Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday? Here’s what Biden’s new executive order means for you

10/20/2024, 2:48 PM
fastcompany.com

With just days until Christmas and the start of the holidays, President Joe Biden is taking care of some last-minute business, giving most federal employees Christmas Eve off.

Biden’s parting gift to government workers was signing an executive order on Thursday giving them an early start to the holiday to be with family and friends. However, employees who are vital to “national security, defense, or other public need” are exempt.

If you’re wondering if this makes it a national holiday, we’re sorry to say, the answer is no. Unfortunately, Christmas Eve is not a designated federal holiday. To create a federal holiday, it needs to be proposed like any other bill in the U.S. Senate and House, passed, and then signed by the president.

And Biden isn’t the first president to give government employees the day before Christmas off. Federal staffers last had Christmas Eve off in 2020, under President Donald Trump, who also gave them the day off in 2018 and 2019. (This is, of course, ironic, because Trump is currently working on a plan to slash thousands of government jobs, which could leave many out of a job in the new year. Under Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have said they aim to cut government spending by 30%, with Ramaswamy calling for firing half of the federal workforce.)

So, for most American workers, Christmas Eve remains a work day, unless you requested paid time off or your employer just happens to be as generous as Joe.

What are the federal holidays in 2025?

Typically, there are only 11 federal holidays.

In 2025, however, there is one catch. Inauguration Day is on the list, but it only applies to federal employees in Washington, D.C. and certain federal offices. However, this year, Inauguration Day happens to fall on another federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, so January 20 is a federal holiday either way.

Here’s the list of federal holidays in 2025: