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Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. Recently, a little friend consulted me about the topic of how many federal holidays<\/b> there actually are in the United States. I hear this question a lot, especially from folks who are new to the workforce or planning their vacation days. So now I will summarize the relevant details, including the official list, what counts, and some common misunderstandings. I hope this helps all the little friends who want to know exactly what they\u2019re entitled to off work!<\/p>\n
First off, let\u2019s get the straight-up number. The United States federal government recognizes a total of 11 permanent federal holidays<\/b> each year. That\u2019s the official count set by law. But \u2013 and this is a big but \u2013 not everybody gets those days off. Federal holidays only apply to federal employees and the District of Columbia. Private companies, state governments, and local businesses are absolutely not required to give those days off. So if you\u2019re wondering \u201chow many federal holidays do I get?\u201d the answer depends on who you work for. Many employers follow the federal holiday schedule, but plenty don\u2019t. Let me break down the full list so you know exactly what days are considered official.<\/p>\n
The 11 federal holidays are: New Year\u2019s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Presidents\u2019 Day (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25). Wait, that\u2019s only 10, right? I\u2019m missing one. The 11th is Inauguration Day, which only happens every four years on January 20. So technically, there are 11 federal holidays, but Inauguration Day only applies to federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area. For the rest of us, it\u2019s 10 regular annual holidays. Also, some years there\u2019s an extra one \u2013 like when Christmas or New Year\u2019s falls on a weekend, the Friday before or Monday after becomes a \u201cfederal holiday\u201d in lieu, but that\u2019s still counted within the 11.<\/p>\n
Now, here\u2019s where it gets confusing: states can add their own holidays. For example, Texas has Texas Independence Day and San Jacinto Day, but those are state holidays, not federal. And holidays like Good Friday, Easter Monday, or Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Day are observed in some places but are not federal. So when someone says \u201chow many federal holidays,\u201d they usually mean the ones that the federal government observes. But private sector workers often get a different set. The average American private-sector employee gets about 8 paid holidays per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. So don\u2019t assume you get all 11 just because you\u2019re in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Another common question: \u201cAre bank holidays the same as federal holidays?\u201d Not exactly. Banks often observe federal holidays, but they also close on some extra days, like Columbus Day (some banks observe it, some don\u2019t). The Federal Reserve follows the federal holiday schedule, so bank transactions might be delayed. But for your everyday planning, the 11 federal holidays are the ones that shut down most government offices and post offices. Schools also tend to close on those days, but again, it varies by district.<\/p>\n
So, how many federal holidays are there really? For the continental U.S., the steady number is 10 annual holidays<\/b> plus Inauguration Day every fourth year. Some years, if a holiday lands on a weekend, the observed date shifts, but the count stays the same. Also, note that \u201cfederal holiday\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201cmandatory day off for everyone.\u201d It\u2019s a designation for federal government closures. Your mileage may vary. If you work in retail, hospitality, or healthcare, you might work on those days \u2013 sometimes with holiday pay, sometimes not. Always check your company\u2019s policy.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s also clear up a myth: there is no such thing as a \u201cnational holiday\u201d in the U.S. The federal government doesn\u2019t declare national holidays that everyone must observe. The term \u201cfederal holiday\u201d is more accurate. So if you hear someone say \u201cNational Pie Day\u201d or \u201cNational Dog Day,\u201d those are just fun unofficial observances, not days off work. The official federal holidays are the only ones that close the government.<\/p>\n
In short, the answer to \u201chow many federal holidays\u201d is 11 \u2013 but only 10 recurring ones matter for most people. And whether you get them off depends entirely on your employer. The good news is that many companies offer paid time off on these days, especially the big ones like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and July 4th. If you\u2019re planning a vacation around holidays, use this list: New Year\u2019s, MLK Day, Presidents\u2019 Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. That\u2019s your ten. And don\u2019t forget Inauguration Day if you happen to live in D.C. and work for the feds.<\/p>\n
To sum it up: the number of federal holidays in the United States is 11 by law<\/b>, but the practical number for most workers varies. Always confirm with your HR department what days your company recognizes. And if you\u2019re self-employed? Well, you get to decide! But I hope this clears up the confusion. If you have more questions about specific holidays, eligibility, or how to maximize your time off, just ask. I\u2019m here to help you plan better and enjoy your days off to the fullest.<\/p>\n
public holiday calendar.COM Thank you for reading, I hope this article can help you fully understand the how many federal holidays<\/b> question. If you have more questions about holiday schedules, payroll policies, or what to do when a holiday falls on a weekend, please contact us. I\u2019m your Holiday Little Assistant, always looking out for your days off!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. Recently, a little friend consulted me about the topic of how many federal holidays there actually are in the United States. I hear this question a lot, especially from folks who are new to the workforce or planning their vacation days. So now I will summarize…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"How Many Federal Holidays Are There in the United States? A Complete Breakdown - Public Holiday Calendar","description":"Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. Recently, a little friend consulted me about the topic of how many federal holidays there actually"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[278],"tags":[27515,22452,2766,15564,27514],"class_list":["post-26717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-american-national-holidays","tag-federal-holiday-count","tag-federal-holidays-list","tag-how-many-bank-holidays","tag-us-public-holidays-number"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26718,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26717\/revisions\/26718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}