National holidays in the United States 2024: Dates and complete list
We are heading into the last month of the year as 2023 draws to a close. Looking forward, here’s the complete list of national holidays in the US for 2024.
The year 2023 is almost over and there is only one federal holiday left on the calendar: Christmas Day, Dec. 25. This is just one of the 11 national holidays recognized by the US government.
Until 2020, the US only had 10 national holidays distributed from January to December. However, in 2021, Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed into law Juneteenth Day as the 11th federal holiday on the calendar.
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Complete list of holidays in the United States in 2024
Of the 11 holidays recognized by the US government, there are some that are celebrated on specific dates, while others change each year. The observance of these days can also change if they fall on a weekend.
Holidays may be observed a day earlier or later if they fall on a weekend. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday. On the other hand, if a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be treated as a holiday for pay and day-off purposes. In 2024, this phenomenon will not happen.
This is the calendar of official federal holidays for next year, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
- New Year's Day - January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (Third Monday of January) - January 15, 2024
- Washington's Birthday or Presidents' Day (third Monday of February) - February 19
- Memorial Day (last Monday of May) - May 27
- Juneteenth Day - June 19
- Independence Day - July 4
- Labor Day (first Monday of September) - September 2
- Columbus Day (Second Monday of October) - October 14
- Veterans Day or Veterans Day - November 11
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday of November): November 28
- Christmas Day - December 25
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People who work in the Washington, DC metropolitan area have one additional holiday- Inauguration Day. This holiday is celebrated once every four years, on January 20, after the presidential election. The next presidential inauguration is scheduled for January 20, 2025.
According to the OPM, the “Inauguration Day Zone” includes:
- District of Columbia
- Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland
- Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia
- Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax in Virginia
Do you work during federal holidays in the USA?
During the 11 government-recognized holidays, most federal employees are entitled to paid time off.
Although by law, only federal government institutions are required to close during holidays, other state and private institutions, such as companies, banks, schools, the stock market, post offices and some supermarkets or stores, have included all or some of the holidays as paid days off for their workers.