2020 Holidays
2020 had 10 US federal holidays, from New Year's Day on Wednesday, January 1, to Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. One fell on a weekend, so the day off moved to the nearest weekday: Independence Day on Friday, July 3. Banks were closed on 9 weekdays and the stock markets on 9.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
2020 federal holidays
Federal holidays are set by law (5 U.S.C. 6103). When one falls on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; when it falls on a Sunday, the Monday after.
| Holiday | Date | Day | Day off if moved |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Wednesday | — | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday | — | |
| Presidents' Day | Monday | — | |
| Memorial Day | Monday | — | |
| Independence Day | Saturday | Friday, July 3, 2020 | |
| Labor Day | Monday | — | |
| Columbus Day | Monday | — | |
| Veterans Day | Wednesday | — | |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday | — | |
| Christmas Day | Friday | — |
In addition, executive departments and agencies were closed by presidential order on Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). These one-time closures are not federal holidays.
2020 holiday calendar
Highlighted dates are the federal holidays and observed days off of 2020; print it as a one-page holiday calendar.
- Federal holiday or observed day off
- Weekend
2020 US Federal Holidays
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Bank holidays 2020
The Federal Reserve Banks were closed on 9 weekdays in 2020. They close on every federal holiday and on the Monday after a Sunday holiday, but unlike federal offices they stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday. Commercial banks and credit unions set their own hours, but generally follow this schedule because payments through the Federal Reserve (ACH direct deposits and wire transfers) do not settle on these days.
| Holiday | Date | Federal Reserve Banks |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Closed | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Closed | |
| Presidents' Day | Closed | |
| Memorial Day | Closed | |
| Independence Day | Open Friday, July 3 | |
| Labor Day | Closed | |
| Columbus Day | Closed | |
| Veterans Day | Closed | |
| Thanksgiving Day | Closed | |
| Christmas Day | Closed |
Stock market holidays 2020
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq were closed on 9 weekdays in 2020. Under NYSE Rule 7.2, a holiday on a Saturday closes the markets the Friday before and one on a Sunday the Monday after.
Juneteenth became a market holiday in 2022, so the markets were open on Juneteenth in 2020.
| Holiday | Markets closed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | — | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | — | |
| Presidents' Day | — | |
| Good Friday | — | |
| Memorial Day | — | |
| Independence Day | Holiday on Saturday | |
| Labor Day | — | |
| Thanksgiving Day | — | |
| Christmas Day | — |
Early closes 2020
Stocks stopped trading at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (1:15 PM for eligible options) on these days:
- — Day after Thanksgiving
- — Christmas Eve
Banks vs. stock markets
Banks closed but stock markets stayed open on Columbus Day (Monday, October 12) and Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11). The markets closed on Good Friday (Friday, April 10), which is not a federal or bank holiday.
Long weekends 2020
2020 had 7 three-day weekends for federal employees (a holiday or observed day off on a Monday or Friday).
| Three-day weekend | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Sat Jan 18 – Mon 20 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Sat Feb 15 – Mon 17 | Presidents' Day |
| Sat May 23 – Mon 25 | Memorial Day |
| Fri Jul 3 – Sun 5 | Independence Day (observed) |
| Sat Sep 5 – Mon 7 | Labor Day |
| Sat Oct 10 – Mon 12 | Columbus Day |
| Fri Dec 25 – Sun 27 | Christmas Day |
Bridge days
Holidays on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday can become a longer break with one or two days of leave:
| Holiday | Date | Take off | Time off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Wednesday, January 1 | Thu, Jan 2, Fri, Jan 3 | 5 days (Wed Jan 1 – Sun 5) |
| Veterans Day | Wednesday, November 11 | Thu, Nov 12, Fri, Nov 13 | 5 days (Wed Nov 11 – Sun 15) |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 | Fri, Nov 27 | 4 days (Thu Nov 26 – Sun 29) |
All 2020 holidays and observances by month
41 dates in 2020: federal holidays, observed days off, popular observances, Christian and Jewish holidays, Lunar New Year and daylight saving time. Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before.
January 2020
- – New Year's Day Federal
- – Martin Luther King Jr. Day Federal
- – Lunar New Year (Year of the Rat)
February 2020
- – Groundhog Day
- – Valentine's Day
- – Presidents' Day Federal
- – Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
- – Ash Wednesday
March 2020
- – Daylight saving time begins (clocks go forward at 2:00 AM)
- – Purim (from sundown Mar 9)
- – St. Patrick's Day
April 2020
- – Palm Sunday
- – Passover (first day) (from sundown Apr 8)
- – Good Friday
- – Easter Sunday
- – Earth Day
May 2020
- – Cinco de Mayo
- – Mother's Day
- – Memorial Day Federal
- – Shavuot (from sundown May 28)
June 2020
- – Flag Day
- – Father's Day
July 2020
- – Independence Day (observed day off)
- – Independence Day Federal
- – Tax Day
August 2020
- No holidays
September 2020
- – Labor Day Federal
- – Rosh Hashanah (from sundown Sep 18)
- – Yom Kippur (from sundown Sep 27)
October 2020
- – Sukkot (first day), from sundown Oct 2
- – Columbus Day Federal
- – Halloween
November 2020
- – Daylight saving time ends (clocks go back at 2:00 AM)
- – Election Day (general election)
- – Veterans Day Federal
- – Thanksgiving Day Federal
- – Black Friday
- – Cyber Monday
December 2020
- – Hanukkah (first day) (from sundown Dec 10)
- – Christmas Eve
- – Christmas Day Federal
- – New Year's Eve
Frequently asked questions
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021. Because June 19, 2021 fell on a Saturday, the first federal day off was Friday, June 18, 2021. In 2020 Juneteenth was not yet a federal holiday.
Is Presidents' Day the official name?
No. In federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) the holiday is Washington's Birthday; Presidents' Day is the popular name. It was observed on the third Monday of February, which always falls between February 15 and 21, so it never lands on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.
Is Columbus Day still a federal holiday?
Yes. Columbus Day, the second Monday of October, was one of the federal holidays in 2020. Many states and cities observe the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead, and whether state offices close varies by state.
Do private employers have to give federal holidays off?
No. Federal holidays govern federal government offices. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require private employers to give time off or extra pay for holidays; holiday pay is set by company policy or agreement, and some states have their own rules.