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{{short description|U.S. government holidays}}{{About|National government holidays|other uses}}{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}

factoids

| holiday_name = National holidays in the United States| nickname =| significance =| observedby = U.S. government| scheduling =| observances = * New Year's Day

• 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
• Christmas Day| date =| duration =| frequency =| mdy = yes| celebrations =| type = National

}}National holidays in the United States are 11 calendar dates designated by the U.S. federal government as official holidays. On these days non-essential national offices are closed although the employees receive pay.WEB, Holidays,weblink U.S. Department of Commerce, 12 November 2022,weblink 2022-09-13, en, National holidays are designated by the United States Congress in Title V of the United States Code ({{usc|5|6103}}). Congress only has authority to create holidays for national institutions (including federally-owned properties), employees, and the District of Columbia. As a general rule of courtesy, custom, and sometimes regulation, other institutions, such as banks, businesses, schools, and the financial markets, may be closed on national holidays. In various parts of the country, state and city holidays may be observed concurrently with national holidays.

History

The history of national holidays in the United States dates back to June 28, 1870, when Congress created national holidays "to correspond with similar laws of States around the District...and...in every State of the Union."WEB,weblink Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices, Congressional Research Service, www.fas.org, 2014-05-09, 2015-06-15,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150924133453weblink">weblink September 24, 2015, live, mdy-all, Although at first applicable only to federal employees in the District of Columbia, Congress extended coverage in 1885 to all federal employees.The original four holidays in 1870 were:

• New Year's Day
• Independence Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

George Washington's Birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. In 1888 and 1894, respectively, Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) and Labor Day were created. Armistice Day was established in 1938 to honor the end of World War I, and the scope of the holiday was expanded to honor Americans who fought in World War II and the Korean War when it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act gave several holidays "floating" dates so that they always fall on a Monday, and also established Columbus Day.In 1983, Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law, and it was first observed three years later, although some states resisted making it a state holiday. It was finally celebrated both nationally and by each of the states in 2000.NEWS, Church, George, 1983-10-31,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150618161744weblink">weblink dead, 2015-06-18, A National Holiday for King, Time (magazine), Time, Time Inc., Time Inc, June 18, 2015, On June 17, 2021, Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.WEB, Meg, Wagner, Melissa, Mahtani, Melissa, Macaya, Veronica, Rocha, Fernando, Alfonso III, 2021-06-17, Live updates: Biden signs Juneteenth bill,weblink 2021-06-17, CNN, en, Whitehouse.gov: Bill Signed: S. 475WEB,weblink A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021, June 18, 2021, The White House, June 19, 2021, WEB,weblink Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, June 18, 2021, The White House, June 19, 2021, Christmas Day as a federal or public holiday is sometimes objected to by various sources,WEB,weblink Christmas Should Not Be a National Holiday, Robin, Marci, 2014-12-09, 2015-09-07, Time Inc., Time Inc, time.com,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151018212510weblink">weblink October 18, 2015, live, mdy-all, WEB,weblink Let's Observe Dec. 25, but not as Christmas, Gaylor, Annie, 2013-04-19, 2015-09-07, The New York Times,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170202002900weblink">weblink February 2, 2017, live, mdy-all, WEB,weblink Why Should the Federal Government Celebrate the Birth of a God, 2011-12-10, 2015-09-07, Daily Kos, www.dailykos.com,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151018212510weblink">weblink October 18, 2015, live, mdy-all, usually due to its ties with Christianity. In December 1999, the Western Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, in the case Ganulin v. United States, denied the charge that Christmas Day's federal status violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, ruling that "the Christmas holiday has become largely secularized", and that "by giving federal employees a paid vacation day on Christmas, the government is doing no more than recognizing the cultural significance of the holiday".WEB,weblink Ganulin v. U.S.: Court Rules U.S. Government Can Recognize Christmas as Official Paid Holiday, Austin Cline, 1999-12-07, skepticism.org, Austin Cline, 2017-01-20,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151018212510weblink">weblink October 18, 2015, dead, mdy-all, WEB,weblink GANULIN v. U.S., 1999-12-06, www.leagle.com, Leagle, Inc., 2017-01-20,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151018212510weblink">weblink October 18, 2015, live, mdy-all,

