Executive Order 13523: Half-Day Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies on Thursday, December 24, 2009
President: Barack Obama
Excused most executive-branch employees from duty for the last half of Christmas Eve 2009.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13523 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13523 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13523 do?
EO 13523 closed executive departments and agencies for a half day on Thursday December 24, 2009, while allowing agency heads to retain staff needed for national security, defense or other public needs. It was a one-day personnel action with no continuing effect.
Before and after
Before the order
Christmas Eve 2009 was otherwise a scheduled federal workday.
After the order
Most covered employees were excused for the afternoon, with essential operations continuing.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Agency heads | Excuse covered employees for half the day | Completed |
| Agency heads | Keep necessary offices and staff operating | Completed |
| OPM | Provide implementation guidance | Completed |
What happened next
EO 13523 signed.
The one-time half-day closure occurred.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The President used federal personnel authority; statutory holidays, leave law and agency emergency responsibilities were unchanged.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- OPM — federal holidays and closures (opens in a new tab) Official record
- U.S. Code — holidays (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →