Trump declares Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays: What does that mean?

Some federal workers will have a longer holiday break this year. In an executive order issued Thursday, President Trump declared that Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 will be federal holidays this year, meaning that federal departments and agencies will be closed.

As noted in the order, agencies may require certain employees to work on those dates if necessary for national security or other public needs. The order also does not change any existing laws. To establish a permanent federal holiday — which Christmas already is — Congress must pass legislation and then have the president sign it into law.

Why are Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays this year?

It’s common for presidents to declare Christmas Eve a federal holiday, depending on where it falls on the weekly calendar, in order to extend the holiday break. President Trump did so during his first term in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and former President Joe Biden did so in 2024.

In 2021, Christmas fell on a Saturday, making Christmas Eve a federally observed holiday on a Friday, and in 2022, Christmas fell on a Sunday, meaning that Dec. 26 became the federally observed holiday, with Dec. 24 and 25 falling over the weekend. In 2023, Christmas was on a Monday, meaning that Christmas Eve was on a weekend.

This year marks the first time that Trump has ordered Dec. 26 to be a federal holiday.

Will I have off on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 now?

If you’re a federal worker, and your job is not deemed necessary to work on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, then yes, you will have off. However, these temporary federal holidays do not impact private companies — it’s at their discretion if they wish to give their employees the day off. If you did not already have these dates off as a private employee, this order likely won’t impact your work schedule.

What other federal holidays are there?

According to the Office of Personnel Management, the federal holidays in 2026 include: