| Holiday | Rule in 5 U.S.C. §6103(a) | 2026 date | Day off (Mon–Fri staff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Thursday, January 1, 2026 | Same day |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | the third Monday in January | Monday, January 19, 2026 | Same day |
| Washington's Birthday | the third Monday in February | Monday, February 16, 2026 | Same day |
| Memorial Day | the last Monday in May | Monday, May 25, 2026 | Same day |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 19 | Friday, June 19, 2026 | Same day |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday, July 4, 2026 | Friday, July 3, 2026 |
| Labor Day | the first Monday in September | Monday, September 7, 2026 | Same day |
| Columbus Day | the second Monday in October | Monday, October 12, 2026 | Same day |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | Same day |
| Thanksgiving Day | the fourth Thursday in November | Thursday, November 26, 2026 | Same day |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday, December 25, 2026 | Same day |
When a holiday falls on a weekend
Five of the holidays are on fixed dates, so they sometimes land on a weekend. The other six are always on a Monday or a Thursday. For federal employees who work Monday to Friday:
- A holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before. The law says:
Instead of a holiday that occurs on a Saturday, the Friday immediately before is a legal public holiday for
employees whose basic workweek is Monday through Friday
(§6103(b)). - A holiday on a Sunday is observed on the Monday after. This rule is in Executive Order 11582 (1971), printed in the notes to §6103: an employee
shall be excused from work on the next workday of his basic workweek whenever a holiday falls on Sunday
(Sec. 3(a)).
The Office of Personnel Management puts it this way in the notes to its holiday tables: If a holiday falls on a Saturday, for most Federal employees, the preceding Friday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.
If a holiday falls on a Sunday, for most Federal employees, the following Monday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.
In 2026 this moves Independence Day (Jul 4, 2026 → Jul 3, 2026).
Holiday names
The names in the table are the names in the law. Many people call Washington's Birthday "Presidents Day", but OPM notes that it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law
, and this page does the same.
Who gets these days off
Section 6103 sets holidays for federal employees. Private employers, schools, banks, the stock market and state governments are not bound by it and set their own schedules. Many follow the same list, but check with your employer.
Inauguration Day (January 20 every fourth year after 1965) is not in 2026. When it comes, it is a holiday only for federal employees in and around Washington, D.C. (§6103(c)).
Not federal holidays
Mother's Day (May 10, 2026) and Father's Day (Jun 21, 2026) are set by law but are not days off: The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day.
(36 U.S.C. §117) The third Sunday in June is Father's Day.
(36 U.S.C. §109)
Sources
5 U.S.C. §6103 — Holidays (United States Code, 2023 edition), U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo). Read 2026-10-03. The dates on this page are calculated from that text; see the method.
Federal Holidays (pay & leave), U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Read 2026-10-04. Its 2026 table matches the day-off column above.