Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday? Who gets it off? What to know.
- - Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday? Who gets it off? What to know.
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAYDecember 23, 2025 at 5:01 AM
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December 24 feels like a holiday to many, with its half-empty offices and the rush of a last-minute shopping crowd. Its status as an official holiday, however, isn't the same as Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve often becomes a day off for federal employees when the president issues a temporary order, like Trump did this year when he declared Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays in 2025. Unfortunately, that still leaves the rest of us at the mercy of our workplace's goodwill.
Christmas falls on a Thursday this year and Americans are eyeing a long weekend to follow. But who gets Christmas Eve off? And will your errands be interrupted by extra closures those days? Here's what to know.
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Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday?
While Christmas Eve has been declared a federal holiday in 2025, it is not a permanent addition to the holiday schedule.
To designate a day as a federal holiday in perpetuity, legislation must pass through Congress and be signed into law by the president. This was last done when Juneteenth was added in 2021 under the Biden administration.
It's not entirely uncommon for presidents to issue temporary holiday orders, especially around the winter celebrations. In 2014, President Barack Obama declared Dec. 26, which landed on a Friday — the same as it does this year — a federal holiday. Trump did the same for Christmas Eve during his first term in 2019 and 2020.
Christmas Eve, while widely recognized as a holiday, isn't on the federal schedule.Who gets Christmas Eve off?
Unfortunately, Trump's order doesn't mean most Americans will get Christmas Eve off.
Many workplaces outside of government offices follow the federal holiday schedule when giving workers paid time off. Because Dec. 24 has not been added to the federal schedule permanently, however, people who did not already have Christmas Eve off are not likely to reap the benefits.
Only federal agencies will be closed on those days. Some employees may still have to report to work, at the discretion of agency leaders, according to Trump's order. Private businesses can decide to give their employees time off, but they are not obligated to by law.
Will banks, stores, post offices be closed on Christmas Eve?
While federal government offices may close their doors the days before Christmas this year, locations like banks, post offices and private retailers will largely remain open.
U.S. Postal Service post offices will be open for retail transactions on Dec. 24 and mail will be delivered that day. Offices will be closed and mail will not be delivered on Christmas Day.
According to the Federal Reserve, banks will follow the typical schedule of being open for business on Dec. 24 and closed on Christmas Day.
Major private retailers, such as Target, Walmart and Costco, are by and large following the traditional rule of only closing on Christmas, Dec. 25. Target stores will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. They will reopen for normal hours on Friday, Dec. 26. Similarly, Walmart stores, Costco and other private businesses will be closed on Christmas Day only.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday? What to know.
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