Federal Holidays & Popular Observances
Last reviewed: April 2026
The US Holidays 2026 — Federal Holidays & Observances is a free browser-based tool that performs this calculation instantly with no signup or downloads required. Enter your values, click calculate, and get accurate results immediately. All processing happens in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.
The United States has 11 official federal holidays established by Congress. On these days, non-essential federal government offices close, federal employees receive paid time off, and banks typically close. Private sector employers are not required by federal law to provide paid time off for federal holidays, though most do — especially for the "Big Six" (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas).
Some federal holidays fall on a fixed date every year (New Year's Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Christmas). Others "float" — they're defined as a specific weekday of a specific month. For example, Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November, and Memorial Day is always the last Monday of May. This is why looking up the day of the week for a holiday is useful for planning, especially when booking travel or scheduling events. Use the Printable Calendar to see all holidays laid out across the full year.
When a fixed-date federal holiday (like July 4 or December 25) falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed holiday for federal workers. When it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is the observed holiday. This "observed" date is when federal offices and banks close. The actual calendar date remains the official holiday.
Federal holidays create long weekends that are popular for travel and sales events. Use the Date Difference Calculator to count days between holidays, or the Business Days Calculator to exclude holidays from work-day counts. For travel budgeting, try the Travel Budget Calculator or Gas Cost Calculator. For holiday spending, the Gift & Holiday Budget Calculator helps track gift costs across recipients.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Day | Federal Day Off? |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year Day | January 1 | Thursday | Yes |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | Yes |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday | Yes (observed Fri July 3) |
| Labor Day | September 7 | Monday | Yes |
| Thanksgiving | November 26 | Thursday | Yes |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday | Yes |
→ Run multiple scenarios. Try different inputs to understand how each variable affects the result. This builds practical intuition beyond just getting a single answer.
→ Use accurate inputs for reliable results. The output is only as good as the input. Use measured values rather than rough estimates whenever possible.
→ Bookmark for quick access. Save this page for instant reference — no need to search for it again the next time you need this calculation.
→ Explore related tools. Check the related calculators section below for tools that complement this one — many calculations work best in combination.
See also: Printable Calendar · Date Difference Calculator · Business Days Calculator · Countdown Timer · Gift & Holiday Budget Calculator · Travel Budget Calculator