Public holidays in the United States | |
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Observed by | Federal government State governments Local governments Private and public sector employers |
Type | National |
In the United States there are a number of observed holidays where employees receive paid time off. The labor force in the United States comprises about 62% (as of 2014) of the general population. [1] In the United States, 97% of the private sector businesses determine what days this sector of the population gets paid time off, according to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management. The following holidays are observed by the majority of US businesses with paid time off: New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, [2] Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after known as Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas. There are also numerous holidays on the state and local level that are observed to varying degrees.
This list of holidays is based on the official list of federal holidays by year from the US Government. The holidays however are at the discretion of employers whose statistics are measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Another list from the Society for Human Resource Management shows actual percentages of employers offering paid time off for each holiday. The term "major holiday" (bolded) coincides for those holidays that 90% or more of employers offered paid time off. [3] In 2020, Nike became the first company to mark Juneteenth as a paid holiday. [4]
Date | *Official name | Percentage of Americans celebrating | **Percentage of businesses offering paid time off [5] | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 1 (fixed) | New Year's Day [6] | 72% [7] | 96% | Celebrates beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down to 12:00 midnight on the preceding night, New Year's Eve, often with fireworks display and party. The ball drop at Times Square in New York City has become a national New Year's festivity. Traditional end of Christmas and holiday season. [8] |
January 15–21 (3rd Monday) | Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. | 26% [9] | 34–38% | Honors Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, who was actually born on January 15, 1929; combined with other holidays in several states. Some cities and municipalities hold parades; and more recently, the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act, which was passed to encourage Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service, has gained in popularity (sometimes referred to as a National Day of Service). |
January 20 or 21 | Inauguration Day | N/A | 0% | Celebrates the United States presidential inauguration, every 4 years. While this is a federal holiday, only federal employees in the Washington, DC area are entitled to a day off. Only Washington, DC observes this day besides the federal government. [10] |
February 15–21 (3rd Monday) | Washington's Birthday | 52% [11] | 34–35% | Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February (between February 15 and 21, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday). Because of this, combined with the fact that President Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day. [12] |
May 25–31 (last Monday) | Memorial Day | 21% [13] | 95% | Honors the nation's war dead from the Civil War onwards; marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season (traditionally May 30, shifted by the Uniform Holidays Act 1968). |
June 19 (fixed) | Juneteenth National Independence Day | 0-12% [14] [15] | 17 [16] -18% [17] | Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas — two months after the Confederacy had surrendered. That was also about 2+1⁄2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states. |
July 4 (fixed) | Independence Day | 79% | 97% | Celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from British rule, also called the Fourth of July or simply "The Fourth". Fireworks celebration are held in many cities throughout the country. |
September 1–7 (1st Monday) | Labor Day | 53%[ citation needed ] | 95% | Celebrates the achievements of workers and the labor movement; marks the unofficial end of the summer season. |
October 8–14 (2nd Monday) | Columbus Day | 8% [18] | 13–16% | Honors Christopher Columbus, the first European to land in mainland Americas after Leif Erikson. In a growing number of locations this day is observed as Indigenous Peoples' Day, in honor of the Native Americans who lived in the Americas long before Columbus "discovered" the area. |
November 11 (fixed) | Veterans Day | 43% [19] | 16–21% | Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 (major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour (GMT +1) of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect). |
November 22–28 (4th Thursday) | Thanksgiving Day | 87% [20] | 97% | Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest. Traditionally includes the sharing of a turkey dinner. |
December 25 (fixed) | Christmas Day | 90–95% [21] [22] | 94% | The most widely celebrated holiday of the Christian year, Christmas is observed as a commemoration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. |
An academic year typically spans from early fall to early summer, with two or three months of summer vacation marking the end of the year. K-12 public schools generally observe local, state, and federal holidays, plus additional days off around Thanksgiving, the period from before Christmas until after New Year's Day, a spring break (usually a week in April) and sometimes a winter break (a week in February or March). Two or three days per year are sometimes devoted to professional development for teachers and students have the day off.
Most colleges and universities divide the school year into two semesters. The fall semester often begins the day after Labor Day in early September and runs until mid-December. The spring semester typically starts in the middle or end of January and runs until May. Winter and summer classes might be offered in January and May–August. Major federal, state, and local holidays are often observed, including the day after and usually before Thanksgiving. Spring break is usually a week in March or early April, and in elementary and secondary school and college party culture traditionally involves a warm-weather trip.
Unscheduled weather-related cancellations and emergency cancellations can also affect school calendars.
When taking summer school or summer camp schedules into account, the Independence Day holiday on July 4 is usually a scheduled holiday observance for which the summer program closes.
