How do public holidays and school holidays work?

The US has 11 federal holidays, and states add their own. But there is no legal right to a paid day off on any of them: it depends on your employer. School calendars are set by each district, with a long summer break and shorter breaks around Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring.

The federal holidays

These are the dates federal employees get off, as published by the Office of Personnel Management. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it’s usually observed on the Friday before; on a Sunday, the Monday after. Federal offices close, and private employers choose which, if any, to give.

Boxing Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday are not federal holidays. Many places, including Washington DC and Chicago’s schools, mark the October holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

State holidays

State holidays mainly affect state and city offices, courts and schools. Your employer may not follow them. Lists change; check your state

Paid holidays aren’t a legal right

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require pay for time not worked, such as holidays or vacations. Whether you get them is a matter of agreement between you and your employer. It also doesn’t require extra pay for working on a holiday: double time is a company policy, not the law. In 2025, 81% of private-sector workers had paid holidays, averaging 8 days a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Check your offer letter for both paid holidays and PTO (paid time off). See understanding a US job offer and your rights at work.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November, fixed by Congress in 1941. It’s mainly a day for family and a big shared meal, traditionally turkey. You don’t need to be religious or American to join in, and if a colleague or neighbour invites you, it’s fine to ask what to bring. Some employers close on the Friday too, as Texas state agencies do.

It’s also one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2025 the TSA, which runs airport security, screened 3.13 million people, its busiest day ever. Book flights early and allow extra time at airports.

School calendars

Each school district sets its own calendar. Two big districts show the pattern: a start in late August or September, an end in June, about 10 weeks off in summer, a break at Christmas and New Year, a spring break, and odd days off for holidays and teacher training. For 2026–27:

Private and charter schools set their own dates, and other districts differ, so check your own district’s calendar before booking trips home. See schools.