U.S. federal holidays are mandated by Congress in Title 5 (Section 6103) of the United State Code. In 2009, there are eleven federal holidays in all - three in January, two in November, and one every other month of the year except March, April, June, and August.
What are the Federal Holidays in 2009?
The United States Code specifies the following official government holidays in 2009:
- New Year’s Day - January 1st
- Martin Luther King’s Birthday - January 19th. This falls on the third Monday in January.
- Inauguration Day - January 20th. Since 1965, this holiday is observed every four years following the general election in November of the preceding year. Note: Only certain Washington D.C. area federal employees will get this day off.
- Washington’s Birthday (commonly known as President’s Day) – February 16th. This falls on the third Monday in February.
- Memorial Day - May 25th. This is the last Monday in May.
- Independence Day - July 4th. Since the Fourth of July falls on Saturday this year, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has indicated that July 3, 2009 is actually the day that will be treated as a federal holiday for most government employees.
- Labor Day - September 7th. This is the first Monday in September.
- Columbus Day - October 12th. This falls on the second Monday in October.
- Veterans Day - November 11th.
- Thanksgiving Day - November 26th. This falls on the fourth Thursday in November.
- Christmas Day - December 25th. The only religious holiday recognized by Congress, Christmas Day, always falls on December 25th.
Company Holidays: Many U.S. Employees Get Off Work Based on Official Federal Holidays
Private companies in the U.S. typically choose to observe a set number of holidays every year. For example, a company that allows ten holidays each year may break down the holiday calendar into individual holidays, two-day holiday breaks, and personal holidays. An example could be one day off for New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day plus two days off for Thanksgiving (day of Thanksgiving and the day after) and Christmas (Christmas day plus one other day). Two days off for Thanksgiving and Christmas allows for extra time off during the two winter holidays that usually involve lots of family time and extensive travel. The final two holidays may be “preference” or “floating” holidays to be taken at the employee’s discretion. This allows employees to create their own breaks, either to observe religious holidays, extend an existing holiday to several days, or simply create a mini-vacation any time during the year. Other popular company holidays are on President’s Day or Good Friday.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, most companies designate the Friday before or Monday after the holiday as the day of observance.
2009 Post Office Holidays: Will the Mail Run on Legal Holidays?
Many U.S. citizens wonder which days the postal service observes because the mail does not run on those days. The USPS (United States Postal Service) website has posted 2009 postal holidays; the post office will be closed on all of the federal holidays noted above for 2009, with the exception of Inauguration Day. Read more about post office closings in 2009 Postal Holidays, U.S. Post Office Closings.
Related articles:
Post Office Holidays in 2010, U.S. Postal Closings
United States Federal Holidays in 2010
Resources:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Cornell University Law School U.S. Code Collection
United States Postal Service website
Lena Gott - Lena Gott is a Certified Public Accountant who gives practical financial advice to her readers.
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