List of federal holidays

Most of the 11WEB,weblink US Department of Commerce, Federal, state, and local holidays, hr.commerce.gov, 2017-01-20,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160126083035weblink">weblink January 26, 2016, dead, mdy-all, U.S. federal holidays are also state holidays. Five of the "floating" date holidays always fall on a Monday, the remaining floating holiday, Thanksgiving, is always on a Thursday. The rest are on fixed dates. A fixed date holiday that falls on a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is usually observed for federal employees on the closest weekday: a holiday falling on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday, while a holiday falling on a Sunday is observed on the succeeding Monday.WEB,weblink Federal Holidays, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, www.opm.gov, 2021-11-13,weblink November 10, 2021, live, mdy-all, The official names come from the statute that defines holidays for federal employees.{| class="wikitable" style="background:#efefef;"! scope="col" style="width: 8em;" | Date! scope="col" style="width: 10em;" | Official NameWEB,weblink 5 U.S. Code § 6103 – Holidays, Cornell University Law School - Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu, 2014-03-03,weblink July 9, 2017, live, mdy-all, !Date established! scope="col" | Details! scope="row" | January 1(Fixed date) New Year's Day|June 28, 1870Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down to 12:00 midnight on the preceding night, New Year's Eve, often with fireworks displays and parties. The Times Square Ball>ball drop at Times Square in New York City, broadcast live on television nationwide, has become a national New Year's festivity. Serves as the traditional end of the Christmas and holiday season.HTTP://WWW.INFOPLEASE.COM/SPOT/NEWYEARCELEBRATIONS.HTML>TITLE=NEW YEAR'S TRADITIONSPUBLISHER=INFOPLEASEDATE=2004-12-16ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150905100116/HTTP://WWW.INFOPLEASE.COM/SPOT/NEWYEARCELEBRATIONS.HTMLURL-STATUS=LIVE, mdy-all, ! scope="row" | January 15–21(3rd Monday)Martin Luther King Jr. Day>Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.DATE=2017-11-02 URL=HTTPS://WWW.POLITICO.COM/STORY/2017/11/02/REAGAN-ESTABLISHES-NATIONAL-HOLIDAY-FOR-MLK-NOV-2-1983-244328 WEBSITE=POLITICO, en, Martin Luther King Jr., a Civil rights movement>civil rights leader who was born on January 15, 1929. Some municipalities hold parades, and since the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act, it has become a day of citizen action volunteer service, sometimes referred to as the MLK Day of Service. The holiday is observed on the third Monday of January, and is combined with other holidays in several states.! scope="row" | February 15–21(3rd Monday)Presidents' Day>Washington's Birthday|1879George Washington, Founding Father of the United States>Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army, and the first U.S. president, who was born on February 22, 1732. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted the date of the commemoration from February 22 to the third Monday in February, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday. Because of this, combined with the fact that Abraham Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. The official name has never been changed.! scope="row" | May 25–31(last Monday)| Memorial Dayweblink | Honors U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Many municipalities hold parades with marching bands and an overall military theme, and the day marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. The holiday is observed on the last Monday in May.! scope="row" | June 19(Fixed date)Juneteenth>Juneteenth National Independence Day|June 17, 2021Emancipation Proclamation>emancipation of Slavery in the United States in the United States on the anniversary of the 1865 date when emancipation was announced in Galveston, Texas>Galveston, Texas. Celebratory traditions often include readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional songs, rodeos, street fairs, family reunions, cookouts, park parties, historical reenactments, and Miss Juneteenth contests.! scope="row" | July 4(Fixed date)Independence Day (United States)>Independence Day|1870 (unpaid holiday for federal employees)1938 (federal holiday)United States Declaration of Independence>Declaration of Independence from British rule. Parades, picnics, and cookouts are held during the day and fireworks are set off at night. On the day before this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.! scope="row" | September 1–7(1st Monday)| Labor Day|1894Labor history of the United States>labor movement. Over half of Americans celebrate Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer.52% Celebrate Labor Day As Unofficial End of Summer {{Webarchiveweblink >date=February 13, 2017 }}, Rasmussen Reports (September 3, 2012). Roughly 40% of employers require some employees to work on the holiday.[Over 40 Percent of Employers to Require Some to 'Labor' on Labor Day Holiday, According to Nationwide Bloomberg BNA Survey], Bloomberg BNA (August 27, 2015). The holiday is observed on the first Monday in September.! scope="row" | October 8–14(2nd Monday)| Columbus Day|1968Christopher Columbus, whose exploration of the Americas from 1492 to 1504 marked the beginning of large scale European immigration to the Americas. In some areas it is instead a celebration of Native Americans in the United States>Native Americans (Indigenous Peoples' Day (United States)). In other areas it celebrates Italy>Italian culture and heritage. The holiday is observed on the second Monday in October, and is one of two federal holidays where stock market trading is permitted.! scope="row" | November 11(Fixed date)| Veterans Day|1938| Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. It is observed on November 11 due to its origins as Armistice Day, recalling the end of World War I on that date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at 11:00, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. It became Veterans Day after World War II. It is one of two federal holidays where stock market trading is permitted.! scope="row" | November 22–28(4th Thursday)Thanksgiving (United States)>Thanksgiving Day|1941Thanksgiving dinner>turkey dinner. Several large Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are broadcast on television, and American football on Thanksgiving>football games are often held. The holiday is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. On the day after this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.! scope="row" | December 25(Fixed date)Christmas>Christmas Day|1870Liturgical year>Christian year, Christmas is observed as a commemoration of the birth of Jesus. Commonly celebrated by Christians and some non-Christians with various religious and secular traditions. On Christmas Eve>the day before this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.HTTPS://WWW.WESTGATERESORTS.COM/BLOG/12-DAYS-CHRISTMAS-NYC/>TITLE=CHRISTMAS IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICAFIRST=STANLEYACCESS-DATE=2022-03-23WESTGATE RESORTS>WEBSITE=WESTGATERESORTS.COMARCHIVE-DATE=OCTOBER 23, 2021DF=MDY-ALL,

