American Holidays

Various public & national holidays observed in USA

sitesworld.comDate	Official Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day	Celebrates beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down to midnight (12:00 AM) on the preceding night, New Year's Eve, often with fireworks display and party. The ball drop at Times Square in New York City has become a national New Year's festivity. Traditional end of Christmas and holiday season.
Third Monday in January	Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.	Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights leader, who was actually born on January 15, 1929; combined with other holidays in several states. Some cities and municipalities hold parades; and more recently, the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act, which was passed to encourage Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service, has gained in popularity (sometimes referred to as a National Day of Service).
First January 20 following a Presidential election	Inauguration Day	Observed only by federal government employees in Washington, D.C., and the border counties of Maryland and Virginia to relieve congestion that occurs with this major event. Swearing-in of President of the United States and Vice President of the United States. Celebrated every fourth year. Note : Takes place on January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday (although the President is still privately inaugurated on the 20th). If Inauguration Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is not a federal holiday.
Third Monday in February	Washington's Birthday/Presidents' Day	Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February (between February 15 and 21, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday). Because of this, combined with the fact that President Abraham Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day.
Last Monday in May	Memorial Day	Honors the nation's war dead from the Civil War onwards; marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. (traditionally May 30, shifted by the Uniform Holidays Act 1968)
July 4	Independence Day	Celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence from British rule, also called the Fourth of July. Firework celebrations are held in many cities throughout the nation.
First Monday in September	Labor Day	Celebrates the achievements of workers and the labor movement; marks the unofficial end of the summer season.
Second Monday in October	Columbus Day	Honors Christopher Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas. In some areas it is also a celebration of Italian culture and heritage. (traditionally October 12)
November 11	Veterans Day	Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 (major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice).
Fourth Thursday in November	Thanksgiving Day	Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest. Traditionally includes the sharing of a turkey dinner. Traditional start of the Christmas and holiday season.
December 25	Christmas	The most widely celebrated holiday of the Christian year, Christmas is observed as a commemoration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.sitesworld.com

sitesworld.comDate	Name	Remarks
January 6	Epiphany	Epiphany (from Greek epiphaneia, "manifestation"), falls on the 12th day after Christmas. It commemorates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the miracle of the wine at the marriage feast at Cana. One of the three major Christian festivals, along with Christmas and Easter. Epiphany originally marked the beginning of the carnival season preceding Lent, and the evening preceding it is known as Twelfth Night.
January 7	Orthodox Christmas	January 7 is the Gregorian Calendar equivalent of December 25 on the Julian Calendar still observed by the Russian and other Eastern Orthodox Churches.
January or February	Lunar New Year	First day of the year in the lunar calendar, traditionally used by many East Asian communities.
February 2	Groundhog Day	The day on which folklore states that the behavior of a groundhog emerging from its burrow is said to predict the onset of Spring.
February 14	Valentine's Day	St. Valentine's Day, or simply Valentine's Day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. Modern traditional celebration of love and romance, including the exchange of cards, candy, flowers, and other gifts.
February or March, date varies	Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday	A festive season (Carnival) leading up to Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Closes with Ash Wednesday (40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays), which starts the penitential season of Lent in the Western Christian calendar.
March 8	International Women's Day	A day set aside to honor women and their accomplishments in history.
March 17	Saint Patrick's Day	A holiday honoring Saint Patrick that celebrates Irish culture. Primary activity is simply the wearing of green clothing ("wearing o' the green"), although drinking beer dyed green is also popular. Big parades in some cities, such as in Chicago, where there is also a tradition of dying the Chicago River green.
April 1	April Fools' Day	A day that people commonly play tricks or jokes on family, friends, and coworkers, especially in English-speaking nations. Sometimes called "the Feast of All Fools" as a play on the feast days of saints; there is no evidence the holiday has any Christian religious origins.
March/April/May (depends on Hebrew Calendar)	Passover	A seven- or eight-day festival in Judaism, commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. For Karaite Jews, Passover is the holiest day of the year and is the festival that marks the beginning of the year. Some Christian groups celebrate Passover instead of Easter. In many regions with large Jewish communities, schools close for all or part of Passover.
