How U.S. holidays work for offices, banks, mail and markets
Federal law names 11 legal public holidays (5 U.S.C. 6103): New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January), Washington's Birthday (third Monday of February), Memorial Day (last Monday of May), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday of September), Columbus Day (second Monday of October), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) and Christmas Day (December 25).
A federal holiday does not close everything. The law covers federal employees. Banks, the post office and the stock market each follow their own schedule, and private employers decide for themselves whether to give a day off. That is why the calendar has four columns.
When a holiday falls on a weekend
Federal offices. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says a holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, and a holiday on a Sunday on the Monday after, for employees on a Monday-to-Friday schedule. In 2026, Independence Day is a Saturday, so federal offices close on Friday, July 3. In 2027, Juneteenth and Christmas are Saturdays (observed June 18 and December 24) and July 4 is a Sunday (observed Monday, July 5).
Banks. Federal Reserve Banks do not follow the Friday rule. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, they stay open the Friday before, and only the Board of Governors closes. When it falls on a Sunday, every Federal Reserve office closes on the Monday after. So on July 3, 2026, federal workers are off but Reserve Banks are open. Most banks follow this calendar, though each sets its own branch hours.
Post office. The U.S. Postal Service closes on the holiday itself, even on a Saturday, and keeps normal service on the Friday before. Its 2026 list shows Saturday, July 4, with a note that post offices are open on Friday, July 3. USPS publishes only the current year, so for later years this page applies the same rule.
Stock market. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closes on Good Friday and on nine of the eleven federal holidays, and stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day. A Saturday holiday closes the market on the Friday before, and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after. The exception is New Year's Day on a Saturday, when the market stays open on the Friday. On a few days, such as the day after Thanksgiving, trading ends at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
Two calendar quirks
January 1, 2028 is a Saturday. Federal offices observe it on Friday, December 31, 2027, so 2027 has two federal New Year's holidays and 2028 has none. On that Friday, Federal Reserve Banks, post offices and the stock market are open. The table shows this as an extra row at the end of 2027.
Inauguration Day (January 20 every fourth year) is a legal public holiday only for federal employees in the Washington, DC area. The next is January 20, 2029, a Saturday.
Working on a holiday
The Department of Labor says federal overtime rules add no premium for Saturdays, Sundays or holidays unless the hours push a worker past 40 in a workweek. Any other holiday pay comes from your employer, contract or state. To see how overtime changes pay, try the minimum wage and overtime calculator or the paycheck calculator.
How this page gets its dates
The dates are calculated from the rules above, with no outside service. We compared the results for 2026 to 2028 with the schedules published by OPM, the Federal Reserve, USPS and the NYSE on October 13, 2026. Where an agency has not published a year yet, the date comes from its rule and could change if the agency announces otherwise. The NYSE can announce unplanned closures. This page is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are banks open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day?
The Federal Reserve closes on both days, so its payment systems do not process that day, and many banks close too. Some branches may open, so check your own bank. The stock market stays open on both days.
If July 4 is on a Saturday, are banks and the post office closed on Friday?
No. In 2026, July 4 is a Saturday. Federal offices and the stock market close on Friday, July 3, but Federal Reserve Banks and post offices are open that Friday. The post office is closed on Saturday, July 4 itself.
Is Good Friday a federal or bank holiday?
No. Good Friday is not one of the 11 federal holidays, and the Federal Reserve and USPS do not list it. Only the stock market closes: the NYSE is closed on April 3, 2026 and March 26, 2027.