Christmas may be over but many of Americans are looking forward to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. These holidays mean time with family and friends but also questions about work schedules and federal holidays in the US.
New Year’s Day is the first federal holiday of the year and one of two in January. The second is Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January.
What is a federal holiday?
- A federal holiday is a public holiday recognized by the federal government, where non-essential government agencies are closed and employees get the day off.
- Federal holidays are designated by the United States Congress in Title V of the United States Code (5 U.S.C. § 6103).
- Congress can only create holidays for federal institutions (including federal properties), federal employees and the District of Columbia.
Purpose of federal holidays
- Federal holidays are to commemorate events, people or cultural celebrations in the United States.
- They give federal employees a common day off and are often observed by state and local governments, schools and private businesses.
- Congress may change federal holidays or add new ones in the future to reflect society’s evolving needs and values.
How federal holidays are designated
- The United States Congress designates federal holidays through legislation
- The President of the United States can declare national holidays by proclamation but these are not necessarily federal holidays.
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Here is the list of 2025 federal holidays from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
- Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
- Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Feb. 17: Presidents’ Day (also called Washington’s Birthday)
- May 26: Memorial Day
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- July 4: Independence Day
- Sept. 1: Labor Day
- Oct. 13: Columbus Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Nov. 27: Thanksgiving
- Dec. 25: Christmas
In 2025, Jan. 20 is also Inauguration Day, a federal holiday for federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area to observe the presidential inauguration.
New Year’s Day is a federal holiday but New Year’s Eve is not. This means government services like mail delivery will not run on New Year’s Day but will run on New Year’s Eve.
Some stores change their hours for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Some open with shorter hours, others closed for the holiday.
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