Sunday before Easter	Palm Sunday	Celebration to commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The Friday before (western) Easter	Good Friday	Friday of Holy Week, when Western Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is a holiday in some individual counties and municipalities, as well as a state holiday in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. State and local government offices and courts are closed, as well as state-chartered banks and in these jurisdictions. Federal banks and post offices that are located in buildings that close for Good Friday and Easter will also be closed. Good Friday is also a holiday in U.S. territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Many public and private schools, colleges, universities and private-sector businesses; and the New York Stock Exchange and financial markets are closed on Good Friday.
Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, date varies from March 22 to April 25, inclusive (see Computus),	Easter	Celebration of the resurrection of Jesus in most Western Christian churches. A minority of Protestant churches do not observe Easter. Eastern Orthodox (including Western Rite), Oriental Orthodox and some Neo-Celtic churches observe Easter according to a different calendar, usually on a later Sunday (thus they also observe Palm Sunday and Good Friday on different days than Western Christians). Many Americans decorate hard-boiled eggs and give baskets of candy, fruit, toys and so on, especially to children; but gifts of age-appropriate Easter baskets for the elderly, the infirm and the needy are increasingly popular. An annual Easter Egg Roll has been held on the White House South Lawn for young children on Easter Monday since President Hayes started the tradition in 1878. Not a federal holiday due to the fact that it always falls on a Sunday, which is a non-working day for federal and state employees. Many companies that are normally open on Sunday close for Easter.
April 22 (varies by location and observance)	Earth Day	A celebration of environmentalism.
Last Friday in April	Arbor Day	A day for planting trees.
May 1	May Day	In most other countries, May 1 is International Workers' Day, the equivalent of Labor Day, and some Americans do observe May 1 in that context. But before it was a labor-related holiday, May Day was a Celtic and English holiday that celebrated the transition from Spring to Summer, and it is that holiday that those Americans and Canadians who still celebrate May Day call to mind.
May 5	Cinco de Mayo	Primarily a celebration of Mexican culture by Mexican-Americans living in the United States. Although this is the anniversary of the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, Cinco de Mayo is far more important in the USA than in Mexico itself, often celebrated even by non-Mexican-Americans. Additionally, this "holiday" is often mistaken by Americans as being Mexican Independence Day, which is actually observed on September 16.
Second Sunday in May	Mother's Day	Honors mothers and motherhood (made a "federal holiday" by Presidential order, although most federal agencies are already closed on Sundays)
June 14	Flag Day	Commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, in 1777.
June 27	Helen Keller Day	Commemorates the achievements of Helen Keller and the blind.
Third Sunday in June	Father's Day	Honors fathers and fatherhood.
August 26	Women's Equality Day	Celebrates the fight for, and progress towards, equality for women. Established by the United States Congress in 1971 to commemorate two anniversaries: Passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ensuring Woman Suffrage in 1920 and a nation-wide demonstration for equal rights, the Women's Strike for Equality, in 1970.
September 11	Patriot Day	Commemorates the attacks on the World Trade Center (New York City), the Pentagon (Washington, DC), and Flight 93 in 2001.
September 17	Constitution/Citizenship Day	Commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.
September or October (depends on Hebrew calendar)	Rosh Hashanah	Observed by Jewish people. Traditional beginning of the Jewish High Holidays. It also celebrates the beginning of a new year on the Hebrew calendar. In regions with large Jewish populations, schools and universities may close on Rosh Hashanah.
September or October (depends on Hebrew calendar)	Yom Kippur	Observed by Jewish people. This day marks the end of the Ten Days of Penitence that began with Rosh Hashanah. It is described in Leviticus as a "Sabbath of rest," and synagogue services begin the preceding sundown, resume the following morning, and continue to sundown. In regions with large Jewish populations, schools and universities may close on Yom Kippur.
