The U.S. has added federal holidays to their list over the years.
Most recently, Juneteenth was added as a federal holiday on June 19th. This means banks will be closed along with other federal agencies.
In all, there are 11 federal holidays recognized by the United States.
Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday in the United States?
Of the 11 holidays that are federally recognized, Christmas Day is one of them.
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Here are all 11 holidays:
- New Year’s Day, January 1.
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January.
- Washington’s Birthday, the third Monday in February.
- Memorial Day, the last Monday in May.
- Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19.
- Independence Day, July 4.
- Labor Day, the first Monday in September.
- Columbus Day, the second Monday in October.
- Veterans Day, November 11.
- Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November.
- Christmas Day, December 25
Not included on this list is Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.
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While it is not a federal requirement, many states and agencies do choose to honor Christmas Eve and give their employees the day off.
Some agencies will give their employees paid time off, while others pay their employees a higher rate on the day.
It really depends on your state and company or agency if you will benefit at all.
Some states even recognize the day as a real, full holiday.
These states include Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.
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For Kansas, North Dakota, and Virginia, they recognize the day as a half work day, with most working in the morning.
Sometimes the President will issue and executive order giving federal employees the day off before Christmas Day if the holiday falls on a Tuesday. Presidents have done it for other days as well, like Fridays before Christmas.
This happened in 2018 under President Donald Trump, then 2001 and 2007 with President George W. Bush.
In 2012 and 2014 it happened with President Barack Obama.
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