In the U.S., holidays are set by federal, state, and local governments. Typically, these are designated for government employees or public institutions. For instance, local school districts can decide on holiday schedules for their public schools. In areas with a predominant racial or religious group, the school district might respect their traditions and observe holidays important to that community.
Congress mandates federal holidays, and there are 11 of them. The most recent federal holiday was established on June 17, 2021, when President Biden signed into law the designation of June 19 as “Juneteenth National Independence Day.” This commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers informed a group of enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, that they were free.
Non-essential federal departments, including the USPS, observe these holidays. If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, it’s usually observed on the preceding Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is the observed holiday.
It’s important to note that while the federal government and Congress establish these federal holidays, they don’t have the authority to mandate them for everyone. These federal holidays apply to federal employees. State and local governments, schools, banks, hospitals, businesses, etc., are not bound by these federal holidays and can decide their holiday schedules.
That said, many local governments and businesses often observe some, if not all, federal holidays. For instance, banks typically close on federal holidays because the Federal Reserve is closed, and many banking tasks can’t be performed. Some federal holidays, like New Year’s Day, are celebrated worldwide due to their historical and traditional significance. Besides, communities across the U.S. celebrate many other holidays not recognized as federal holidays.
The 11 U.S. Federal Holidays
| Holiday | Description |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1st celebrates the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | The third Monday of January commemorates the birth of the renowned civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is January 15, 1929. |
| Presidents’ Day | The third Monday of February, also known as “Washington’s Birthday,” honors George Washington, who was born on February 22, 1732. |
| Memorial Day | The last Monday of May pays tribute to American soldiers who have died in military service. |
| Juneteenth | June 19th marks the day when slavery officially ended in the U.S. |
| Independence Day | July 4th celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. |
| Labor Day | The first Monday of September honors the American labor movement. |
| Columbus Day | The second Monday of October remembers Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas on October 12, 1492. |
| Veterans Day | November 11th honors military veterans, marking the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. |
| Thanksgiving Day | The fourth Thursday of November is a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest. |
| Christmas Day | December 25th celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. |
2023/2024 Major U.S. Holiday Calendar
In the table below, green indicates federal holidays. Yellow points to non-federal holidays but are popular or uniquely celebrated across the U.S.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
April 2024 | ||||||
1April Fools’ Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22Earth Day | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | ||||
May 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5Cinco de Mayo | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12Mother’s Day | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27Memorial Day | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
June 2024 | ||||||
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16Father’s Day | 17 | 18 | 19Juneteenth | 20Summer Solstice | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | ||||||
July 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4Independence Day | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21National Ice Cream Day | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
August 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4Friendship Day | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26National Dog Day | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
September 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2Labor Day | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8Grandparents Day | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17Constitution Day; Mid-Autumn Day | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | |||||
October 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14Columbus Day | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31Halloween | ||
November 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11Veterans Day | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28Thanksgiving Day | 29Black Friday | 30 |
December 2024 | ||||||
1 | 2Cyber Monday | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24Christmas Eve | 25Christmas Day | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | 31New Year’s Eve | ||||
2025年1月 | ||||||
1新年 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20马丁路德金日、总统就职日 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
2025年2月 | ||||||
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14情人节 | 15 |
16 | 17总统日（华盛顿生日） | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | |
2025年3月 | ||||||
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17圣帕特里克节（绿帽子节） | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 | |||||
2025年4月 | ||||||
1愚人节 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15报税截止日 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20复活节 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
2025年5月 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11母亲节 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26阵亡将士纪念日 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Non-federal holidays celebrated by many
Given Americans’ love for celebrations and various religious backgrounds, some holidays, even if they aren’t official like Easter, are observed with days off in many places. Also, some holidays, originally unrelated to the U.S. like Cinco de Mayo (commemorating the Mexican Army’s victory in 1862), gained popularity, especially in states like California. Below are some non-federal holidays that have become popular or have a distinct character in the U.S., along with their dates.