The federal government sector labor force consisted of about 2,729,000 (as of 2014) of the total labor force of 150,539,900, which is about 2% of the total labor force or about 1% of the total population. In addition, state and local governments consist of another 19,134,000 bringing the total government sector employees to about 15% of the total labor force. [24] This sector of the population is entitled to paid time off designated as federal holidays by Congress in Title V of the United States Code (5 U.S.C. § 6103). Both federal and state government employees generally observe the same federal holidays.
US banks generally observe the federal holidays because of their reliance on the U.S. Federal Reserve for certain activities such as wire transfers and ACH transactions. [25] For example, JP Morgan Chase observes all federal holidays except Columbus Day, [26] while U.S. Bank observes all of them. [27]
The New York Stock Exchange also closely follows the federal holidays except for Columbus Day. However, the agency also has extra holidays on the day before Independence Day and Good Friday.
In general, most state governments observe the same holidays that the federal government observes. However, while that is true for most states, every state includes and omits holidays to fit the culture relevant to its population. "All federal holidays" in state observations below excludes Inauguration Day, which is only observed by Washington, DC, and federal employees in that area.
Holiday | Number of states observed with government offices closed | Remarks |
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New Year's Day Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day | 50 | These holidays are unanimously observed by the state governments of all 50 states. |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 45 | Signed into law in 1983, but not observed by all states until 2000, with Utah officially observing as a paid state holiday. Five states observe this day using alternate name "Civil Rights Day" or holiday is combined to also honor Robert E. Lee. |
Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) | 38 [28] | Alternatively observed separately as George Washington's or Lincoln's Birthday. |
Columbus Day | 23 [29] | Fewer than half the states recognize Columbus Day. |
Day after Thanksgiving | 18 [30] | Observed by Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. |
Good Friday | 13 [30] | Observed by Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and the US Virgin Islands. |
Christmas Eve | 12 | Observed by Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin |
Election Day | 10 | Observed by Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island |
Confederate Memorial Day | 7 | Observed by Alabama, Florida, [note 1] Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, [note 2] and Texas [note 3] (formerly observed by Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Virginia) |
Day after Christmas | 6 [30] [32] | Observed by Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and the US Virgin Islands. |
Lincoln's Birthday | 5 [30] | Observed by Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York |
New Year's Eve | 4 | Observed by Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. |
Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) was removed from California's education holiday calendar in 2009. [47]
[59] Florida's laws separately defines "paid holidays" versus "legal holidays", which does not have any obligation to include as "paid holidays".
[61] Florida's laws separate the definitions between paid versus legal holidays. The following list shows only the legal holidays that were not defined as "paid holidays":
Texas has three types of state holidays: those on which all state offices are closed, and "partial staffing" and "optional" holidays on which offices are open but with reduced staffing.
The following days are full holidays where all state offices are closed:
Texas law designates that the state businesses be "partially staffed" on the following holidays. These holidays can be replaced with an optional holiday per the state employee's choice, but will give up one of these in lieu of the optional holiday.
Texas law allows a state employee to replace a partial staffing holiday with one of the following holidays. On these holidays, the state agency is generally required to stay open with minimum staff.
[135] Wisconsin's public schools are obligated to observe the 21 days designated by Wisconsin Statute section 118.02 on the designated day unless the day falls on Saturday or Sunday, in which case would move the observance to either the preceding Friday or following Monday. The statutes require the public schools to include instruction relating to the holidays. In this list of holidays, all schools remain open.
While most federal holidays are observed at the state level, some of these holidays are observed with different names, are observed on different days, or completely not observed in some states of the United States. ^ a. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is known officially as Martin Luther King, Jr./Civil Rights Day in Arizona, [138] and New Hampshire, [139] Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Florida, [140] and Maryland, [141] Martin Luther King Jr. / Idaho Human Rights Day in Idaho, [142] Robert E. Lee/Martin Luther King Birthday in Alabama, and Martin Luther King's and Robert E. Lee's Birthdays in Mississippi. [143] ^ b. Washington's Birthday is known officially as President's Day in Alaska, [144] California, [145] Hawaii, [146] Idaho, [142] Maryland, [141] Nebraska, [147] New Hampshire, [139] Tennessee, [148] Washington, [149] West Virginia, [150] and Wyoming, [151] Washington-Lincoln Day in Colorado (CRS 24-11-101), [152] Ohio, [153] Lincoln/Washington/Presidents' Day in Arizona, [138] George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day in Arkansas, [154] Presidents' Day in Hawaii, [146] Massachusetts, [155] New Mexico, [156] North Dakota, [157] Oklahoma, [158] South Dakota, [159] Texas, [32] and Vermont, [160] Washington's Birthday/President's Day in Maine, [161] Presidents Day in Michigan, [162] Minnesota, [163] Nevada, [164] New Jersey, [165] and Oregon, [166] Lincoln's and Washington's Birthday in Montana, [167] Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah, [168] and George Washington Day in Virginia. [169] ^ The day after Thanksgiving is observed in lieu of Columbus Day in Minnesota. [163] ^ Columbus Day is listed as a state holiday in New Hampshire although state offices remain open. [139] ^ President's Day, Good Friday (11am–3pm), Juneteenth Day (June 19), Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Partisan Primary Election Day, and General Election Day are listed as a state holiday in Wisconsin although state offices remain open. [170] [171]
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide. Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities, with many people choosing to shop for deals on Boxing Day. It originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in several Commonwealth nations. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 27 or 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday. Boxing Day is also concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen's Day.
