Federal Holidays
© North Carolina Community College System
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There are Ten Federal Holidays
• All non-essential federal
government offices are
closed on these
holidays.
• Let’s see why we
celebrate these holidays
and when they occur:
New Year’s Day
• This holiday is
always on
January 1st. It
recognizes the
start of a new
calendar year.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• This holiday is the
third Monday in
January. It honors
civil rights leader Dr.
Martin Luther King,
Jr.
• Commonly called
Presidents’ Day,
the legal name of
this holiday is
Washington’s
Birthday. It is
celebrated on the
third Monday in
February.
Presidents George
Washington and Abraham
Lincoln
Memorial Day
• This holiday started in
the Nineteenth
Century to honor
soldiers who gave
their lives in the Civil
War. It now includes
those who served
their country in later
wars as well. It is the
last Monday in May.
Independence Day
• This holiday
celebrates the
signing of the
Declaration of
Independence.
It is often called
“Fourth of July.”
Labor Day
• This holiday
celebrates the
achievements of
workers and the labor
movement. It is the
first Monday in
September.
Columbus Day
• This holiday honors Christopher
Columbus. Columbus discovered America
on October 12, 1492. We celebrate on the
second Monday in October.
Veterans Day
• Veterans Day is the
American name for the
international holiday
celebrating the end of
World War I.
On this day the U.S.
honors all veterans,
whether they served in a
war or not. Veterans Day
is observed on November
11th.
Thanksgiving
• This holiday is a celebration to
give thanks for the autumn
harvest. It is observed on the
fourth Thursday in November.
Christmas
• Christmas is a
Christian
holiday that
celebrates the
birth of Jesus.
The holiday is
observed on
December
25th.