Federal Holidays
Overview
Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the public holidays listed in these pages for Federal employees. Please note that most Federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a nonworkday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday).
To see holidays for a specific year, please select the tab labeled with your year of interest.
2020
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Wednesday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 20 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 17* | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 25 | Memorial Day |
Friday, July 3** | Independence Day |
Monday, September 7 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 12 | Columbus Day |
Wednesday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 26 | Thanksgiving Day |
Friday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
**July 4, 2020 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, July 3, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)
2019
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Tuesday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 21 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 18* | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 27 | Memorial Day |
Thursday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 2 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 14 | Columbus Day |
Monday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 28 | Thanksgiving Day |
Wednesday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
2018
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Monday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 15 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 19* | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 28 | Memorial Day |
Wednesday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 3 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 8 | Columbus Day |
Monday, November 12** | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 22 | Thanksgiving Day |
Tuesday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
**November 11, 2018 (the legal public holiday for Veterans Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, November 12, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
2017
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Monday, January 2* | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 16 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 20** | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 29 | Memorial Day |
Tuesday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 4 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 9 | Columbus Day |
Friday, November 10*** | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 23 | Thanksgiving Day |
Monday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*January 1, 2017 (the legal public holiday for New Year’s Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, January 2, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
Note:
Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017, falls on a Friday. An employee who works in the District of Columbia, Montgomery or Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington or Fairfax Counties in Virginia, or the cities of Alexandria or Fairfax in Virginia, and who is regularly scheduled to perform nonovertime work on Inauguration Day, is entitled to a holiday. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(c).) There is no in-lieu-of holiday for employees who are not regularly scheduled to work on Inauguration Day./p>
** This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
*** November 11, 2017 (the legal public holiday for Veterans Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, November 10, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)
2016
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Friday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 18 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 15* | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 30 | Memorial Day |
Monday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 5 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 10 | Columbus Day |
Friday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 24 | Thanksgiving Day |
Monday, December 26** | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
** December 25, 2016 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, December 26, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
2015
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Thursday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 19 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 16* | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 25 | Memorial Day |
Friday, July 3** | Independence Day |
Monday, September 7 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 12 | Columbus Day |
Wednesday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 26 | Thanksgiving Day |
Friday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
** July 4, 2015 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, July 3, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)
2014
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Wednesday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 20 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 17 * | Washington’s Birthday |
Monday, May 26 | Memorial Day |
Friday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 1 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 13 | Columbus Day |
Tuesday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 27 | Thanksgiving Day |
Thursday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
2013
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Tuesday, January 1 | New Year's Day |
Monday, January 21 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 18 * | Washington's Birthday |
Monday, May 27 | Memorial Day |
Thursday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 2 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 14 | Columbus Day |
Monday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 28 | Thanksgiving Day |
Wednesday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
Note:
This year, the Inauguration Day holiday falls on Monday, January 21, 2013, which is also the legal public holiday for the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(c).) For Federal employees who work in the District of Columbia, Montgomery or Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington or Fairfax Counties in Virginia, or the cities of Alexandria or Fairfax in Virginia, Inauguration Day is observed concurrently with the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. Federal employees in these areas are not entitled to an in-lieu-of holiday for Inauguration Day.
* This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
2012
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Monday, January 2 * | New Year's Day |
Monday, January 16 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 20 ** | Washington's Birthday |
Monday, May 28 | Memorial Day |
Wednesday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 3 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 8 | Columbus Day |
Monday, November 12 *** | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 22 | Thanksgiving Day |
Tuesday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
* January 1, 2012 (the legal public holiday for New Year's Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, January 2, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
** This holiday is designated as "Washington's Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
*** November 11, 2012 (the legal public holiday for Veterans Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, November 12, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
2011
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
Friday, December 31, 2010 * | New Year's Day |
Monday, January 17 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Monday, February 21 ** | Washington's Birthday |
Monday, May 30 | Memorial Day |
Monday, July 4 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 5 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 10 | Columbus Day |
Friday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 24 | Thanksgiving Day |
Tuesday, December 26 *** | Christmas Day |
* January 1, 2011 (the legal public holiday for New Year’s Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, December 31, 2010, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)
** This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
*** December 25, 2011 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, December 26, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)