Dec. 19, 2025, 4:45 p.m. ET
Christmas vacation is about to be a little longer for some lucky workers.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, Dec. 18, declaring Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas federal holidays in 2025. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, meaning some workers will now get an additional break from Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Friday, Dec. 26.
A few extra days off around the holidays is welcome news for most – but not all Americans will reap the benefits.
Who gets Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 off? And will your errands be interrupted by extra closures those days? Here’s what to know.
Are Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 official holidays?
While Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 have been declared federal holidays in 2025, they are not permanent additions to the holiday schedule.
To designate a day as a federal holiday in perpetuity, legislation must pass through Congress and be signed into law by the president. This was last done when Juneteenth was added in 2021 under the Biden administration.
It’s not entirely uncommon for presidents to issue temporary holiday orders, especially around the winter celebrations. In 2014, President Barack Obama declared Dec. 26, which landed on a Friday — the same as it does this year — a federal holiday. Trump did the same for Christmas Eve during his first term in 2019 and 2020.
Who gets Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 off?
Unfortunately, Trump’s order doesn’t mean most Americans will get Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 off.
Many workplaces outside of government offices follow the federal holiday schedule when giving workers paid time off. Because Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 have not been added to the federal schedule permanently, however, people who did not already have those days off are not likely to receive a last-minute Christmas surprise.
Only federal agencies will be closed on those days. Some employees may still have to report to work, at the discretion of agency leaders, according to Trump’s order. Private businesses can decide to give their employees time off, but they are not obligated to by law.
Will banks, stores, post offices be closed on Christmas Eve, Dec. 26?
While federal government offices may close their doors the days before and after Christmas this year, locations like banks, post offices and private retailers will largely remain open.
U.S. Postal Service post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered on Christmas Day, according to the agency’s website. Post offices will be open for retail transactions on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, and mail will be delivered on those days.
According to the Federal Reserve, banks will follow the typical schedule of being open for business on Dec. 24 and 26 and closed on Christmas Day.
Major private retailers, such as Target, Walmart and Costco, are by and large following the traditional rule of only closing on Christmas, Dec. 25. Target stores will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. They will reopen for normal hours on Friday, Dec. 26. Similarly, Walmart stores, Costco and other private businesses will be closed on Christmas Day.