US Federal Holidays 2026: Dates, Observed Days and What Employers Must Do

Short answer: There are 11 US federal holidays in 2026. New Year’s Day is Thursday, January 1, and Christmas Day is Friday, December 25. Because July 4, 2026 falls on a Saturday, federal employees observe Independence Day on Friday, July 3. Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) is not a federal holiday. Private employers are not required by federal law to give these days off or pay extra for them.

Calendar of US federal holidays in 2026 — US federal holidays 2026 at a glance.

2026 federal holiday calendar

Holiday	Date	Day
New Year’s Day	January 1, 2026	Thursday
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	January 19, 2026	Monday
Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day)	February 16, 2026	Monday
Memorial Day	May 25, 2026	Monday
Juneteenth	June 19, 2026	Friday
Independence Day	July 4, 2026 (observed Friday, July 3)	Saturday
Labor Day	September 7, 2026	Monday
Columbus Day	October 12, 2026	Monday
Veterans Day	November 11, 2026	Wednesday
Thanksgiving Day	November 26, 2026	Thursday
Christmas Day	December 25, 2026	Friday

Federal rule for weekends: a holiday on a Saturday is observed by federal employees on the Friday before, and a holiday on a Sunday on the Monday after.

Is Christmas Eve a business day?

Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday, so it is a regular business day unless an employer chooses to close. The same applies to the day after Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

What private employers need to know

No federal requirement: the FLSA does not require private employers to give paid holidays or pay a premium for working on a holiday.
Your policy decides: holiday pay, premium rates and eligibility come from your handbook or contracts. See holiday pay rules.
Overtime still applies: hours over 40 in a workweek are overtime for non-exempt employees, holiday or not.
Plan coverage early: use a holiday coverage schedule and read our holiday scheduling guide.

To estimate pay for employees who work a holiday, use the holiday pay calculator. This is general information, not legal advice.

Schedule holidays with EZTime

With EZTime scheduling, managers build holiday shifts, handle time-off requests against the schedule and get overtime alerts before the week closes.

Frequently asked questions

How many federal holidays are there in 2026?

Eleven.

When is July 4 observed in 2026?

July 4, 2026 is a Saturday, so federal employees observe it on Friday, July 3.

Is Christmas Eve 2026 a federal holiday?

No. Thursday, December 24, 2026 is not a federal holiday.

Do private employers have to give federal holidays off?

No. Federal law does not require private employers to give paid holidays; it depends on company policy and any applicable contract.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

Thursday, November 26, 2026.

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Updated November 2026. General information only; not legal advice.