Are federal offices closed on Christmas Eve? A guide to closure orders
The 21 federal-office closing orders in this archive, what one-day and half-day closures mean, and how to check Christmas Eve 2026.
Research checked October 3, 2026
Is Christmas Eve 2026 a federal day off?
As checked October 3, 2026, this site has no signed 2026 Christmas Eve closure order in its archive. A prior year’s one-day order does not recur automatically. The ordinary holiday calendar, statutory rules and any later presidential instruction must be checked closer to the date. We will add a new numbered order when its signed text is available rather than predict a closure.
How a closure order works
These orders commonly close executive departments and agencies on a named day and excuse many employees from duty. Agency heads can usually require particular facilities or employees to remain at work for national security, defense or other public needs. A “half-day” order has a narrower duration. Pay and leave treatment may be explained in a later OPM memorandum; a general announcement is not a substitute for that guidance.
EO 13854 concerned December 24, 2018. EO 13852 concerned the December 5, 2018 national day of mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Neither created a permanent public holiday. The OPM holiday calendar distinguishes statutory holidays from these one-time closings.
All 21 closing orders in this archive
The rows below are generated from titles containing the separate word “Closing”. That avoids accidentally including a disclosure or detention-facility closure order. Read each guide for its precise day and exceptions.
Counts in the tables below come from this site's 1,603-record archive, checked October 17, 2026. A research-stage label describes the site's review, not the current legal force of an order. Compare the Federal Register’s published-order index.
National days of mourning
Presidents have separately ordered executive-office closures to mark the death of a former president. Those dates should not be confused with Christmas Eve or permanent holidays. Examples in this archive include EO 12910, EO 13343, EO 13421, EO 13852 and EO 14133. Use the signed order and any OPM implementing guidance for the specific day.
For changes to the archive, follow the Updates page or RSS feed.
A one-time closure is not a new federal holiday
Federal holidays are established by statute, including the recurring holidays listed in 5 U.S.C. § 6103. A President may direct federal executive departments and agencies to close on a particular date, subject to the order's terms and applicable law. That one-day instruction does not by itself add a permanent date to the statutory holiday calendar or require private employers, schools, state governments, or businesses to close.
For a closure order, read who it covers. Many apply to executive departments and agencies in the executive branch, while allowing an agency head to keep offices or employees operating for national security, defense, or other public needs. The text may exclude a category of workers or delegate decisions about essential services. A federal facility's hours, an employee's work status, and the treatment of a public-facing service may therefore differ.
The OPM federal holiday calendar lists statutory holidays and guidance for federal employees. A special presidential closing order is a separate document; look for the dated signed text and any OPM memorandum for that occasion.
Pay and leave depend on the order and OPM guidance
A closure order commonly excuses covered federal employees from duty for the day, while allowing agency heads to require some employees to work. The order may state how the excused absence is treated. OPM can issue implementation guidance addressing pay, leave, work schedules, and employees who are required to report. The employee's status, schedule, and agency instructions matter; a general announcement is not a substitute for those details.
Employees who must work may receive the treatment provided by the governing pay and leave rules, not automatically an extra day off later. Employees already on leave or on an alternative schedule can raise different payroll questions. If a closure is announced close to the date, agencies typically communicate how it applies to shifts, emergency operations, public counters, and remote work.
For a specific pay or leave decision, use the applicable OPM memorandum and ask the agency HR office. This guide explains what the presidential documents say; it does not determine entitlement for a particular position.
Why a recurring date can be confusing
Presidents have issued one-time closure instructions for Christmas Eve, national days of mourning, and other occasions. A past order is evidence about that past date only. It does not set a recurring closure for every future year. Congress can create a statutory holiday; an annual presidential notice may instead close executive offices for one specified date. The two actions use different legal instruments and have different reach.
News coverage can also discuss a closure before a signed order is published. For a reliable answer, look for an official signed text, its date and scope, and the later OPM guidance. If no order has been signed, this archive will say that the record has not been verified rather than predicting a closure. Check the relevant year in the closure-order archive and follow the official federal holiday calendar.