| Celebrations | Introduction | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The First Quarter | |||
| Inauguration Day | Every four years, on January 20th, federal employees in the D.C. area get the day off for the presidential inauguration. | n/a | n/a |
| Groundhog Day | Celebrated on February 2, this day revolves around a folklore tradition where a groundhog’s behavior predicts the arrival of spring. | 2/2/2023 | 2/2/2024 |
| Super Bowl Sunday | The annual championship game of the NFL, typically held on the first Sunday of February. | 2/5/2023 | 2/4/2024 |
| Valentine’s Day | Recognized on February 14, it’s a day for showing love and affection to partners, family, and friends. | 2/14/2023 | 2/14/2024 |
| Mardi Gras | Also referred to as Fat Tuesday, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday and has significant celebrations in places like New Orleans. Its date changes yearly, depending on when Easter falls. | 2/21/2023 | 2/13/2024 |
| St. Patrick’s Day | Observed on March 17, this day honors Ireland’s patron saint. It’s marked by parades, wearing green, and festive foods. | 3/17/2023 | 3/17/2024 |
| The Second Quarter | |||
| Easter | Celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, it’s a Christian day marking the resurrection of Jesus. This day concludes Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. | 4/9/2023 | 3/31/2024 |
| April Fools’ Day | Observed on April 1, it’s a day known for pranks and jests. | 4/1/2023 | 4/1/2024 |
| Earth Day | Celebrated on April 22, this day emphasizes environmental conservation and awareness. | 4/22/2023 | 4/22/2024 |
| Cinco de Mayo | Commemorated on May 5, it marks the Mexican Army’s triumph at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It’s often celebrated with parties and parades, especially in the Mexican-American community. | 5/5/2023 | 5/5/2024 |
| Mother’s Day | Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, this day pays tribute to mothers and maternal figures. | 5/14/2023 | 5/12/2024 |
| Father’s Day | Observed on the third Sunday in June, it’s a day to honor fathers and paternal figures. | 6/18/2023 | 6/16/2024 |
| Summer Solstice | The lengthiest day of the year, usually around June 21. It signifies the onset of summer and is celebrated in various ways. | 6/21/2023 | 6/20/2024 |
| The Third Quarter | |||
| National Ice Cream Day | Enjoyed on the third Sunday of July, this day often sees ice cream promotions and discounts. | 7/16/2023 | 7/21/2024 |
| Friendship Day | Though not universally observed, in the U.S., it’s generally recognized on the first Sunday of August. | 8/6/2023 | 8/4/2024 |
| National Dog Day | Recognized on August 26, it’s a day to celebrate dogs and promote adoption. | 8/26/2023 | 8/26/2024 |
| The Fourth Quarter | |||
| Halloween | Observed on October 31, it’s a day filled with costumes, trick-or-treating, and various eerie festivities. | 10/31/2023 | 10/31/2024 |
| Black Friday | Occurring the day after Thanksgiving, it’s renowned for shopping bargains and marks the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season. | 11/24/2023 | 11/29/2024 |
| Cyber Monday | The Monday after Thanksgiving, it’s distinguished for online shopping deals. | 11/27/2023 | 12/2/2024 |
| Christmas Eve | The night before Christmas Day (December 25). Often celebrated with family gatherings, feasting, and midnight church services. | 12/24/2023 | 12/24/2024 |
| New Year’s Eve | Observed on December 31, it ushers out the old year and welcomes the new one. Customarily marked with parties, countdowns, and fireworks. | 12/31/2023 | 12/31/2024 |
Disclosure: We are an Amazon Associate. Some links on this website are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or receive a referral fee when you sign up or make a purchase through those links.
Related Posts
- Best & Worst College Majors in the U.S. for High-Paying & Stable Jobs
America’s Popular College Majors and Their Changes Over the Last Decade- Can I Seek Compensation If I Discover Problems After Buying a House?
Mapping U.S. Property Taxes and Home Prices: A State-by-State Breakdown
- America’s Most Aged States with the Highest Life Expectancy and Low Fertility Rates
- America’s Growing Challenge with Gun Violence
- Countries with the Most Aged Populations
- Electric Vehicle Sales and Market Share in the U.S.
- States with the Highest and Lowest Obesity Rates in the U.S.
- Which States Have the Lowest Sales Tax?
Leave a Reply