February is a proud and reflective month in Sri Lanka (இலங்கை). It brings together a national celebration, a major Buddhist full moon, and one of the most important nights on the Hindu calendar — all within the first half of the month. This Sri Lanka Calendar February 2026 guide walks through all three holidays, explains what each one means, and gives you a full month grid plus a free downloadable copy for your own planning.
Whether you are arranging office leave, booking a trip around Independence Day, or simply want to know which days banks and schools stay closed, everything you need is laid out below in simple terms.
Sri Lanka February 2026 At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Month | February 2026 |
| Total days in the month | 28 |
| Public holidays | 3 (Navam Poya, Independence Day, Maha Shivaratri) |
| Weekend days | 8 Saturdays and Sundays |
| First day of the month | Sunday, 1 February 2026 |
| National holiday | Independence Day – 4 February, Wednesday |
| Interesting quirk | Two of the three February holidays fall on a Sunday this year |
Public Holidays in Sri Lanka – February 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Mainly Observed By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2026 | Sunday | Navam Full Moon Poya Day | Buddhist and Sinhala community, nationwide holiday |
| 4 February 2026 | Wednesday | Independence Day | National holiday, observed by all Sri Lankans |
| 15 February 2026 | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri Day | Tamil and Hindu community, nationwide holiday |
All three are gazetted public holidays, so government offices, banks, and most schools close nationwide on each date, regardless of which community observes them.
Download the Free Printable Sri Lanka Calendar – February 2026
To make planning easier, we have put together a simple, print-ready calendar for February 2026, with Navam Poya, Independence Day, and Maha Shivaratri clearly marked in both English and Tamil. You can download this calendar and print it for your office notice board, save it to your phone for quick reference, or attach it to a leave-planning email for your team. It is completely free to use for personal purposes — simply save the calendar grid and holiday table above as a PDF or image file, or use the download link provided with this article.
Navam Full Moon Poya Day – 1 February 2026
Navam Poya, falling on Sunday, 1 February 2026, is one of the more historically layered Poya days on the Buddhist calendar. It commemorates two connected events: the appointment of Buddha’s two chief disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, and the first gathering of 1,250 enlightened monks at which the Buddha delivered the Ovada Patimokkha — the foundational code of conduct that later shaped monastic discipline across the Buddhist world.
The most visible way Colombo marks this day is the Navam Maha Perahera, held at the Gangaramaya Temple beside Beira Lake. First staged in 1979, it has grown into one of the country’s largest Buddhist processions, ranking alongside the Kandy Esala Perahera and the Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera in scale. Over two consecutive nights, more than a thousand performers take part — Kandyan dancers, whip crackers, fire performers, drummers, and dozens of elaborately decorated elephants — parading around the temple and the lake. Because Gangaramaya sits right in the heart of Colombo, this perahera is one of the easiest major festivals for short-stay visitors to experience without travelling far from their hotel.
Beyond the perahera, devotees mark Navam Poya in the usual way that Poya days are observed across the island: temple visits, offering flowers and oil lamps, taking part in dana (almsgiving), and observing Sil, the heightened set of precepts many lay Buddhists undertake on full moon days.
Independence Day – 4 February 2026
Independence Day, falling on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, marks the anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence from British colonial rule in 1948, when the country was still known as Ceylon. It is the one truly national holiday in February — not tied to a single religion or community, but observed by all Sri Lankans together.
The main ceremony takes place at Galle Face Green in Colombo, or occasionally at a location chosen for that year, featuring a military parade, the raising of the national flag, cultural performances, and an address from the President. Schools across the country hold their own smaller flag-hoisting ceremonies in the days around 4 February, and national television broadcasts the main Colombo event live.
In Tamil, Independence Day is referred to as “விடுதலை தினம்,” and while the scale of celebration is naturally largest in Colombo, towns and cities across the island mark the day with their own local events, from school parades to community gatherings.
Maha Shivaratri Day – 15 February 2026
Maha Shivaratri (“மகா சிவராத்திரி”), falling on Sunday, 15 February 2026, is one of the most sacred nights of the year for Sri Lanka’s Hindu community. The name translates to “the great night of Shiva,” and it is observed with a night-long vigil dedicated to Lord Shiva, marking the mythological night of his cosmic dance and his union with Parvati.
Devotees typically observe a day-long fast, visit Shiva temples, and stay awake through the night chanting prayers and performing rituals at four separate intervals, believed to align with different phases of the night. The most significant pilgrimage site for this festival in Sri Lanka is the Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, perched dramatically on a cliff above the Indian Ocean and considered one of the five sacred Pancha Ishwarams dedicated to Shiva across the island. Thousands of devotees travel to Koneswaram specifically for Maha Shivaratri, alongside other well-known temples such as the Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil in Colombo.
Because Maha Shivaratri falls on a Sunday in 2026, temples expect especially large crowds that day, since many devotees who would otherwise be working can attend without needing separate leave.
