List of Federal Holidays - FederalPay.org

2025 / 2026 Federal Holiday Schedule

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† When a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, most employees observed the holiday on the previous Friday or following Monday, respectively (5 U.S.C. 6103(b) and Executive Order 11582 3(a)).

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Use the links below to download or print holidays tables. The calendar link can be used to import federal holidays into any major calendar softwares including Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar, Google Calendar. You can use the JSON or XML link to add federal holidays into your website or application.

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Federal Holiday FAQ

What are all the federal holidays?

There are eleven (11) federal holidays.

1. New Year's Day - January 1st
2. Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. - Third Monday of January
3. Washington's Birthday - Third Monday of February
4. Memorial Day - Last Monday of May
5. Juneteenth - June 19th
6. Independence Day - July 4th
7. Labor day - First Monday of September
8. Columbus Day - Second Monday of October
9. Veterans Day - November 11th
10. Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday of November
11. Christmas Day - December 25th

Is the post office closed on federal holidays?

The Postal Service is part of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. That means USPS is required to observe all federal holidays. All post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered on MLK Day, President's Day, Columbus Day, and all other federal holidays.

If New Year's Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be observed as a federal holiday. This occurred on January 1st, 2022. That year January only had one holiday and the preceding December had have a holiday on December 31st, 2021. In 2023, January 1st was a Sunday so the holiday was be observed on January 2nd.

When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June 2021. As part of America's racial reckoning, which included removal statues of Confederate soldiers and movements such as Black Lives Matter, Congress passed the "Juneteenth National Independence Day Act" which made June 19th a federal holiday. This holiday commemorates the day when the last African America slaves in the United States were informed of their freedom in 1865.

If New Year's Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be observed as a federal holiday. This occurred on January 1st, 2022. That year January only had one holiday and the preceding December had a holiday on December 31st, 2021. In 2023, January 1st was a Sunday so the holiday was be observed on January 2nd.

Can federal employees receive paid leave for Religious Holidays?

Federal employees are permitted to modify their work schedules to accommodate religious observances that require one to abstain from work during regular working hours. Common examples of this are Jewish employees taking off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur or Muslim employees taking off work for Eid Ul-Fitr.

When an employee takes off work for a religious observance, they are required to make up the time or take personal leave. The hours worked in lieu of regular working schedule may not entitle the employee to premium pay (for working on a weekend or overtime).

Employees are required to provide a written request for schedule adjustment. The request must state the schedule adjustment is for a religious holiday and must state when the time will be made up. Supervisors are required to approve religious leave unless the adjusted schedule would "interfere with the efficient accomplishment of the agency's mission."

Note: Federal holidays are supposed to be non-religious. Christmas is the only federal holiday directly related to a religion. There have been objections to this in the past, but changes are unlikely.

Are federal employees paid on federal holidays?

Yes, if a federal employee is regularly scheduled to work on a federal holiday, then they receive paid time off. If an employee is deemed "essential" and cannot take off for a holiday they will receive premium pay. Military personnel are paid by salary and get paid the same amount whether they work 365 days per year or 2.

Are all federal employees off work on federal holidays?

All non-essential employees are off on federal holidays. It is up to an employee's supervisor to determine if a position is essential. Essential personnel will receive premium pay during the holiday plus a future day of administrative leave.

Are armed forces off for federal holidays?

The schedule for military personnel varies by unit. Soldiers should always confirm with their local chain of command whether they have a federal or training holiday. Holidays are not guaranteed. Military personnel are paid the same whether they work 365 days per year or 2.

What is "early release" before federal holidays?

Supervisors may authorize an early release or late open due to weather, emergency situations, or before holidays. Early releases or late opens vary by location and are not government-wide or agency-wide like federal holidays.

Which Days are Federal Holidays?

Is Inauguration Day a Federal Holiday?

On Inauguration Day, federal employees who work in Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George's County, MD; Arlington County, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Arlington City, VA; or Fairfax City, VA, and who are regularly schedules to work that day receive paid administrative leave (5 U.S.C. 6103(c)).

Inauguration day is January 20th each fourth year (2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, etc). January 20, 2013 was a Sunday so no one received a paid time off then.

Is the day after Thanksgiving a Federal Holiday?

No, the day after Thanksgiving (often called Black Friday) is not a federal holiday. Federal employees must use accrued personal time to take off the day after thanksgiving if they wish to be off work. Note: The New York Stock Exchange observes an abbreviated day of trading on the day after Thanksgiving, closing at 1:30pm instead of 4:00pm as normal.

Is Good Friday a Federal Holiday?

No, Good Friday and Easter Monday are not Federal Holidays. All federal holidays are non-religious (other than Christmas Day). Note: The New York Stock Exchange is closed for trading on Good Friday.

Is the day before Christmas a Federal Holiday?

When Christmas falls on a Tuesday it is common for the president to issue an executive order giving federal employees paid administrative leave on the Monday before (Christmas Eve). President Trump did this on December 24, 2018.

President George W. Bush did this in 2001 and 2007. President Barack Obama did the same in 2012. In 2014, Christmas was on a Thursday and President Obama gave federal employees off on Friday, December 26th, the day after Christmas.

On Thursday, December 24, 2020, President Trump declared a federal holiday. In President Trumps remarks he made it sound like Christmas Eve was permanently a federal holiday. That is not the case. Only for 2020 was it a holiday. Trump's remarks also made it sound like he was the first president to declare Christmas Eve a holiday. This is also untrue. George W. Bush and Barack Obama did the same thing.

Is it a holiday when a president dies?

Most federal employees are off work when the president declares a National Day of Mourning. This has happened every time a sitting or past president has died since the 1950s. On a National Day of Morning federal employees will receive paid leave.

Essential personal still have to work but they will receive premium pay (x1.5) plus a future day of administrative leave. The Post Office will also be closed on a National Day of Morning.

At the time of writing this, the living former presidents are Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The last president to pass away was George H.W. Bush. He died on November 30, 2018 and a National Day of Mourning was observed on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Federal Holidays By Month

What federal holidays are in January?

There are two federal holidays in January:

• New Year's Day (January 1st)
• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday of January)

What federal holidays are in April?

There are no federal holidays in April. The longest gap without a federal holiday is between Washington's Birthday in February until Memorial Day at the end of May. This is just over 3 months between holidays.

What federal holidays are in October?

There is just one federal holiday in October: Columbus Day. Columbus Day is on the second Monday of October which falls between October 8th and October 14th.

This holiday honors Christopher Columbus. Some places in the U.S. this holiday is instead used to celebrate Indigenous Peoples. Columbus Day is one of the two federal holidays on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) does not close.

What federal holidays are in November?

There are two federal holidays in November:

• Veterans Day (November 11th)
• Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday of November)

What federal holidays are in December?

December has just one federal holiday: Christmas Day. This is the only federal holiday with any religious affiliation and therefore has been contentious.

In years when January 1st (New Year's Day) is on a Saturday, the holiday is observed on the preceding day (December 31st). As a result, December 2021 will have two federal holidays.

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