Federal Holidays: Dates, Observance Rules, and Holiday Pay

Federal holidays are the 11 days each year that Congress has designated in Title 5 of the U.S. Code, closing federal offices, giving most federal employees a paid day off, and pushing court filing and tax deadlines to the next business day.¹ Private employers face no federal requirement to close, give the day off, or pay extra.²

2026 Federal Holiday Dates

New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, January 19
Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 16
Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19
Independence Day: Saturday, July 4 (observed Friday, July 3)
Labor Day: Monday, September 7
Columbus Day: Monday, October 12
Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
Christmas Day: Friday, December 25

Only Independence Day falls on a weekend in 2026, so federal employees on a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule get Friday, July 3, off instead.³

The 11 Holidays and What They Mark

Six holidays fall on fixed calendar dates: New Year’s Day (January 1), Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Veterans Day (November 11), and Christmas Day (December 25). The others land on a designated Monday, except Thanksgiving, which is always the fourth Thursday in November.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the third Monday in January. Washington’s Birthday is the third Monday in February. Despite the “Presidents Day” branding used by retailers and some states, the federal statute still calls it Washington’s Birthday.³ Memorial Day falls on the last Monday in May. Labor Day is the first Monday in September. Columbus Day sits on the second Monday in October, though many state and local governments have renamed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day.¹

Juneteenth is the newest addition. President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021.⁴

How Weekend Holidays Get Observed

Fixed-date holidays sometimes fall on a Saturday or Sunday. The rules differ depending on which one.

When a holiday lands on a Saturday, federal employees on a standard weekday schedule get the preceding Friday off. That rule is written into 5 U.S.C. § 6103(b).¹ When a holiday lands on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the observed holiday under Executive Order 11582, signed in 1971.³

Employees on alternative schedules, such as Tuesday-through-Saturday shifts, get the workday immediately before their regular non-workday off instead, so nobody loses a paid holiday because of how the calendar falls.

Inauguration Day Is a Separate Case

Every four years, January 20 is a federal holiday, but only for a limited group. Under 5 U.S.C. § 6103(c), Inauguration Day is a paid holiday only for federal employees who work in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.¹ The most recent Inauguration Day holiday was January 20, 2025. The next is January 20, 2029. If the date lands on a Sunday, the publicly observed inauguration date becomes the holiday.

When the President Adds a Day

The 11 holidays in the statute are the permanent list. Beyond them, the President can issue an executive order excusing federal employees from work on a specific date, typically for a national day of mourning after a former president’s death or to extend a holiday weekend. Employees excused this way receive their regular pay, and those required to work for national security or other essential reasons earn holiday premium pay.⁵ These declarations are one-offs. Only Congress can add a permanent holiday by amending 5 U.S.C. § 6103.

Private Sector Employers Are Not Required to Observe

No federal law requires a private company to close, give employees the day off, or pay extra on any federal holiday. The Department of Labor treats holiday benefits in the private sector as a matter of agreement between employer and employee.² Whether you get paid holidays depends on your employment contract, collective bargaining agreement, or company handbook.

The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require premium pay for holiday work. Hours worked on Christmas count the same as hours worked on a random Tuesday. Overtime applies only when your total hours exceed 40 in a workweek, no matter which days those hours fell on.⁶ Many employers offer time-and-a-half or double time on holidays, but that’s a company policy choice. A handful of states impose premium-pay rules in certain industries.

Federal Employee Holiday Pay

Federal workers called in on a holiday are treated differently. Under 5 U.S.C. § 5546, a federal employee who works on a holiday receives their basic rate of pay for the day plus premium pay at the same basic rate for up to eight hours of non-overtime holiday work. That effectively doubles the hourly rate for a standard holiday shift. Any employee required to work even briefly on a holiday is guaranteed at least two hours of holiday premium pay.⁷

Court Filing and Tax Deadlines

Federal holidays automatically push legal and tax deadlines. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, if the last day of a filing period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next day that is not one of those.⁸ Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 26 applies the same rule in the appellate courts.⁹ Both rules define “legal holiday” to include all 11 statutory holidays plus any day the President or Congress declares one.

The IRS follows a similar rule under 26 U.S.C. § 7503. A tax filing or payment deadline that falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday moves to the next business day.¹⁰ For IRS purposes, “legal holiday” means a holiday recognized in the District of Columbia plus statewide legal holidays in the state where your IRS office is located. A state holiday that is not on the federal list can still shift your tax deadline if your IRS service center sits in that state.

What Is Actually Closed

The U.S. Postal Service suspends regular mail delivery on all 11 federal holidays.¹¹ Federal Reserve Banks close, which delays check clearing, wire transfers, and ACH processing; banks that depend on Fed settlement systems cannot complete certain transactions on these days, so direct deposits and interbank transfers effectively pause.¹² Federal courts close, though electronic filing systems remain accessible.

Stock markets follow their own calendars. In 2026, the NYSE will close for only nine of the 11 federal holidays, skipping Columbus Day and Veterans Day. The exchanges also close on Good Friday, which is not a federal holiday.¹³ The NYSE closes early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve.¹⁴ Retailers, restaurants, and hospitals set their own hours; nothing in federal law tells them to close.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays
2
U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay
3
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays
4
Congress.gov. S.475 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Act
5
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Closing of Federal Government Departments and Agencies on Wednesday, December 24, 2025 and Friday, December 26, 2025
6
U.S. Department of Labor. Questions and Answers About the Fair Labor Standards Act – Section: Wages, Pay and Benefits
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 5546 – Pay for Sunday and Holiday Work
8
Cornell Law School – Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
9
Cornell Law School – Legal Information Institute. Rule 26 – Computing and Extending Time
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7503 – Time for Performance of Acts Where Last Day Falls on Saturday, Sunday, or Legal Holiday
11
USPS. Holidays and Events
12
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Holidays Observed – K.8
13
NYSE. NYSE Group Announces 2025, 2026 and 2027 Holiday and Early Closings Calendar
14
NYSE. Holidays and Trading Hours