October 6	German-American Day	Commemorates the date in 1683 when 13 German families from Krefeld near the Rhine landed in Philadelphia. These families subsequently founded Germantown, Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in the original thirteen American colonies.
October 31	Halloween	Originally the end of the Celtic year, it now celebrates Eve of All Saint's Day. Decorations include jack o'lanterns. Costume parties and candy such as candy corn are also part of the holiday. Kids go "trick-or-treating" to neighbors who give away candy. Not generally observed by businesses.
First Tuesday after the first Monday in November	Election Day	Observed by the federal and state governments in applicable years; legal holiday in some states.
Day After Thanksgiving	Black Friday	Traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the United States. "Black Friday" is not a holiday under that name, but California and some other states observe "The Day After Thanksgiving" as a holiday for state government employees. Virtually all schools, colleges and universities are also closed, along with many non-retail private sector businesses. Federal government offices, post offices and federally-chartered banks must open on Black Friday (unless the President issues an executive order or proclamation allowing them to close). It is called "Black Friday" because it begins the sales period when most American retailers make their profits for the year. Contrary to popular belief, Black Friday is not the busiest sales day of the year (that honor belongs to Christmas Eve, December 24). Rather, it is the barometer by which retailers are able to gauge December sales and whether they will indeed end the year "in the black" (instead of "in the red"). A busy Black Friday almost invariably indicates a busy shopping season, while poor sales on Black Friday usually herald a very slow season.
November/December/January (depends on Hebrew calendar)	Hanukkah	An eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC. In regions with large Jewish populations, schools and universities may close for part of Hanukkah.
December 7	Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day	Day to mourn the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.
December 8	Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary	Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the Catholic Church maintaining that the Virgin Mary was kept free of original sin from her moment of conception. Companies in some states will give day off to their employees.
December 24	Christmas Eve	Day before Christmas Day. Virtually every business closes early, though a few remain open 24 hours.
December 26 through January 1	Kwanzaa	African American holiday celebration created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga
December 31	New Year's Eve	Final Day of the Gregorian year. Usually accompanied by much celebration, such as party and fireworks. Virtually every company and retail outlet closes early, except for stores that sell alcoholic beverages and party supplies.sitesworld.com

sitesworld.comState	3rd Monday in January	February 4	February 12	3rd Monday in February	February 15	March 31	Variable date in April	April 16	3rd Monday in April	Variable date	1st Monday in June	2nd Monday in October	Tuesday after 1st Monday in November (in even-numbered years)	Friday after 4th Thursday in November	December 24	December 26	December 31
sitesworld.comState	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day[a]	Rosa Parks Day	Lincoln's Birthday	Washington's Birthday[b]	Susan B. Anthony Day	César Chávez Day	Good Friday	Emancipation Day	Patriots' Day	Confederate Memorial Day	Jefferson Davis Day	Columbus Day	General Election Day	Day after Thanksgiving	Christmas Eve	December 26	New Year's Eve
(#) Alabama	Yes (with Robert E. Lee Day)	No	No	Yes (with Jefferson's Birthday)	No	No	No	No	No	Fourth Monday in April	Yes	Yes (with Fraternal Day and American Indian Heritage Day)	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
(#) Alaska	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Arizona	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Arkansas	Yes (with Robert E. Lee Day)	No	No	Yes (with Daisy Gatson Bates Day)	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
(#) California	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Colorado	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Optional holiday	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Connecticut	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Delaware	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) District of Columbia	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Florida	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Georgia	Yes	No	No	December 24	No	No	No	No	No	April 26 (observed on fourth Monday in April)	No	Yes	No	Robert E. Lee Day	Washington's Birthday	No	No
(#) Hawaii	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
(#) Idaho	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Illinois	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Indiana	Yes	No	Day after Thanksgiving	December 24	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Lincoln's Birthday	Washington's Birthday	No	No
(#) Iowa	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Kansas	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Kentucky	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
(#) Louisiana	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
(#) Maine	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Maryland	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Native American Heritage Day	No	No	No
