Public holidays in the United States

What is a federal holiday?

The United States has eleven federal holidays, set by Congress: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. On these days federal offices close, there is no regular mail delivery and banks that follow the Federal Reserve schedule are usually closed.

Strictly speaking, federal holidays apply to federal employees and the District of Columbia. Each state sets its own legal holidays, and most follow the federal list closely, sometimes adding days of their own. Private employers decide for themselves which holidays they give off; federal law does not require paid holidays in the private sector.

Monday holidays and observed dates

Five federal holidays always fall on a Monday. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day and Columbus Day to fixed Mondays to give workers more three-day weekends, joining Labor Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created as a Monday holiday from the start. Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

The other holidays have a fixed date. When one of them falls on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; when it falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the Monday after. Many states and businesses follow the same rule, but not all do, so it's worth checking with your employer.

Fixed and moving dates

Some holidays have the same date every year, such as New Year's Day and Christmas Day; only the day of the week changes. Others are tied to a weekday in a particular month, or move with Easter. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the 21st of March, so it can fall anywhere between late March and late April. In 2026 it falls on April 5.

Other well-known days

Besides the official holidays, this site also lists days that many people mark but that are not days off, such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Halloween. In 2026 there are 17 of them. For each day you can read where it comes from, how the date is set and which traditions go with it.