# What are the federal holidays?

*Federal law names 11 legal public holidays, and the Office of Personnel Management publishes the day each one is observed in 2026 and 2027.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Culture
- By: Culture Desk
- Published: 2026-11-11T22:53:00-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T22:53:00-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/

## Key facts

- Federal law lists 11 legal public holidays, from New Year's Day on January 1 to Christmas Day on December 25. Source: [U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/#federal-law-lists-11-legal-public-holidays-from-new-year-s
- Five of the 11 holidays have a fixed calendar date in the law, five are set to a Monday and Thanksgiving Day is set to the fourth Thursday in November. Source: [U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/#five-of-the-11-holidays-have-a-fixed-calendar-date-in-the
- For most federal employees, a holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, and a holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed on the Monday after. Source: [U.S. Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/#for-most-federal-employees-a-holiday-that-falls-on-a
- The last two federal holidays on the 2026 schedule are Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26, and Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. Source: [U.S. Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/#the-last-two-federal-holidays-on-the-2026-schedule-are
- Inauguration Day, January 20 of each fourth year after 1965, is a legal public holiday for federal employees in the Washington, DC, area. Source: [U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/#inauguration-day-january-20-of-each-fourth-year-after-1965

The federal holidays are the 11 legal public holidays listed in [5 U.S.C. 6103](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm): New Year's Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management says on its [federal holidays page](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) that this law establishes the public holidays for federal employees.

## The 11 federal holidays and how the law sets each date

[The law](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm) gives five holidays a fixed calendar date, sets five to a Monday and sets Thanksgiving Day to a Thursday.

| Holiday | Date in the law |
| --- | --- |
| New Year's Day | January 1 |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Third Monday in January |
| Washington's Birthday | Third Monday in February |
| Memorial Day | Last Monday in May |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 19 |
| Independence Day | July 4 |
| Labor Day | First Monday in September |
| Columbus Day | Second Monday in October |
| Veterans Day | November 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Fourth Thursday in November |
| Christmas Day | December 25 |

## Federal holiday dates in 2026 and 2027

The Office of Personnel Management publishes the day each holiday is observed, and its [schedule](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) gives these dates for 2026 and 2027.

| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Year's Day | Thursday, January 1 | Friday, January 1 |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Monday, January 19 | Monday, January 18 |
| Washington's Birthday | Monday, February 16 | Monday, February 15 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 | Monday, May 31 |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | Friday, June 19 | Friday, June 18 |
| Independence Day | Friday, July 3 | Monday, July 5 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7 | Monday, September 6 |
| Columbus Day | Monday, October 12 | Monday, October 11 |
| Veterans Day | Wednesday, November 11 | Thursday, November 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 | Thursday, November 25 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 | Friday, December 24 |

Four dates in the table differ from the date in the law: Independence Day in 2026, and Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day and Christmas Day in 2027. The schedule marks each of them with its note on holidays that fall on a weekend, which the next section explains. A separate page covers [when Thanksgiving is in 2026](/culture/when-is-thanksgiving-2026/).

## What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend

The Office of Personnel Management [says](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) most federal employees work a Monday through Friday schedule. For those employees, a holiday that falls on a Saturday is treated as a holiday on the Friday before for pay and leave purposes, and a holiday that falls on a Sunday is treated as a holiday on the Monday after. The agency cites 5 U.S.C. 6103(b) for the Saturday rule and Section 3(a) of Executive Order 11582, dated February 11, 1971, for the Sunday rule.

## Why the list says Washington's Birthday

The holiday on the third Monday in February is named Washington's Birthday in [the law](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm). The Office of Personnel Management [notes](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) that state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, and it says of its own practice, "it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law."

## Inauguration Day

The same section of [the law](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm) makes Inauguration Day, January 20 of each fourth year after 1965, a legal public holiday for federal employees who work in the District of Columbia, in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland, in Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and in the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia. The Office of Personnel Management's [2025 schedule](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) lists it on Monday, January 20, 2025, and its 2026 and 2027 schedules do not list it.

## Sources

1. [Federal Holidays](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/), U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
2. [5 U.S.C. 6103, Holidays, United States Code, 2024 Edition](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm), U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2026-11-11 (primary source)