Regional · US-AL, US-AZ, US-CO, US-CT, US-GA, US-ID, US-IL, US-IN, US-IA, US-KS, US-KY, US-LA, US-ME, US-MD, US-MA, US-MS, US-MO, US-MT, US-NE, US-NH, US-NJ, US-NM, US-NY, US-NC, US-OH, US-OK, US-PA, US-RI, US-SC, US-TN, US-UT, US-VA, US-WV

RegionalPartial

RegionalPartial 12Oct

Columbus Day

Nationwide

BankPartial

BankPartial 12Oct

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Regional · US-AK, US-AL, US-CA, US-HI, US-IA, US-LA, US-ME, US-MI, US-MN, US-NC, US-NE, US-NM, US-OK, US-OR, US-SD, US-TX, US-VA, US-VT, US-WI

RegionalPartial

RegionalPartial 11Nov

Veterans Day

Nationwide

PublicShut

PublicShut 26Nov

Thanksgiving Day

Nationwide

PublicShut

PublicShut 25Dec

Christmas Day

Nationwide

PublicShut

Data sources: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — federal holidays · Nager.Date public holiday API. How we source and check dates

● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates

Bridge days worth booking

One day of leave, four days off. These are the 2026 dates where the maths works.

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday · 26 Nov 2026

Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.

Book off: 27 Nov 2026

How the holiday year works in United States

The calendar

Federal holidays bind federal employees and banks; everything else is set by state law or your employer. That makes the US calendar the least uniform of any large economy — the same date can be a paid day off, a normal working day and a retail sales event depending on who you work for.

How people take the days

Most federal holidays are fixed to a Monday under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, so long weekends are built in. Thanksgiving is the one week where the country genuinely stops: the Friday after is not federal but is off almost everywhere, and travel peaks nationwide.

If you're visiting

Retail, restaurants and attractions stay open on nearly every holiday — many run their biggest sales. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the two days when most of that closes. Banks and post offices follow the federal list strictly.

If you live here

There is no statutory paid holiday entitlement at all, so days off are a contract matter. Check whether your employer observes Juneteenth and Columbus Day, which split sharply by sector and state.

Nearby countries

Neighbours of United States — see their holidays, or compare the two calendars side by side.

What these days actually mean

Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.

Veterans Day

11 Nov 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

Thanksgiving Day

26 Nov 2026

Public

Observance: The fourth Thursday in November and the largest family gathering of the American year, older than the republic in its regional forms and federal since 1863. Parades in the morning, football through the afternoon.
Business: Federal offices, banks and almost all retail close — a reversal of the past decade, when stores opened for early Black Friday sales. Restaurants largely close too.
Transport: The busiest travel period in the United States. Airports peak on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after; book weeks ahead and expect delays to cascade.

Written for this country

Christmas Day

25 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
Business: Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
Transport: Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.