Holiday Calculator

A holiday calculator helps you track upcoming holidays, plan around them for scheduling, and learn the historical and cultural context behind the dates we celebrate. Understanding the origin of holidays enriches their meaning and provides valuable context for personal, educational, and professional planning.

Federal holidays in the United States: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January), Presidents' Day (3rd Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (1st Monday in September), Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day (2nd Monday in October), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November), and Christmas (December 25). When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal employees observe the Friday before. When it falls on a Sunday, Monday is observed.

Floating vs. fixed holidays: some holidays occur on the same date each year (Christmas, Independence Day, Juneteenth), while others occur on a specific day of a specific week (Labor Day = first Monday in September; Thanksgiving = fourth Thursday in November). Floating holidays were generally established to ensure workers always get a Monday or Friday off for a long weekend.

Business planning around holidays: December is typically the most impactful month for business scheduling — Christmas, Hanukkah (varies), and New Year's create multi-week slowdowns in many industries. The period from Thanksgiving to New Year's is often called the "holiday season" and represents both peak retail activity and reduced business-to-business communication.

International considerations: while US federal holidays are standardized, state and local governments often add or modify the observance list. Many countries observe completely different holidays. When scheduling across time zones and countries, always verify what local holidays may affect availability.