Public holidays in Australia refer to the holidays recognised in law in Australia. Although they are declared on a state and territory basis, they comprise a mixture of nationally celebrated days and holidays exclusive to the individual jurisdictions.
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It began, and now coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are commemorated in other countries, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement led to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.
Federal holidays in the United States are 11 calendar dates designated by the U.S. federal government as holidays. On these days non-essential U.S. federal government offices are closed and federal employees are paid for the day off.
In the United States, public holidays are set by federal, state, and local governments and are often observed by closing government offices or giving government employees paid time off. The federal government does not require private businesses to close or offer paid time off, as is the case for most state and local governments, so employers determine which holidays to observe.
Public holidays in Canada, known as statutory holidays, stat holidays, or simply stats, consist of a variety of cultural, nationalistic, and religious holidays that are legislated in Canada at the federal or provincial and territorial levels. While many of these holidays are honoured and acknowledged nationwide, provincial and territorial legislation varies in regard to which are officially recognized.
Public holidays in Malaysia are regulated at both federal and state levels, mainly based on a list of federal holidays observed nationwide plus a few additional holidays observed by each individual state and federal territory. The public holidays are a mix of secular holidays celebrating the nation and its history, and selected traditional holidays of the various ethnic and religious groups that make up the country.
Lincoln's Birthday is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, California, Missouri, and New York observe the holiday.
An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classes and do relevant exams and homework during this time, which comprises school days and school holidays. The duration of school days, holidays and school year varies across the world. The days in the school year depend on the state or country as In Maryland there are 180 days in a school year, but in Minnesota there are 165 days in the year.
Native American Day is a holiday observed in several US states in celebration of Native American culture. In California and Nevada, the holiday is designated on the fourth Friday of September, whereas in South Dakota and Wisconsin, it falls on the second Monday of October. Within each of these states, Native American Day honors the cultural contributions of Native American communities to the respective state's history, as well as to the overall country. The state of Washington celebrates Native American Heritage Day on the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November. The state of Tennessee observes a similar American Indian Day each year on the fourth Monday of September. President George W. Bush signed into law legislation introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-Calif.), to designate the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.
In business, the trading day or regular trading hours (RTH) is the time span that a stock exchange is open, as opposed to electronic or extended trading hours (ETH). For example, the New York Stock Exchange is, as of 2020, open from 9:30 AM Eastern Time to 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Trading days are usually Monday through Friday. When a trading day ends, all trading ends and is frozen in time until the next trading day begins. There are several special circumstances which would lead to a shortened trading day, or no trading day at all, such as on holidays or on days when a state funeral of a head of state is scheduled to take place.
The Christmas season or the festive season; also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from late November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrations during this time create a peak season for the retail sector extending to the end of the period. Christmas window displays and Christmas tree lighting ceremonies are customary traditions in various locales.
Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual Canadian holiday held on the second Monday in October. Outside the country, it may be referred to as Canadian Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the American holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions.
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Outside the country, it is sometimes called American Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions. It originated as a day of thanksgiving and harvest festival, with the theme of the holiday revolving around giving thanks and the centerpiece of celebrations remaining a Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil, Germany and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Various similarly named harvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
Lists of holidays by various categorizations.
Robert E. Lee Day is a state holiday in parts of the Southern US, commemorating the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. It is rooted in the rise of the Lost Cause myth prevalent throughout the Southern United States, as Lee was a central figure in Lost Cause mythology due to his social status, military exploits, and personality.
Presidents' Day, officially Washington's Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is often celebrated to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring Founding Father George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was from 1789 to 1797 the first U.S. president.
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