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Is this date a federal holiday?
Pick any 2026 date — get the yes/no plus which holiday it is.
REFERENCE TABLE · TIME & DATE · US 2026
2026 Federal Holidays Chart & Countdown
Eleven days a year, the federal government — and with it most banks, schools, and the post office — shuts down. Here is the complete 2026 federal holiday schedule as published by the Office of Personnel Management: every date, every weekday, and the quirks (Independence Day observed Friday, July 3, because the 4th is a Saturday). Check any date below, or count down to your next day off — as of late October, that is Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 — then print the chart and plan around it.
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Countdown: next federal holiday
From any date — the next federal holiday and how many days away.
The full 2026 chart
| Holiday | 2026 date | Day of week | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1, 2026 | Thursday | The year opens with a day off. When January 1 lands midweek, no observing shuffle is needed. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19, 2026 | Monday | Third Monday of January. Honors Dr. King’s leadership of the civil-rights movement; a federal holiday since 1986. |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | February 16, 2026 | Monday | Third Monday of February. The legal federal name is Washington’s Birthday — “Presidents’ Day” is the popular name. |
| Memorial Day | May 25, 2026 | Monday | Last Monday of May. Honors U.S. military personnel who died in service; the unofficial start of summer. |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 19, 2026 | Friday | June 19. Commemorates the end of slavery in the United States; a federal holiday since 2021. |
| Independence Day (observed) | July 3, 2026 | Friday | July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026, so federal offices observe it Friday, July 3 — a 3-day weekend. |
| Labor Day | September 7, 2026 | Monday | First Monday of September. Honors American workers; the unofficial end of summer. |
| Columbus Day | October 12, 2026 | Monday | Second Monday of October. Some states and cities mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead — the federal name stays Columbus Day. |
| Veterans Day | November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | November 11. Honors everyone who served. A rare midweek holiday in 2026 — no long weekend, but a midweek breather. |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26, 2026 | Thursday | Fourth Thursday of November. The classic 4-day weekend when paired with the Friday after. |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday | December 25. Note: the extra Dec 24/26 holidays came from a 2025-only executive order — they are not federal holidays in 2026. |
Data source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 2026 federal holiday schedule — reproduced here in our own layout, cross-checked against multiple 2026 calendars. Under federal law, a holiday on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday and one on a Sunday the following Monday. Private employers are not required to observe any of these; most banks and financial markets follow the federal schedule.
The months with no holidays
March, April, and August have zero federal holidays in 2026 — the longest dry spell runs from Presidents’ Day (Feb 16) to Memorial Day (May 25), 98 days with no federal day off. Plan vacations accordingly: that gap is why spring-break and summer Fridays feel so precious.
How the countdown works
The countdown lookup takes any start date and finds the next entry in the chart above — including the July 3 observed date rather than July 4 itself. After Christmas Day 2026 it rolls forward to New Year’s Day 2027 (Friday, January 1), so the tool never dead-ends in December.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday check | exact date match against the 11-row chart | Yes/No — whether the post office, banks, and federal offices close that day. |
| Next holiday | first chart date on or after your start date | Veterans Day, Nov 11 from late October — your next guaranteed day off. |
| Days away | next holiday date − start date | 19 days from October 23 to Veterans Day — the countdown you actually feel. |
Who uses this
- Vacation planners: stacking PTO around the 4-day Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends.
- Payroll & HR: confirming which 2026 dates are paid holidays before the calendar fills.
- Movers & shippers: checking whether the post office and banks are open on a deadline date.
- Teachers & parents: mapping school breaks against the federal calendar.
Accuracy & limitations
Dates follow the OPM schedule for federal employees; state holidays, school calendars, and private-employer observances can differ (Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day is the classic split). The chart uses observed dates — July 3, not July 4 — because that is the day offices actually close. Alternative work schedules may observe holidays on different days. Always confirm time-sensitive plans (travel, banking, mailing) against the specific institution’s calendar.
Cite this reference tableBright Side Kit. “2026 US Federal Holidays Chart & Countdown.” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "2026 US Federal Holidays Chart & Countdown." https://brightoolbox.com/2026-federal-holidays-chart/ Accessed October 23, 2026.Frequently asked questions
How many federal holidays are there in 2026?
There are 11 federal holidays in 2026. Two fall in January (New Year’s Day and MLK Day), and three months — March, April, and August — have none at all.
Is July 3 or July 4 the federal holiday in 2026?
Friday, July 3 is the observed federal holiday, because July 4 falls on a Saturday. Under federal law a Saturday holiday is observed the preceding Friday — so federal offices, banks, and the post office close July 3.
Do I get December 24 or 26 off in 2026?
Not as federal holidays. The extra Christmas Eve / day-after-Christmas holidays came from a 2025-only executive order and were not made permanent. In 2026 the federal Christmas observance is Friday, December 25 only — though some private employers add the surrounding days.
Is it Presidents’ Day or Washington’s Birthday?
The legal federal name under 5 U.S.C. 6103 is Washington’s Birthday — “Presidents’ Day” is the popular name used by most states, schools, and calendars. Same third Monday of February, same day off.
Do banks and the post office close on federal holidays?
Almost always: banks, the Federal Reserve, USPS, and financial markets follow the federal schedule. Private businesses are not legally required to close, so retail and restaurants vary — check the specific business.
What is the next federal holiday?
Use the countdown lookup above — from late October 2026 it is Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 (19 days from October 23), followed by Thanksgiving, November 26 and Christmas, December 25.