The United States has grown its list of holidays over the decades, and when it comes to the festive time of year, every free day is a bonus.
Is Christmas Eve 2025 a federal holiday in the US?
Do you know how many federal holidays there are in the United States? Yes, you’re right, there are 11. Well done!
The United States Government officially recognizes 11 federal public holidays. Christmas Day does, of course, get included in this list, but Christmas Eve that precedes it does not. Let’s have a check on the federal eleven.
What are the US federal holidays in 2026?
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, Jan. 1 |
|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, Jan. 19 |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | Monday, Feb. 16 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | Friday, June 19 |
| Independence Day | Friday, July 3 |
| Labor Day | Monday, Sep. 7 |
| Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Monday, Oct. 12 |
| Veterans Day | Wednesday, Nov. 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, Nov. 26 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, Dec. 25 |
Christmas Eve: it varies by state
So, ‘what does a federal day mean, anyway?’ I hear you ask. Well, in practice, all non-essential government employees are given these days off work and most governmental offices are closed down for the day in question. If a federal employee is regularly scheduled to work on a federal holiday, then they will receive paid time off. Those deemed ‘essential’, though, will receive premium pay for working, while military personnel are paid a fixed annual salary.
Individual states as well as private companies are free to choose if they observe the holiday or not. That said, most do!
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, is a curious day in this regard, though. Depending on where you live, the norms around whether you work on this day or not will be different. Some will take part of the day off, while others will indeed treat it as a full holiday.
In the olden days, Christmas Eve was seen as a time of magic. In Norway it was believed that at midnight, the water in rivers and wells would turn into wine. Of course no one had witnessed this with their own eyes, because it was seen as too dangerous to go outside and check. pic.twitter.com/REOid5gS1i
— Titania (@TitaniasRealm) December 23, 2023
Christmas Eve is treated as a full state holiday in Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. In Kansas, North Dakota, and Virginia it is normal to work only the morning. Maybe folks from there are just more efficient at getting prepared for the hectic day ahead!
Even with these regional changes, the retail and hospitality industries will most likely be kept open, taking advantage of the merriment of the season, as well as those people who remember at the last minute that they forgot to buy an aunt or nephew a gift.
Dreaming of a Christmas Tuesday
There is a further exception to consider with all this. If Dec. 25 falls on a Tuesday, the president normally issues an executive order giving federal employees paid leave on the Monday before it.
As you should know by the time of reading this, 2025 does not bring this joyous occasion to bear. Sorry!
Remember when Christmas looked like this? pic.twitter.com/SBkftPSiz8
— Thrilla the Gorilla (@ThrillaRilla369) December 19, 2025
US federal holidays: the newest addition
Mentioned in the list above is the federal holiday of Juneteenth. This was recognized legally in June of 2021, making it the most recent to be put in place.
It was introduced as a part of America’s racial reckoning and commemorates the day when the last African America slaves in the US were informed of their freedom in 1865.
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