Federal Holidays

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© North Carolina Community College System

There are Ten Federal Holidays

• All non-essential federal government offices are closed on these holidays.

• Let’s see why we celebrate these holidays and when they occur:

New Year’s Day

• This holiday is always on January 1st. It recognizes the start of a new calendar year.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• This holiday is the third Monday in January. It honors civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presidents George Washington and Abraham

Lincoln

• Commonly called Presidents’ Day, the legal name of this holiday is Washington’s Birthday. It is celebrated on the third Monday in February.

Memorial Day

• This holiday started in the Nineteenth Century to honor soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War. It now includes those who served their country in later wars as well. It is the last Monday in May.

Independence Day

• This holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is often called “Fourth of July.”

Labor Day

• This holiday celebrates the achievements of workers and the labor movement. It is the first Monday in September.

Columbus Day

• This holiday honors Christopher Columbus. Columbus discovered America on October 12, 1492. We celebrate on the second Monday in October.

• Veterans Day is the American name for the international holiday celebrating the end of World War I.

On this day the U.S. honors all veterans, whether they served during a war or not.

Veterans Day is observed on November 11th.

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving

• This holiday is a celebration to give thanks for the autumn harvest. It is observed on the fourth Thursday in November.

• Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The holiday is observed on December 25th.

Christmas