List of Federal Holidays
Hello friends, today we will know about the List of Federal Holidays.
What are all federal holidays?
There are 11 federal holidays.
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday – Third Monday of January
- Washington’s Birthday – Third Monday of February
- Memorial Day – Last Monday of May
- Juneteenth – June 19
- Independence Day – July 4
- Labor Day – First Monday of September
- Columbus Day – Second Monday of October
- Veterans Day – November 11
- Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Thursday of November
- Christmas Day – December 25
Is the Post Office Closed on Federal Holidays?
The Postal Service is part of the executive branch of the federal government. This means that the USPS is required to observe all federal holidays.
All post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered on MLK Day, President’s Day, Columbus Day, or other federal holidays.
If New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be observed as a federal holiday. This will happen on January 1, 2022.
There will be only one holiday in January of that year, and the previous December had a holiday on December 31, 2021. In 2023, January 1 is a Sunday, so January 2 will be observed as a holiday.
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June 2021. As part of America’s racial reckoning, which included the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers and movements such as Black Lives Matter, Congress passed the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which made June 19 a federal holiday.
The holiday commemorated when the last enslaved African Americans in the United States were notified of their freedom in 1865.
If New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be observed as a federal holiday. This will happen on January 1, 2022.
There will be only one holiday in January of that year, and the previous December had a holiday on December 31, 2021. In 2023, January 1 is a Sunday, so January 2 will be observed as a holiday.
Can Federal Employees Receive Paid Leave for Religious Holidays?
Federal employees are allowed to modify their work schedules to accommodate religious observances, which require being away from work during regular working hours.
Typical examples are Jewish workers taking leave for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur or Muslim workers working for Eid al-Fitr.
When an employee takes a break from work for a religious ritual, they need to make up time or take personal leave. Hours worked instead of a regular work schedule may not entitle the employee to premium payments (for working weekends or overtime).
Employees are required to provide a written request for schedule adjustments. The request must state that the schedule adjustment is for a religious holiday and when the time is due.
Observers must approve religious holidays unless the adjusted schedule “does not interfere with the efficient achievement of the agency’s mission.”
Note: Federal holidays are considered non-religious. Christmas is the only federal holiday that is directly related to religion. There have been objections to this, but it is unlikely to change.
Are federal employees paid on federal holidays?
Yes, if a federal employee is regularly scheduled to work on federal leave, they receive paid time off. Employees who are deemed “essential” and cannot go on leave will receive premium payments. Military personnel are paid by wage the same amount whether they work 365 days per year or 2.
Do not all federal employees work on federal holidays?
All non-essential workers are laid off on federal holidays. It is up to an employee’s supervisor to determine whether a position is necessary.
Essential workers will receive premium pay during leave and future days of administrative leave.
Are the Armed Forces Closed for Federal Holidays?
The program for military personnel varies by unit. Soldiers should always confirm with their local Command of Command whether they have federal or training leave.
Holidays are not guaranteed. Military personnel is paid the same whether they work 365 days per year or 2.
What is “early release” before federal holidays?
Supervisors may authorize early releases or late openings before weather, emergencies, or holidays. Early releases or late openings vary by location and are not government-wide or agency-wide like federal holidays. (List of Federal Holidays)
What days are federal holidays?
Is Inauguration Day a federal holiday?
On Inauguration Day, Washington, D.C. federal employees working in; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County, MD; Arlington County, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Arlington City, VA; or Fairfax City, VA, and those who regularly scheduled to work that day receive paid administrative leave (5 USC. 6103(c)).
The opening day is January 20, every fourth year (2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, etc.). January 20, 2013, was a Sunday, so nobody got time off. (List of Federal Holidays)
Is the day after Thanksgiving a federal holiday?
The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) is not a federal holiday. Federal employees must use accrued personal time to take time off the day after Thanksgiving if they wish to take time off from work.
Note: The New York Stock Exchange observes a short day of trading after Thanksgiving, closing at 1:30 pm instead of the usual 4:00 pm. (List of Federal Holidays)
Is Good Friday a federal holiday?
No, Good Friday and Easter Monday are not federal holidays. All federal holidays are non-religious (except for Christmas Day). Note: The New York Stock Exchange is closed for trading on Good Friday. (List of Federal Holidays)
Is the Day Before Christmas a Federal Holiday?
When Christmas falls on a Tuesday, it is common for the President to issue an executive order granting federal employees paid administrative leave on Monday (Christmas Eve). President Trump did this on December 24, 2018.
President George W. Bush did this in 2001 and 2007. President Barack Obama did the same in 2012. In 2014, Christmas was on a Thursday, and President Obama granted federal employees a holiday on Friday, December 26, the day after Christmas.
President Trump declared a federal holiday on Thursday, December 24, 2020. In President Trump’s remarks, he made the sound that Christmas Eve was permanently a federal holiday. That is not the case. There was a holiday only for 2020.
Trump’s remarks also came as he was the first president to declare Christmas Eve a holiday. This is also untrue. George W Bush and Barack Obama did the same thing. (List of Federal Holidays)
Is there a holiday on the death of the President?
Most federal workers are out of work when the President declares a national day of mourning. This has happened since the 1950s after the death of a current or former president. Federal employees will receive paid leave in the morning on National Day.
Essential persons still have to work but will get premium pay (x1.5) and one day of administrative leave. The post office will also be closed on national mornings.
When writing this, the surviving former presidents are Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The last President to die was George H.W. bush.
He passed away on November 30, 2018, and National Mourning Day was observed on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (List of Federal Holidays)
Federal Holidays by Month
What are federal holidays in January?
There are two federal holidays in January:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday of January)
What are federal holidays in April?
There is no federal holiday in April. The longest gap without a federal holiday is between Washington’s Birthday in February to Memorial Day in late May. That’s just over three months between holidays. (List of Federal Holidays)
What federal holidays are there in October?
There is only one federal holiday in October: Columbus Day. Columbus Day is the second Monday of October, which falls between October 8 and 14.
This holiday honors Christopher Columbus. In some places in America, this holiday is used to celebrate indigenous people. Columbus Day is one of two federal holidays on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) does not close. (List of Federal Holidays)
What are federal holidays in November?
There are two federal holidays in November:
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday of November)
What federal holidays are in December?
There is only one federal holiday in December: Christmas Day. It is the only federal holiday with any religious affiliation and has been controversial.
In years when January 1 (New Year’s Day) falls on a Saturday, the holiday is observed on the previous day (December 31). As a result, there will be two federal holidays in December 2021.
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