(#) Massachusetts	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Michigan	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
(#) Minnesota	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No[c]	No	Yes[c]	No	No	No
(#) Mississippi	Yes (with Robert E. Lee Day)	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Last Monday in April	Last Monday in May (with Memorial Day)	No	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Missouri	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Montana	Yes	No	Yes	Yes (with Lincoln's Birthday)	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
(#) Nebraska	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Nevada	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Family Day	No	No	No
(#) New Hampshire	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No[d]	No[d]	Yes	No	No	No
(#) New Jersey	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
(#) New Mexico	Yes	No	No	Day after Thanksgiving	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Washington's Birthday[a]	No	No	No
(#) New York	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
(#) North Carolina	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
(#) North Dakota	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Ohio	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Oklahoma	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
(#) Oregon	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Pennsylvania	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) Rhode Island	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) South Carolina	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	May 10	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
(#) South Dakota	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes Native American Day	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Tennessee	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
(#) Texas	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Optional holiday	Yes	No	No	Confederate Heroes Day on January 19 (partial staffing holiday)	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
(#) Utah	Yes	No	No	Yes (with Lincoln's Birthday)	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Vermont	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
(#) Virginia	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
(#) Washington	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
(#) West Virginia	Yes	No	No	Yes	On even-numbered Election Day	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	One half day	No	One half day
(#) Wisconsin	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
(#) Wyoming	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Nositesworld.com

sitesworld.comJanuary 1 – New Year's
Last Monday in May – Memorial Day
- sitesworld.comKnown officially as National Memorial Day in Alabama,
- and Memorial Day / Decoration Day in Idaho.
- Observed with Jefferson Davis' Birthday, and known officially as National Memorial Day / Jefferson Davis' Birthday , in Mississippi.
July 4 – Independence Day
First Monday in September – Labor Day
November 11 – Veterans Day
- sitesworld.comKnown officially as Armistice Day in Mississippi.
Fourth Thursday in November – Thanksgiving
December 25 – Christmas

sitesworld.comBunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, Massachusetts), June 17
Brooklyn-Queens Day (New York City, NY), first Thursday in June
Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois), first Monday in March
Chinese New Year, date fluctuates between late January and February. Celebrated by Asian Americans (including Chinese Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Cambodian Americans, and others) and throughout Chinatowns nationwide.
Day of the Dead, November 2, sometimes celebrated in areas with large Mexican-American populations; see Dia de los Muertos
DC Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C.), April 16. Legal public holiday. If during the weekend, observed on the nearest weekday. If April 16 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, it will nationally extend the federal income tax filing deadline.
Devil's Night (primarily Michigan), October 30
Dyngus Day (New York, Indiana, Michigan and North Dakota), day after Easter, Polish-origin holiday
Evacuation Day (Suffolk County and Cambridge, Massachusetts), March 17 (same date as St. Patrick's Day)
Father Damien Day (Hawaii), April 15
Helen Keller Day, (Pennsylvania), June 27
Indigenous Peoples Day (Berkeley, California), celebrated in lieu of Columbus Day
International Women's Day (Berkeley, California), March 8
Loyalty Day (domestic counterweight to May Day)
Malcolm X Day (Berkeley, California), May 19
Mardi Gras, held the day before Ash Wednesday.
- sitesworld.comFlorida, legal holiday in counties where carnival associations are organized for the purpose of celebrating the same.
- Louisiana, legal holiday
- Alabama, legal holiday only in Baldwin and Mobile Counties
Meck-Dec Day (Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina), May 20. Celebrates the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
Midsummer (celebrated in Minnesota and other Scandinavian-American areas)
Patriots' Day (Massachusetts and Maine), third Monday in April. Commemorates the Revolutionary War and is the day of the Boston Marathon. Different than Patriot Day (September 11).
Pioneer Day (Utah), July 24. Commemorates the arrival of the Mormon Pioneers to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Return Day (Sussex County, Delaware), November 4 after noon. Population meets to hear election returns, celebrate.
Rosa Parks Day (Ohio), February 4
Susan B. Anthony Day (Florida, Wisconsin,