The dates of federal holidays in 2021 are certain now. During the federal holidays, some banks and other institutions such as government offices may be closed. It is important to know about when the federal holidays are so you don’t have any unfinished business.
There is also the business aspect of federal holidays. Although employers aren’t required to give day-off to employees in federal holidays, most do. However, by no means, employers aren’t required to grant days-off to employees during federal holidays.
Read More: State Sales Tax Holidays
While we have a total of 10 federal holidays, not all of them will grant days off. For example, most employers choose not to give their employees time off on Memorial Day or Veterans Day but do so for Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and Labor Day. This is the case with most private-sector businesses. On the other hand, most government offices including schools are closed in all ten federal holidays.
Here are the dates of federal holidays in 2021.
| Date | Federal Holiday Observed |
| January 1st | New Year’s Day |
| January 18th | Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK Day) |
| February 15th | Washington’s Birthday |
| May 31st | Memorial Day |
| July 4th | Independence Day (4th of July) |
| September 6th | Labor Day |
| October 11st | Columbus Day |
| November 11st | Veterans Day |
| November 25th | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
It is good to know that when a federal holiday falls on a Sunday, it is observed on the next Monday or when falls on a Saturday, it is observed on Friday. The same goes for government offices as far as whether or not they are closed. For example, the IRS offices will be closed on a Friday if the Thanksgiving falls on a Saturday.
Since the dates are given above, you don’t need to keep track of when the 2021 federal holidays are.