• In some years where December 25 falls on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, various presidents have issued executive orders declaring a one-time holiday on either Christmas Eve (December 24) or the Day after Christmas (December 26),NEWS,weblink Obama makes Dec. 26 a holiday, November 19, 2023, December 5, 2014, Davidson, Joe, The Washington Post, WEB,weblink Christmas Eve to be a holiday for federal workers in 2018 after President Donald Trump issues executive order, November 19, 2023, December 19, 2018, ABC7 News, WEB,weblinkweblink live, January 21, 2022, November 19, 2023, December 7, 2007, Mathis, Sommer, DCist, Bush Gives Federal Employees Dec. 24 Off, to provide federal workers with a longer weekend.

Inauguration Day, held on January 20 every four years following a quadrennial presidential election, is considered a paid holiday for federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area by the Office of Personnel Management. It is not considered a federal holiday in the United States equivalent to the eleven holidays mentioned above.WEB, Holidays Work Schedules and Pay,weblink 2021-06-17, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, en, Although many states recognize most or all federal holidays as state holidays, the federal government cannot enact laws to compel them to do so. States can recognize other days as state holidays that are not federal holidays. For example, the State of Texas recognizes all federal holidays except Columbus Day, and recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas as state holidays.WEB,weblink Official Texas State Holidays, 2017, www.tsl.texas.gov, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 2017-01-20,weblink April 13, 2014, live, mdy-all, Texas does not follow the federal rule of closing either the Friday before, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, or the Monday after if a holiday falls on a Sunday. Offices are open on those Fridays or Mondays. Texas has "partial staffing holidays", such as March 2, which is Texas Independence Day, and "optional holidays", such as Good Friday.Private employers are not required to observe federal or state holidays, the key exception being federally-chartered banks. Some private employers, often by a union contract, pay a differential such as time-and-a-half or double-time to employees who work on some federal holidays. Employees not specifically covered by a union contract, might only receive their standard pay for working on a federal holiday, depending on the company policy.

Legal holidays due to presidential proclamation

Federal law also provides for the declaration of other public holidays by the President of the United States. Generally the president will provide a reasoning behind the elevation of the day, and call on the people of the United States to observe the day "with appropriate ceremonies and activities."Examples of presidentially declared holidays were the days of the funerals for former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Gerald Ford; federal government offices were closed and employees given a paid holiday.In addition, occasionally the President will grant Christmas Eve as a holiday or partial holiday (the latter generally being 4 hours for full-time employees).

Proposed federal holidays

Many federal holidays have been proposed. As the U.S. federal government is a large employer, the holidays are expensive. If a holiday is controversial, opposition will generally prevent bills enacting them from passing. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking King's birthday, took much effort to passWEB,weblink Good Question: What Does It Take For A Federal Holiday?, Jason DeRusha, 2012-01-16, 2017-01-20, minnesota.cbslocal.com, CBS Local Media,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140201181214weblink">weblink February 1, 2014, live, mdy-all, and for all states to recognize it. It was not until 2000 that this holiday was officially observed in all 50 states.WEB,weblink The History of Martin Luther King Day, Shmuel, Ross, David, Johnson, InfoPlease, 2017-02-11, 2020-09-12, The following list is an example of holidays that have been proposed and reasons why they are not observed at the federal level. Some of these holidays are observed at the state level.{| class="wikitable" style="background:#efefef;"! scope="col" style="width: 9em;" | Date! scope="col" | Official Name! scope="col" | Details! scope="row" | February 15–21(3rd Monday) Susan B. Anthony DayCarolyn Maloney in H.R. 655 on February 11, 2011,HTTPS://WWW.GPO.GOV/FDSYS/PKG/BILLS-112HR655IH/HTML/BILLS-112HR655IH.HTMDATE=2011-02-11WEBSITE=WWW.GPO.GOVU.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE>ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20171201030849/HTTPS://WWW.GPO.GOV/FDSYS/PKG/BILLS-112HR655IH/HTML/BILLS-112HR655IH.HTMURL-STATUS=LIVE, mdy-all, and was not enacted. It would have fallen on the same day as Washington's Birthday.! scope="row" | March 10(Fixed date)| Harriet Tubman DayBrendan Boyle in H.R. 7013 in March 2022.SMITHURL=HTTPS://WWW.FEDSMITH.COM/2022/03/15/ANOTHER-FEDERAL-HOLIDAY-BILL-WOULD-CREATE-HARRIET-TUBMAN-DAY/WORK=FEDSMITH.COMACCESSDATE=MARCH 12, 2023, ! scope="row" | March 25–31(last Monday)| Cesar Chavez DayJoe Baca in H.R. 76 and was further endorsed by President Barack Obama.HTTP://WWW.CESARCHAVEZHOLIDAY.ORG/ACCESS-DATE=2017-01-20ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20131224063012/HTTP://WWW.CESARCHAVEZHOLIDAY.ORG/URL-STATUS=LIVE, mdy-all, ! scope="row" | May 15–21(3rd Monday)| Malcolm X DayCharles Rangel.HTTPS://WWW.CONGRESS.GOV/BILL/103RD-CONGRESS/HOUSE-JOINT-RESOLUTION/323DATE=1994-02-10PUBLISHER=LIBRARY OF CONGRESSARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20170201234712/HTTPS://WWW.CONGRESS.GOV/BILL/103RD-CONGRESS/HOUSE-JOINT-RESOLUTION/323URL-STATUS=LIVE, mdy-all, ! scope="row" | June 14(Fixed date)Flag Day (United States)>Flag DayHarry Truman signed it into law.HTTP://WWW.USFLAG.ORG/FLAG.DAY.HTMLAUTHOR=DUANE STREUFERTACCESS-DATE=2017-01-20ARCHIVE-DATE=FEBRUARY 24, 2014DF=MDY-ALL, ! scope="row" | September 11(Fixed date)September 11 attacks>September 11 Day of RemembranceLee Zeldin in H.R. 5303 and Senator Marsha Blackburn in S. 2735 in September 2021.SMITHURL=HTTPS://WWW.FEDSMITH.COM/2021/09/24/FEDERAL-HOLIDAYS-SEPTEMBER-11-PROPOSED/WORK=FEDSMITH.COMACCESSDATE=MARCH 12, 2023, ! scope="row" | September 15–21(3rd Monday)Native American Day>Native Americans' DayWEBSITE=WWW.BIA.GOVBUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS>ACCESS-DATE=2017-01-20ARCHIVE-DATE=FEBRUARY 2, 2017DF=MDY-ALL, ! scope="row" | November 2–8(Floating Tuesday Election day is designated by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November"WEB, 2 U.S. Code § 7 - Time of election,weblink law.cornell.edu, Cornell Law School, 13 April 2024, )Election Day (United States)>Election Day / Democracy DayNational Voter Registration Act of 1993>1993 Motor Voter Act", mainly to boost voter turnout.HTTPS://WWW.THEATLANTIC.COM/PAST/ISSUES/98OCT/ELECTDAY.HTM>TITLE=SHOULD ELECTION DAY BE A HOLIDAY?ACCESS-DATE=2017-01-20WEBSITE=WWW.THEATLANTIC.COMARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160513202301/HTTP://WWW.THEATLANTIC.COM/PAST/ISSUES/98OCT/ELECTDAY.HTMURL-STATUS=LIVE, mdy-all, ! scope="row" | December 1(Fixed date)| Rosa Parks Day

