President Trump’s Executive Order on Holidays
President Trump signed an order giving federal employees time off both Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. The president typically grants only one of those days.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
December 24th feels like a holiday to many people. Offices are half empty and flooded with last-minute shoppers. However, its status as an official holiday is not the same as Christmas Day.
When a president issues a temporary order, Christmas Eve often becomes a holiday for federal employees, as President Trump did this year when he declared Christmas Eve and December 26 to be federal holidays in 2025. Unfortunately, the rest of us remain at the mercy of workplace goodwill.
Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, and Americans are focused on the long weekend that follows. But who gets Christmas Eve off? Also, will your business be interrupted on that day due to a temporary closure?Here’s what you need to know.
Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday?
Christmas Eve was declared a federal holiday in 2025, but it is not permanently added to the holiday schedule.
To permanently designate a specific day as a federal holiday, a bill must be passed by Congress and signed into law by the president. This was last done when Juneteenth was added in 2021 under the Biden administration.
It is not at all unusual for presidents to issue temporary leave orders, especially during winter celebrations. In 2014, President Barack Obama declared December 26, the same Friday as this year, a federal holiday. Trump did the same on Christmas Eve during his first term in 2019 and 2020.
Who gets Christmas Eve off?
Unfortunately, President Trump’s order does not mean most Americans will have Christmas Eve off.
Many non-government workplaces follow the federal holiday schedule when providing paid time off to their workers. However, December 24th has not been permanently added to the federal government’s schedule, so those who haven’t already taken the holiday on Christmas Eve are unlikely to benefit.
Only federal agencies will be closed on this day. According to President Trump’s order, some employees may still have to come to work at the discretion of agency leaders. Private companies can decide to give their employees time off, but they are not required by law.
Will banks, shops, and post offices close on Christmas Eve?
While federal government offices may close the day before Christmas this year, most banks, post offices and independent retailers will remain open.
U.S. Postal Service post offices will begin retail transactions on Dec. 24, and mail will be delivered the same day. Offices will be closed on Christmas Day and no mail will be delivered.
Banks will follow their normal schedule of being open on Dec. 24 and closed on Christmas Day, the Fed said.
Large independent retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Costco follow the traditional rule of only closing on Christmas Day, which generally falls on December 25th. Target stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. We will resume normal business hours on Friday, December 26th. Similarly, Walmart stores, Costco, and other private businesses will be closed only on Christmas Day.
