Legal Holidays
19. Legal Holidays
The diversity of our country is reflected in the various holidays recognized by the individual states. While many holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, are considered legal holidays in all states, others, such as Good Friday and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday, are recognized in only a handful, while a few are particular to only one state, for example Alaska Day and Pioneer Day.
The recognition of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday has sparked a great deal of controversy. In some of the states where it is recognized, it is not a paid holiday for state employees.
Due to the myriad local holidays in the states, only the major holidays are featured below for comparison.
| Table 19: Legal Holidays | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Code Section | Holidays |
| ALABAMA | 1-3-8 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mardi Gras (Mobile & Baldwin Counties only); Washington’s and Jefferson’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Fraternal Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Jefferson Davis’ Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; American Indian Heritage Day |
| ALASKA | 44.12.010 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Alaska Day; Seward’s Day |
| ARIZONA | 1-301 | New Year’s Day; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mother’s Day; Father’s Day; American Family Day; Constitution Commemoration Day |
| ARKANSAS | 1-5-101 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; employee’s birthday; Washington’s birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day |
| CALIFORNIA | Gov. Code §6700 §19853 State Employees | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Admission Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Cesar Chavez Day |
| COLORADO | 24-11-101 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington-Lincoln Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Labor Day |
| CONNECTICUT | §1-4 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| DELAWARE | Tit. 1 §501 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Day of biennial general elections; Friday following Thanksgiving |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | §28-2701 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| FLORIDA | 110.117; 683.01; legal holidays-public holidays | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas. Following are official holidays but not paid days off for state employees: Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Shrove Tuesday; Good Friday; Pascua Florida Day; Confederate Memorial Day; Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Columbus Day; Flag Day; Veterans Day |
| GEORGIA | 1-4-1; Ga. Gov. Memos dated 10/18/90 and 10/16/91 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; Confederate Memorial Day; Washington’s Birthday is holiday but paid day off is taken by state employees at Christmastime; Friday after Thanksgiving is designated as paid day off in honor of Robert E. Lee’s Birthday |
| State | Code Section | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| HAWAII | 8-1 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day; King Kamehameha Day; Election Day except primary election; Statehood Day |
| IDAHO | 73-108 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and Idaho Human Rights Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| ILLINOIS | 205 ILCS 630/17 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; Casimir Pulaski’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| INDIANA | 1-1-9-1, 2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; day of any primary or general election for national, state, or city officials (Election Day) |
| IOWA | 1C.1, 1C.2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday (public holiday but not paid day off for state employees); Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Lincoln’s Birthday (not paid day off for state empl.) |
| KANSAS | §35-107 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| KENTUCKY | 2.110 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day; Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Birthday |
| LOUISIANA | 1:55 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mardi Gras; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Good Friday; general election day in even numbered years; Also, governor has authority to declare following paid holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Confederate Memorial Day; Acadian Day; s/he must declare 2, including national Memorial Day every year; Battle of New Orleans; Huey P. Long Day; All Saints Day |
| MAINE | Tit. 4, §1051; 20-A, §4802 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Patriot’s Day |
| MARYLAND | Art. 1 §27 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Maryland Day; Defender’s Day; any day of general or congressional election |
| MASSACHUSETTS | Ch. 4 §7, cl. Eighteenth | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Patriot’s Day |
| State | Code Section | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 435.101 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| MINNESOTA | 645.44 subd. 5 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day (not a holiday for executive branch); Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving (for executive branch); Christmas |
| MISSISSIPPI | 3-3-7 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Confederate Memorial Day |
| MISSOURI | 9.010 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Truman Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| MONTANA | 1-1-216 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran’s Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day; state general election day; Memorial Day; Independence Day |
| NEBRASKA | 25-2221 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Arbor Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; day after Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| NEVADA | 236.015 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving (Family Day); Christmas; Nevada Day |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | 288:1, 2 | New Year’s Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day |
| NEW JERSEY | 36:1-1, 1.2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; any general election day |
| NEW MEXICO | 12-5-2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| NEW YORK | Gen. Constr. Law §24, 25 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Flag Day; any general election day |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 103-4 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Good Friday; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Memorial Day; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Greek Independence Day; Anniversary of signing of Halifax Resolves; Confederate Memorial Day; Anniversary of Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence; Yom Kippur; Columbus Day; and the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in election years |
| State | Code Section | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH DAKOTA | 1-03-01, 01.1 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; state offices close at noon on Christmas Eve |
| OHIO | 1.14 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| OKLAHOMA | Tit. 25 §§82.1, 82.2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| OREGON | 187.010, 020 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| PENNSYLVANIA | Tit. 44, §11 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Flag Day; Election Day |
| RHODE ISLAND | 25-1-1 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Rhode Island Independence Day; Victory Day; Election Day |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 53-5-10 | New Year’s Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Day after Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | 1-5-1 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Native American Day |
| TENNESSEE | 15-1-101 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; any day set apart for county, state, or national elections throughout the state |
| TEXAS | U.T.C.A. Government Code §662.003 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; day after Christmas; (Confederate Heroes Day; Texas Independence Day; San Jacinto Day; Emancipation Day in Texas; Lyndon Baines Johnson Day; state holidays) |
| UTAH | 63-13-2 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington and Lincoln Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Pioneer Day |
| VERMONT | Tit. 1 §371 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Town Meeting Day; Bennington Battle Day |
| VIRGINIA | 2.2-3300 | New Year’s Day; Lee-Jackson Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus and Yorktown Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday |
| State | Code Section | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON | 1.16.050 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| WEST VIRGINIA | 2-2-1 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; West Virginia Day; any national, state, or other election day throughout any district or municipality |
| WISCONSIN | 995.20 | New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday (11am-3pm observed for purpose of worship); Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; any primary election day in September; Columbus Day; any general election day in November; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
| WYOMING | 8-4-101 | New Year’s Day; *Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; *Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial cDay; Independence Day; Labor Day; *Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; *Wyoming Equality Day; *public school not dismissed except by order of board of trustees of the district |
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Legal Holidays