List of Federal Holidays

List of Federal Holidays

As a general rule with all holidays, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is celebrated on the Friday before. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed that Monday

• New Year’s Day (January 1).

• • • New Year’s Day is held on the 1st of January of the New Year,  the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar.
    • It is common tradition for people to make ‘New Year’s Resolutions’, in which people will make themselves a promise that something will change in the next year, such as to stop smoking, and begin on that promise on New Year’s Day.
    • On June 28th, 1870, Congress passed a statute that gave employees New Year’s Day the day off. By 1885, it was extended to be a holiday for all federal employees in the United States.

• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January).

• • • Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist and American Baptist minister. In the American civil rights movement, he was a prominent leader and spokesperson.
    • Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King was there to support a sanitation workers strike.
    • Martin Luther King, Jr Day is the only national holiday that is designed to be a day of service. The holiday encourages citizens to volunteer to improve their communities, and to remember the injustices that Martin Luther King, Jr fought for.

• Washington’s Birthday (Third Monday in February).

• • • In remembrance of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732.

• Mother’s Day (Second Sunday in May)
  • • While Mother’s Day is not considered a public holiday, it is a legal national holiday, and celebrated in over 50 countries around the world.
    • Mother’s day has been a holiday throughout history, originating when ancient Greeks would honor the mother of the Gods, Rhea. However, Mother’s Day did not gain much traction as a holiday in the United States until 1907, a woman named Miss Anna began a movement to have a national holiday for Mother’s Day, in honor of her mother. The movement gained traction in church groups, but it was not until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
• Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

• • • To honor and mourn U.S. military personnel. This holiday is in honor of those who have died in carrying out their duties. 

• Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19).

• • • June 19 is the 170th day of the year and is a federal holiday to celebrate the emancipation of slavery.
    • Juneteenth was signed as a national holiday by President Joe Biden, on June 17th, 2021.
    • The day of June 16th, 1865 was when the abolition of slavery in Texas was announced, emancipating all slaves throughout the southern states.
    • President Abraham Lincoln had abolished slavery on January 1st, 1863, yet two and a half years later Union troops discovered that proclamation had not yet reached Texas and other southern areas. General Gordon Granger would then formally announced that the emancipation had taken place, from a balcony of the former Confederate Army headquarters.
  • Independence Day (July 4). 
    • Also called Fourth of July, this holiday is the annual celebration of nationhood. It honors the acceptance of the Declaration of Independence by Congress.
    • June 4th, 1776 is the day that the United States of America proclaimed independence from England with the Declaration of Independence.
    • Independence Day gained popularity as a holiday following the War of 1812 against the British.
    • In 1870 Independence Day was marked an unpaid holiday for federal employees. It was not until 1941 that Congress formally declared Independence Day to be a paid federal holiday.
    • Independence Day is commonly celebrated by Americans with parades, fireworks, barbecues, and other outdoor activities. The holiday is seen by citizens as a day to be proud of their American nationality.

• Labor Day (First Monday in September).

• • • To honor the works of laborers in the achievements and developments of the United States. A day to recognize the American labor movement.
    • Labor Day has been celebrated as a national holiday in both the United States and its neighboring country of Canada since 1894.
    • Labor Day is celebrated by citizens as a day off from work, and the end of the summer season.

• United States Indigenous People’s Day (Second Monday in October).

• • • Formally known as Columbus Day, President Joe Biden recognized the holiday as United States Indigenous People’s Day instead on October 8th, 2021. This change of name was in honor of the indigenous people of the United States, and recognizing how Columbus and other European explorers hurt those people.
    • Christopher Columbus arrived in America on October 12, 1492, so US indigenous People’s Day is celebrated on the second Monday.
    • The name of ‘United States Indigenous People’s Day’ was first introduced 1977 to a United Nations conference. The holiday was first instituted in Berkley, California in 1992, and has gained popularity ever since.

• Veterans Day (November 11).

• • • Celebrated to people who have served in the United States Armed Forces and honor military veterans
    • The date of November 11th was put in place to recall the end of World War I, which ended on that date in 1918.
    • A traditional observation that takes place on this holiday occurs at 11AM, to honor all those that fought for peace.
    • It was not until 1954 that Congress replaced the name of the holiday to honor all veterans, not just those that served in World War I.
    • Parades commonly will take place to honor veterans and the holiday, with many businesses also offering free items and deals to those who have served.

• Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November).

• • • Modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims and Native Americans, to celebrate the harvest of the past year.
    • The first Thanksgiving was celebrated for three straight days, with settlers inviting indigenous peoples to come feast with them to celebrate the harvest, and them allowing the Pilgrims to be there.
    • President George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in 1789, yet it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln formally proclaimed the holiday of Thanksgiving to take place every year.
    • Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering together their families and loved ones, giving thanks for all that they are thankful for, and commonly eating meals of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pies. The meals that Americans eat today honor some of the same plates that the Pilgrim had in 1621.

• Christmas Day (December 25).

• • • Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. A Christian and commercial holiday, over two thirds of the world’s population celebrates Christmas.
    • Christmas is a day of giving in the United States. Families and loved ones will gather to give gifts and celebrate their relationships. While being a Christian holiday, even non-Christian people will celebrate Christmas. The holiday has become more than just a Christian holiday in the United States and other countries around the world.
    • Christmas has different traditions in the United States. People will give gifts and feast, but will also do other activities. People commonly will go Christmas Caroling around the time of Christmas, a tradition of singing Christmas songs to neighbors and on the sides of streets. Citizens are also known to honor the Mistletoe, a flower that if two people are standing under it at the same time they must kiss.