways:
- No Trading Activity: On scheduled market holidays, investors and traders cannot execute any buy or sell orders on stocks. Existing orders also remain pending, only getting executed when trading resumes on the next working day. This leads to a complete halt of trading activity on holidays.
- Market Reaction to Events: If any major domestic economic or political events occur on a share market holiday, the market reacts to those developments when trading resumes next. This can result in gap-up or gap-down openings.
- Lower Liquidity Before Events: The trading session typically witnesses lower market volumes and liquidity on the day before a major holiday. This is due to investors closing open positions and squaring off books ahead of the trading break.
- Global Market Impact: When the Indian stock market remains closed on a holiday but international markets stay open, offshore investors may react to global cues. This gets reflected when domestic trading resumes, causing volatility.
Conclusion
Keeping track of the stock market holiday calendar is vital for investors and traders to plan trades effectively, manage risks properly, and stay prepared for potential market movements. As the market remains closed on certain pre-determined days every year, routinely checking the updated holiday list before executing trades enables making well-informed investment decisions and avoids facing any trading inconveniences.
Maintaining awareness of closures also assists in strategising positions around days when the market remains shut. In a nutshell, understanding scheduled market holidays equips market participants to organise trading activity productively.