Federal Holidays 2027: Observed Dates & Long Weekends

Federal holidays 2027 include a quirk you won't see again for years: two observed holidays on back-to-back Fridays in December. Christmas Day and New Year's Day 2028 both land on a Saturday, so federal workers get Friday, December 24 and Friday, December 31 off.

This guide lists every date, explains the observed-day rule, and shows which long weekends you can stretch with a single vacation day.

All federal holidays in 2027

The list of federal holidays is set by law in 5 U.S.C. 6103. The "Notes" column shows when the day off differs from the holiday itself.

Three 2027 holidays move because of weekends: Juneteenth (Saturday, observed Friday, June 18), Independence Day (Sunday, observed Monday, July 5) and Christmas Day (Saturday, observed Friday, December 24).

The observed-day rule, explained

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, most federal employees get the Friday before off. When it falls on a Sunday, they get the Monday after.

This rule covers federal employees on a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule. Private employers are not required to follow it, and many don't give a day off for every federal holiday.

That's why the same holiday can mean different things at work. Your office might close on the observed Friday while your bank and your kids' school follow different schedules.

The December 2027 double holiday

Most years have 11 observed federal days off. In 2027 there are 12.

The extra day comes from New Year's Day 2028, which falls on a Saturday. Because the observed day is the Friday before, it lands on December 31, 2027, inside the 2027 calendar year.

Together with Christmas observed on December 24, that gives federal workers two consecutive three-day weekends to close out the year. With five vacation days between them, you can take off the entire stretch from December 24 to January 2.

Long weekends in 2027

Federal holidays that fall on Mondays and Fridays create natural three-day weekends. The table also shows where one vacation day turns a Thursday holiday into a four-day break.

Thanksgiving is the classic one-day bridge. Take Friday, November 26 off and you get four days in a row.

Veterans Day falls on a Thursday in 2027. One vacation day on Friday, November 12 gives you a four-day weekend just two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Are banks and the stock market closed?

Banks and markets have their own schedules, and they don't always match the federal observed dates.

Federal Reserve Banks are closed on federal holidays. But when a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Reserve Banks stay open on the Friday before. In 2027, that means they open on June 18 and December 24, even though most federal offices are closed.

When a holiday falls on a Sunday, all Federal Reserve offices close on the Monday. In 2027 that applies to Monday, July 5.

The New York Stock Exchange follows its own calendar. It closes for Good Friday, which is not a federal holiday, and stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day.

NYSE also doesn't close on December 31, 2027, even though federal offices do. The exchange avoids closing on the last trading day of the year.

What's closed on a federal holiday

Federal government offices close on federal holidays, apart from essential services. The U.S. Postal Service also observes them, so post offices close and regular mail isn't delivered.

Most banks close on federal holidays, following the Federal Reserve schedule described above. ATMs, online banking and card payments keep working, but transfers may not settle until the next business day.

Retail stores, restaurants and most private businesses usually stay open. Some holidays, like Memorial Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekend, are among the busiest shopping days of the year.

Schools set their own calendars. Public schools typically close on the major holidays but may stay open on Columbus Day or Veterans Day, depending on the district.

Working on a federal holiday

Federal employees who are required to work on a holiday generally receive holiday premium pay on top of their regular pay. The details depend on the employee's pay system and work schedule.

Private employers have no federal obligation to give holidays off or to pay extra for holiday work. Paid holidays are set by your employment contract or company policy, so check your handbook.

There's also no Inauguration Day holiday in 2027. That day off for federal workers in the Washington, D.C. area only comes every four years, and the next one falls in January 2029.

Federal holidays remaining in 2026

Three federal holidays remain in 2026: Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, and Christmas on Friday, December 25.

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day?

The federal holiday on the second Monday of October is still officially Columbus Day. Many states and cities now observe it as Indigenous Peoples' Day, and some observe both.

For federal employees, the day off is the same either way. For state and local offices, check your state's own holiday calendar.

Sources and how we keep this page accurate

Holiday dates follow federal law and the observance rules published by the Office of Personnel Management. Bank closures follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule.

Every date in the tables comes from a single data file, and weekdays and long weekends are calculated automatically. We also cross-check the data against an independent open-source holiday library.