2024 had 11 US federal holidays, from New Year's Day on Monday, January 1, to Christmas Day on Wednesday, December 25. None fell on a weekend. Banks were closed on 11 weekdays and the stock markets on 10.
Federal holidays are set by law (5 U.S.C. 6103). When one falls on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; when it falls on a Sunday, the Monday after.
In addition, executive departments and agencies were closed by presidential order on Tuesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). These one-time closures are not federal holidays.
2024 holiday calendar
Highlighted dates are the federal holidays and observed days off of 2024; print it as a one-page holiday calendar.
The Federal Reserve Banks were closed on 11 weekdays in 2024. They close on every federal holiday and on the Monday after a Sunday holiday, but unlike federal offices they stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday. Commercial banks and credit unions set their own hours, but generally follow this schedule because payments through the Federal Reserve (ACH direct deposits and wire transfers) do not settle on these days.
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq were closed on 10 weekdays in 2024. Under NYSE Rule 7.2, a holiday on a Saturday closes the markets the Friday before and one on a Sunday the Monday after.
Stocks stopped trading at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (1:15 PM for eligible options) on these days:
— Day before Independence Day
— Day after Thanksgiving
— Christmas Eve
Banks vs. stock markets
Banks closed but stock markets stayed open on Columbus Day (Monday, October 14) and Veterans Day (Monday, November 11). The markets closed on Good Friday (Friday, March 29), which is not a federal or bank holiday.
Long weekends 2024
2024 had 7 three-day weekends for federal employees (a holiday or observed day off on a Monday or Friday).
Three-day weekend
Holiday
Sat Dec 30 – Mon Jan 1
New Year's Day
Sat Jan 13 – Mon 15
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Sat Feb 17 – Mon 19
Presidents' Day
Sat May 25 – Mon 27
Memorial Day
Sat Aug 31 – Mon Sep 2
Labor Day
Sat Oct 12 – Mon 14
Columbus Day
Sat Nov 9 – Mon 11
Veterans Day
Bridge days
Holidays on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday can become a longer break with one or two days of leave:
Holiday
Date
Take off
Time off
Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 19
Thu, Jun 20, Fri, Jun 21
5 days (Wed Jun 19 – Sun 23)
Independence Day
Thursday, July 4
Fri, Jul 5
4 days (Thu Jul 4 – Sun 7)
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 28
Fri, Nov 29
4 days (Thu Nov 28 – Sun Dec 1)
Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 25
Thu, Dec 26, Fri, Dec 27
5 days (Wed Dec 25 – Sun 29)
All 2024 holidays and observances by month
41 dates in 2024: federal holidays, observed days off, popular observances, Christian and Jewish holidays, Lunar New Year and daylight saving time. Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before.
No. In federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) the holiday is Washington's Birthday; Presidents' Day is the popular name. It was observed on the third Monday of February, which always falls between February 15 and 21, so it never lands on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.
Is Columbus Day still a federal holiday?
Yes. Columbus Day, the second Monday of October, was one of the federal holidays in 2024. Many states and cities observe the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead, and whether state offices close varies by state.
Do private employers have to give federal holidays off?
No. Federal holidays govern federal government offices. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require private employers to give time off or extra pay for holidays; holiday pay is set by company policy or agreement, and some states have their own rules.