Controversy

{{Expand section|date=January 2024}}Some native American groups protest the observance of Columbus Day, mainly due to the controversy of Columbus' arrival to the Americas.BOOK,weblink On Persecution, Identity, and Activism, Cristogianni Borsella, 2005, Dante University Press, 2017-01-20, 9780937832417,weblink February 14, 2017, live, mdy-all, WEB,weblink Abolish Columbus Day, Glenn T. Morris, 2007-04-10, 2017-01-20, www.denverpost.com, The Denver Post,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170202004419weblink">weblink February 2, 2017, live, mdy-all, Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa,WEB,weblink Iowa marks first Indigenous Peoples Day, Duffy, Molly, The Gazette, 2019-10-11, Louisiana,WEB,weblink October 14 proclaimed to be Indigenous Peoples' Day in Louisiana, wafb.com, September 16, 2019, October 13, 2019, Maine, Michigan,WEB,weblink Minnesota,WEB,weblink Indigenous Peoples Day Proclamation, 2016-10-10, mn.gov, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina,WEB,weblink State Of North Carolina Indigenous Peoples' Day Proclamation, June 19, 2021, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont,NEWS, Mettler, Katie, Vermont passes bill abolishing Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day,weblink 15 December 2023, Washington Post, 20 April 2019, Washington, and Wisconsin do not recognize Columbus Day. Hawaii and South Dakota mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance. South Dakota is the only state to recognize Native American Day as an official state holiday.

See also

• List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation
• Public holidays in the United States

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

• Federal Holidays: Evolution and Application, CRS Report for Congress, 98-301 GOV, updated February 8, 1999, by Stephen W. Stathis
• United States Code: Federal Holidays (5 USC 6103)
• Official US Federal Holiday calendar
• US Federal holiday and special occasions calendar
• National Holidays in USA

{{US Federal Holidays}}