# What day is New Year's Day this year?

*Federal law fixes New Year's Day on January 1, and because January 1, 2028, is a Saturday, most federal employees get that holiday on Friday, December 31, 2027.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Culture
- By: Culture Desk
- Published: 2026-11-12T00:56:00-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T00:56:00-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/

## Key facts

- New Year's Day 2026 was Thursday, January 1, 2026, and the next New Year's Day is Friday, January 1, 2027, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management holiday schedule. Source: [U.S. Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:54:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/#new-year-s-day-2026-was-thursday-january-1-2026-and-the-next
- Federal law lists New Year's Day, January 1, as a legal public holiday. 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 2026-11-12T00:54:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/#federal-law-lists-new-year-s-day-january-1-as-a-legal-public
- The federal holiday schedule for 2028 lists New Year's Day on Friday, December 31, 2027, because a holiday that falls on a Saturday is treated as a holiday on the Friday before. Source: [U.S. Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:54:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/#the-federal-holiday-schedule-for-2028-lists-new-year-s-day
- The U.S. Postal Service lists Friday, January 1, New Year's Day, among its 2027 holidays. Source: [U.S. Postal Service](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/events/). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:54:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/#the-u-s-postal-service-lists-friday-january-1-new-year-s-day
- The New York Stock Exchange holiday calendar lists New Year's Day on Friday, January 1, 2027, and no New Year's Day holiday in 2028, when January 1 is a Saturday. Source: [New York Stock Exchange](https://www.nyse.com/markets/hours-calendars). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:54:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/what-day-is-new-year-s-day-this-year/#the-new-york-stock-exchange-holiday-calendar-lists-new-year

New Year's Day this year was Thursday, January 1, 2026, and the next New Year's Day is Friday, January 1, 2027, according to the [federal holiday schedule](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

## What day of the week New Year's Day falls on

The section of federal law that lists the legal public holidays, [5 U.S.C. 6103](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/html/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartE-chap61-subchapI-sec6103.htm), names "New Year's Day, January 1." The date never changes, so the day of the week moves each year. The Office of Personnel Management [schedule](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) gives these days for the federal holiday.

| Year | New Year's Day federal holiday |
| --- | --- |
| 2026 | Thursday, January 1, 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, December 31, 2027 |
| 2029 | Monday, January 1, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, January 1, 2030 |

## Why the 2028 holiday is on December 31, 2027

January 1, 2028, is a Saturday. The Office of Personnel Management [says](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) that when a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday before is treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes for most federal employees, and that a holiday on a Sunday moves to the following Monday. That is why its 2028 schedule lists New Year's Day on Friday, December 31, 2027. The full list is in [What are the federal holidays?](/culture/what-are-the-federal-holidays/)

## Mail on New Year's Day

The U.S. Postal Service lists Friday, January 1, New Year's Day, among its [2027 holidays](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/events/). The other postal holidays are in [What holidays is the post office closed?](/culture/what-holidays-is-the-post-office-closed/) The bank schedule is in [What holidays are banks closed?](/culture/what-holidays-are-banks-closed/)

## The stock market on New Year's Day

The New York Stock Exchange [holiday calendar](https://www.nyse.com/markets/hours-calendars) lists New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026, and on Friday, January 1, 2027. For 2028 the calendar lists no holiday and says, "Because the holiday falls on Saturday, January 1, 2028, no New Year's Day holiday is observed." That differs from the federal schedule, which moves the 2028 holiday to the Friday before. The rest of the calendar is in [What are the stock market holidays?](/markets/what-are-the-stock-market-holidays/)

## The holidays around New Year's Day

The federal holiday before New Year's Day on the Office of Personnel Management [schedule](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) is Christmas Day, on Friday, December 25, 2026, covered in [What day is Christmas this year?](/culture/what-day-is-christmas-this-year/) The next one after New Year's Day is the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, January 18, 2027.

## Sources

1. [Federal Holidays](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/), U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026-11-12 (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, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
3. [Holidays and events](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/events/), U.S. Postal Service, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
4. [Holidays and Trading Hours](https://www.nyse.com/markets/hours-calendars), New York Stock Exchange, 2026-11-12 (primary source)