National holidays in the United States are 11 calendar dates designated by the U.S. federal government as official holidays. On these days non-essential national offices are closed although the employees receive pay.[1]
National holidays are designated by the United States Congress in Title V of the United States Code (5 U.S.C.§ 6103).[2] Congress only has authority to create holidays for national institutions (including federally-owned properties), employees, and the District of Columbia. As a general rule of courtesy, custom, and sometimes regulation, other institutions, such as banks, businesses, schools, and the financial markets, may be closed on national holidays. In various parts of the country, state and city holidays may be observed concurrently with national holidays.
History
The history of national holidays in the United States dates back to June 28, 1870, when Congress created national holidays "to correspond with similar laws of States around the District...and...in every State of the Union."[3] Although at first applicable only to federal employees in the District of Columbia, Congress extended coverage in 1885 to all federal employees.
George Washington's Birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. In 1888 and 1894, respectively, Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) and Labor Day were created. Armistice Day was established in 1938 to honor the end of World War I, and the scope of the holiday was expanded to honor Americans who fought in World War II and the Korean War when it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
In 1983, Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law, and it was first observed three years later, although some states resisted making it a state holiday. It was finally celebrated both nationally and by each of the states in 2000.[4]
Christmas Day as a federal or public holiday is sometimes objected to by various sources,[9][10][11] usually due to its ties with Christianity. In December 1999, the Western Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, in the case Ganulin v. United States, denied the charge that Christmas Day's federal status violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, ruling that "the Christmas holiday has become largely secularized", and that "by giving federal employees a paid vacation day on Christmas, the government is doing no more than recognizing the cultural significance of the holiday".[12][13]
List of federal holidays
Most of the 11[14] U.S. federal holidays are also state holidays. Five of the "floating" date holidays always fall on a Monday, the remaining floating holiday, Thanksgiving, is always on a Thursday. The rest are on fixed dates. A fixed date holiday that falls on a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is usually observed for federal employees on the closest weekday: a holiday falling on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday, while a holiday falling on a Sunday is observed on the succeeding Monday.[15] The official names come from the statute that defines holidays for federal employees.
Celebrates the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down to 12:00 midnight on the preceding night, New Year's Eve, often with fireworks displays and parties. The ball drop at Times Square in New York City, broadcast live on television nationwide, has become a national New Year's festivity. Serves as the traditional end of the Christmas and holiday season.[16]
Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader who was born on January 15, 1929. Some municipalities hold parades, and since the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act, it has become a day of citizen action volunteer service, sometimes referred to as the MLK Day of Service. The holiday is observed on the third Monday of January, and is combined with other holidays in several states.
Honors George Washington, Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army, and the first U.S. president, who was born on February 22, 1732. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted the date of the commemoration from February 22 to the third Monday in February, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday. Because of this, combined with the fact that Abraham Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. The official name has never been changed.[2]
Honors U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Many municipalities hold parades with marching bands and an overall military theme, and the day marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. The holiday is observed on the last Monday in May.
Celebrates the 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence from British rule. Parades, picnics, and cookouts are held during the day and fireworks are set off at night. On the day before this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.
Honors and recognizes the American labor movement. Over half of Americans celebrate Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer.[19] Roughly 40% of employers require some employees to work on the holiday.[20] The holiday is observed on the first Monday in September.
Honors Christopher Columbus, whose exploration of the Americas from 1492 to 1504 marked the beginning of large scale European immigration to the Americas. In some areas it is instead a celebration of Native Americans (Indigenous Peoples' Day). In other areas it celebrates Italian culture and heritage. The holiday is observed on the second Monday in October, and is one of two federal holidays where stock market trading is permitted.
Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. It is observed on November 11 due to its origins as Armistice Day, recalling the end of World War I on that date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at 11:00, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. It became Veterans Day after World War II. It is one of two federal holidays where stock market trading is permitted.
Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest, and commonly includes the sharing of a turkey dinner. Several large parades are broadcast on television, and football games are often held. The holiday is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. On the day after this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.
The most widely celebrated holiday of the Christian year, Christmas is observed as a commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Commonly celebrated by Christians and some non-Christians with various religious and secular traditions. On the day before this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early.[21]
In some years where December 25 falls on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, various presidents have issued executive orders declaring a one-time holiday on either Christmas Eve (December 24) or the Day after Christmas (December 26),[22][23][24] to provide federal workers with a longer weekend.
Although many states recognize most or all federal holidays as state holidays, the federal government cannot enact laws to compel them to do so. States can recognize other days as state holidays that are not federal holidays. For example, the State of Texas recognizes all federal holidays except Columbus Day, and recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas as state holidays.[26]
Texas does not follow the federal rule of closing either the Friday before, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, or the Monday after if a holiday falls on a Sunday. Offices are open on those Fridays or Mondays. Texas has "partial staffing holidays", such as March 2, which is Texas Independence Day, and "optional holidays", such as Good Friday.[26]
Private employers are not required to observe federal or state holidays, the key exception being federally-chartered banks. Some private employers, often by a union contract, pay a differential such as time-and-a-half or double-time to employees who work on some federal holidays. Employees not specifically covered by a union contract, might only receive their standard pay for working on a federal holiday, depending on the company policy.
Federal law also provides for the declaration of other public holidays by the President of the United States. Generally the president will provide a reasoning behind the elevation of the day, and call on the people of the United States to observe the day "with appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Examples of presidentially declared holidays were the days of the funerals for former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Gerald Ford; federal government offices were closed and employees given a paid holiday.
In addition, occasionally the President will grant Christmas Eve as a holiday or partial holiday (the latter generally being 4 hours for full-time employees).
Proposed federal holidays
Many federal holidays have been proposed. As the U.S. federal government is a large employer, the holidays are expensive. If a holiday is controversial, opposition will generally prevent bills enacting them from passing. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking King's birthday, took much effort to pass[27] and for all states to recognize it. It was not until 2000 that this holiday was officially observed in all 50 states.[28]
The following list is an example of holidays that have been proposed and reasons why they are not observed at the federal level. Some of these holidays are observed at the state level.
The holiday was proposed by Carolyn Maloney in H.R. 655 on February 11, 2011,[29] and was not enacted. It would have fallen on the same day as Washington's Birthday.
The holiday was petitioned for and introduced in Congress multiple times but was unsuccessful. The proclamation exists today as "Native American Awareness Week."[35]
Multiple movements for this holiday to be official have occurred, with the last happening during discussions for the "1993 Motor Voter Act", mainly to boost voter turnout.[37]
^Borgna Brunner (December 16, 2004). "New Year's Traditions". www.infoplease.com. infoplease. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
^[Over 40 Percent of Employers to Require Some to 'Labor' on Labor Day Holiday, According to Nationwide Bloomberg BNA Survey], Bloomberg BNA (August 27, 2015).
^Election day is designated by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November""2 U.S. Code § 7 - Time of election". law.cornell.edu. Cornell Law School. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
^Martin P. Wattenberg (1998). "Should Election Day be a Holiday?". www.theatlantic.com. The Atlantic Monthly Company. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
