Executive Order 13854: Providing for the Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on December 24, 2018
President: Donald J. Trump
Closed most federal executive offices on Christmas Eve 2018 while allowing essential offices and employees to continue working.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13854 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13854 applied to the federal office closure on December 24, 2018. That one-day direction has ended; it did not establish an annual Christmas Eve holiday. See EO 13854 signed text (opens in a new tab).
What does Executive Order 13854 do?
EO 13854 closed federal executive departments and agencies and excused employees from duty on Monday, December 24, 2018. Agency heads could keep offices open or require staff to report when national security, defense or other public needs required it. OPM issued pay and leave guidance for that date. The order provided a single-day closure rather than adding a permanent federal holiday.
Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: OPM issued implementing pay and leave guidance for the December 24 closure and identified exceptions for essential work. The action concerned one day; the guidance does not establish a permanent holiday.
Before and after
Before the order
The day before Christmas in 2018 was an ordinary federal workday until the President ordered this specific closure.
After the order
Employees were excused for the specified day subject to agency exceptions for essential needs.
OPM's December 2018 guidance explained pay and leave treatment for the one-day closure.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Executive department and agency heads | Excuse employees on December 24 while retaining essential offices and staff as needed. | December 24, 2018 |
| Office of Personnel Management | Provide pay and leave guidance for the closure. | December 19, 2018 |
What happened next
EO 13854 signed; the linked Federal Register record gives its published text.
OPM issued implementing pay and leave guidance for the December 24 closure and identified exceptions for essential work.
Later primary evidence reviewed; the documented action and its limits were added to this guide.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The signed order and OPM — December 24, 2018 guidance document the directive and the dated subsequent step. The action concerned one day; the guidance does not establish a permanent holiday.
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 — December 24, 2018 guidance (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →