Official Calendar of Holidays in the United States for 2023
The United States, like other nations, sets aside a number of days each year to commemorate events, people, or public acts. The holidays of the 2023 calendar.
Planning your next getaway for Easter? If you live in the land of Uncle Sam and abide by the official calendar, we're sorry to tell you that Easter (or more specifically, Good Friday through Easter Sunday) is not an official holiday in the US. In fact, if you are waiting for the next official holiday to rest, you can arm yourself with patience, since it will only fall in May, and no: it is not May 1. Read on and find out the official calendar of holidays in the United States in 2023.
The United States, like other nations, sets aside a number of days each year to commemorate events, people, or public acts. The holidays of the 2023 calendar.
As a reminder, on federal holidays, most government offices are closed, as are banks and private sector companies. And if one falls over the weekend, the government can mark it on a different day.
Calendar of public holidays in the United States in 2023
Technically, the United States does not celebrate national holidays, but Congress has designated 10 holidays, during which most federal government offices are closed and most federal employees do not work.
Although individual states and private companies are not required to adhere to these holidays, in practice, all states, and nearly all employers, adhere to most of them.
The holidays of 2023 in the United States are as follows:
- Monday January 2 New Year.
- Monday, January 16 Martin Luther King Day.
- Monday February 20 President's Day.
- Monday May 29 Memorial Day.
- Monday June 19 “Juneteenth”.
- Tuesday July 4th Independence Day.
- Monday, September 4 Labor Day.
- Monday October 9 Columbus Day.
- Friday November 10 Veterans Day.
- Thursday November 23 Thanksgiving Day.
- Monday December 25 Christmas.
Since 1971, several of them have been fixed on Mondays instead of a particular calendar date, in order to provide workers with long weekends.
United States Holidays: Why They Are Celebrated
Briefly, why some of the holidays are celebrated in the USA:
- Martin Luther King Day: it is celebrated on the third Monday of January, the date close to the birth of the activist of the civil rights movement in the United States, which was January 15, 1929. In 1963, Luther King gave his speech "I Have a Dream” before more than 200,000 people in Washington D.C.
- Presidents' Day: Celebrates the birth of the first president of the United States, George Washington, on February 22, 2022. Memorial Day, marked on the calendar on the last Monday in May, honors who died in their duty in the Armed Forces of that country.
- "Juneteenth": the name comes from the combination of "June" (June) and "nineteenth" (nineteen), it commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is dedicated to educating about the history of the Afro-descendant community in the nation.
- Independence Day: On July 4, 1776, the representatives of the 13 colonies of what is now known as the United States signed the Declaration of Independence, a document that recognizes it as an independent territory.
- Veterans Day: Celebrated on November 11 (although in 2023 it is marked on Monday, November 10), it recognizes people who have served in the Armed Forces. Tributes, parades and meetings are held throughout the country, although the most important is the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington Cemetery.
Holidays and special dates in the United States
It is important to know that it is not the same to talk about holidays and special dates in the United States. The second ones have to do with business days, where loved ones are honored or given gifts or there are important discounts and promotions, such as Black Friday or CyberMonday.
While some dates honor specific groups and events, from Valentine's Day to Halloween, they are not federal holidays. They do not mean days off to travel the world or go on a getaway.