Two Holidays, One Sunday Quirk in 2026
A small but interesting detail about February 2026 is that both Navam Poya (1 February) and Maha Shivaratri (15 February) land on a Sunday. That means, in terms of extra days off work, only Independence Day on 4 February actually creates a genuine bonus non-weekend holiday this year. It also means temples observing these two festivals should expect noticeably heavier footfall than usual, since regular Sunday visitors and holiday-specific devotees will be at temples on the very same day.
Long Weekend Options in February 2026
Independence Day, falling on Wednesday, 4 February, is the best opportunity for a short break this month. Taking a single day of leave on either Monday, 2 February or Thursday, 5 February would connect the holiday into a four-day weekend. Combining it with the Monday option gives you Saturday 31 January through Wednesday 4 February — useful if you also want to catch the tail end of the Navam Perahera festivities in Colombo before travelling elsewhere for Independence Day itself.
Weather and Travel Conditions in February
February continues Sri Lanka’s dry season on the west and south coasts, making it one of the most reliable months for beach holidays in Colombo, Bentota, Galle, and Mirissa, with daytime temperatures typically between 27°C and 31°C and relatively low rainfall.
The east coast, including Trincomalee, is transitioning out of its wetter months by February, though conditions can still be a little unsettled compared to the peak dry season from May to September in that region. Hill country areas like Nuwara Eliya and Ella remain cool and pleasant, ideal for travellers who want to pair a few beach days with a mountain escape in the same trip.
Since February overlaps with Sri Lanka’s peak tourist season, hotels along the south-west coast can fill up quickly, and prices are generally higher than in the quieter months later in the year. Booking ahead is worth it, especially around the Independence Day long weekend.
Other Days Worth Noting in February (Not Public Holidays)
A few dates are marked as observances in Sri Lanka during February without closing offices or banks:
- 21 February – International Mother Language Day, relevant to Sri Lanka’s multilingual Sinhala and Tamil population
- 27 February – World NGO Day
These are minor observance days rather than gazetted holidays and should not be confused with the three public holidays listed earlier in this guide.
Full February 2026 Calendar – Week by Week
February 2026 begins on Sunday, 1 February, and runs 28 days, ending on Saturday, 28 February.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Navam Poya | 2 | 3 | 4 – Independence Day | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 – Maha Shivaratri | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Notice that all three holidays sit in the first half of the month, leaving the last two weeks of February free of public holidays right through to March, when Medin Poya and the tentative Eid-ul-Fitr dates arrive.
How February Compares to the Rest of the Year
February carries three public holidays, a step up from January’s two, and stands out as the only month where a purely national holiday (Independence Day) sits alongside two religious observances from different communities. Few other months bring a Buddhist Poya, a Hindu festival, and a secular national holiday together within the same fourteen-day stretch, which makes February a genuinely representative snapshot of Sri Lanka’s multi-religious calendar as a whole.
How We Verified These Dates (Our Sources)
Getting a calendar date wrong can mean a missed flight, a closed bank, or a confused travel plan, so accuracy matters here more than in most other kinds of content. The dates in this guide were cross-checked against Sri Lanka’s official Government Gazette holiday circular for 2026, published by the Department of Government Printing, alongside holiday listings maintained by established Sri Lanka–focused travel and public holiday information sources, as well as details published by the Gangaramaya Temple and Koneswaram Temple regarding their respective festival programmes.
Poya days and Maha Shivaratri are both calculated according to lunar and astronomical cycles, so while all three dates above are confirmed for 2026 as things currently stand, it is always sensible to check the latest Gazette notice close to your actual travel or leave date, in case of a late official amendment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How many public holidays does Sri Lanka have in February 2026? Sri Lanka has three public holidays in February 2026: Navam Full Moon Poya Day on Sunday, 1 February; Independence Day on Wednesday, 4 February; and Maha Shivaratri Day on Sunday, 15 February.
Q2. What does Navam Poya Day commemorate? It commemorates the appointment of Buddha’s two chief disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, and the first gathering of enlightened monks, marked in Colombo by the Gangaramaya Navam Maha Perahera.
Q3. Why is Independence Day celebrated on 4 February? Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, gained independence from British colonial rule on 4 February 1948, and the day is marked with a national ceremony, usually held at Galle Face Green in Colombo.
Q4. Is there a long weekend in Sri Lanka in February 2026? Yes, around Independence Day. Taking a single day of leave on either Monday, 2 February or Thursday, 5 February extends the Wednesday holiday into a four-day weekend.
Q5. Where is Maha Shivaratri celebrated most in Sri Lanka? The Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, one of the five sacred Pancha Ishwarams of Lord Shiva on the island, draws the largest crowds of devotees for Maha Shivaratri each year.
Q6. Is February a good time to visit Sri Lanka? Yes, February falls within peak tourist season on the west and south coasts, with dry, sunny weather, though hotel prices are generally higher during this period.
Q7. Can I download this Sri Lanka calendar for February 2026? Yes. A free, printable version of this calendar, with all three holidays marked in English and Tamil, is available to save directly from this page for personal or office use.