Is Dec. 26 a federal holiday? Who gets it off? What to know
- - Is Dec. 26 a federal holiday? Who gets it off? What to know
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAYDecember 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
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To many, December 26 may feel like a holiday. Offices remain mostly empty, families are still in town and employers don't expect much work to get done when it falls on a Friday, like in 2025.
Its status as an official holiday, however, isn't the same as Christmas Day.
Dec. 26 can become a day off for federal employees when the president issues a temporary order, like President Donald Trump did this year when he declared Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays in 2025. Unfortunately, that still leaves the rest of us at the mercy of our workplace's goodwill.
Christmas falls on a Thursday this year and Americans are eyeing a long weekend to follow. But who gets the day after Christmas off? And will your errands be interrupted by extra closures? Here's what to know.
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Is Dec. 26 a federal holiday?
While Dec. 26, the day after Christmas, has been declared a federal holiday in 2025, it is not a permanent addition to the holiday schedule.
To designate a day as a federal holiday in perpetuity, legislation must pass through Congress and be signed into law by the president. This was last done when Juneteenth was added in 2021 under the Biden administration.
It's not entirely uncommon for presidents to issue temporary holiday orders, especially around the winter celebrations. In 2014, President Barack Obama declared Dec. 26, which landed on a Friday, a federal holiday. Trump did the same for Christmas Eve during his first term in 2019 and 2020.
Currently, only Christmas Day, Dec. 25, is a federally recognized holiday.
Dec. 26 falls on a Friday this year. That doesn't mean you get it off, however.Who gets Dec. 26 off?
Unfortunately, Trump's order doesn't mean most Americans can take off work on Dec. 26.
Many workplaces outside of government offices follow the federal holiday schedule when giving workers paid time off. Because Dec. 26 has not been added to the federal schedule permanently, people who did not already have the day off are not likely to reap the benefits of a permanent federal holiday.
Only federal agencies will be closed on those days, but some employees may still have to report to work at the discretion of agency leaders, according to Trump's order. Private businesses can decide to give their employees time off, but they are not obligated to by law.
Will banks, stores, post offices be closed on Dec. 26?
While federal government offices may close their doors the days before and after Christmas this year, locations like banks, post offices and private retailers will largely remain open.
U.S. Postal Service post offices will be open for retail transactions on Dec. 26 and mail will be delivered on that day. Offices will be closed and mail will not be delivered on Christmas Day.
According to the Federal Reserve, banks will follow the typical schedule of being closed on Christmas Day and open for business on Dec. 26.
Major private retailers, such as Target, Walmart and Costco, are by and large following the traditional rule of only closing on Christmas, Dec. 25. Target stores will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. They will reopen for normal hours on Friday, Dec. 26. Similarly, Walmart stores, Costco and other private businesses will be closed on Christmas Day only.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Dec. 26 a federal holiday? What to know
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