Is Christmas Eve a Federal Holiday?

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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Christmas, the major festive celebration, is a federal holiday in the U.S. This means many government offices are not open on the day and certain private businesses may also be closed.

But what about Christmas Eve, the day before the big holiday? Do employees get December 24 off as well?

Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday. But this year, December 24 serves as the official day of observance for Christmas, since December 25 falls on a Saturday in 2021.

"If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day," says USA.gov, an official U.S. government website.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), for federal employees, when a holiday falls on a "nonworkday"—Saturday or Sunday—it is typically observed on either the day before or after.

If the holiday lands on a Sunday, it is officially observed on the Monday after it, while if it falls on a Saturday, it is marked on the Friday before it.

Since Christmas in 2021 is on a Saturday, the day is officially observed on Christmas Eve this year. Therefore, most workers are able to take December 24 as an official day in 2021, even though Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday.

Are Businesses Open on Christmas Eve?

Many retailers are open on Christmas Eve, so those who still need to can do some very last-minute shopping for Christmas presents. But many stores may be operating on a reduced schedule on December 24. Contact your local shop to confirm exact times before visiting the venues.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not be operating on Christmas Eve in observance of Christmas, as it is "treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes" this year.

Some FedEx services will be available on December 24 but may be on a modified schedule. See the FedEx website for more information.

UPS will also be operating a normal delivery service on Christmas Eve, apart from some exceptions. See the UPS website for details.

Some banks, such as the Federal Reserve, may be open on Christmas Eve. The Federal Reserve website says: "For holidays falling on Saturday, Federal Reserve Banks and Branches will be open the preceding Friday."

Other Federal Holidays in the U.S.

Below is a list of other federal holidays in the country.

  • New Year's Day (January 1)
  • Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)
  • Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February)
  • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
  • Juneteenth (June 19)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
  • Columbus Day (Second Monday in October)
  • Veterans Day (November 11)
  • Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
Signage showing holiday store hours in California.
Signage announcing the holiday hours at a store in Walnut Creek, California, pictured in December 2019. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
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About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more