Trump Declares December 24 and 26 as Federal Holidays, But Only for Some People
"I still have to work bro."
Published Dec. 22 2025, 12:28 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump has decided to give a little something back to the American people, a move that might be appreciated by some and barely noticed by others. He’s added a couple of days to the federal holiday lineup, giving certain workers extra paid time off. On Dec. 18, 2025, Trump signed an executive order designating Dec. 24 (aka Christmas Eve) and Dec. 26 as federal holidays.
But before you start assuming you’re automatically excused from work the day before and after Christmas, and will still get paid, there are a few key details worth noting. That’s because Trump included some specific stipulations in this “gesture,” making it a little more than just a few extra days off. Let’s break down his executive order and figure out whether Dec. 26 really counts as an official federal holiday.
Did Trump make December 26 a holiday?
Trump did designate Dec. 26 as an official holiday, but it only applies to executive departments and agencies of the U.S. federal government, and it’s only for 2025. Section 1 of his order states: “All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, and Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively.”
Notice the year is specifically 2025, which means the order is not in effect for 2026 or beyond. If Trump wanted it to carry over into 2026, he would need to issue a new executive order for that year. He could also choose to expand it to cover more branches of government.
What’s also worth pointing out is that this holiday gesture is limited to employees of the U.S. federal government, like workers at the IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, and similar roles. It does not include employees under the legislative or judicial branches, nor does it apply to private-sector or state employees.
So if you work for a company like McDonald’s, Microsoft, or any non-federal organization, sadly, this order doesn’t affect you.
One more thing to note is that the order lets agency heads decide whether certain offices or parts of their organizations must stay open.
They also have free range to decide which employees must report for duty on Dec. 24 or 26, or both, “for reasons of national security, defense, or other public needs,” the executive order states. So while the order does allow for paid time off, some federal employees may still have to report to work.
Trump deemed December 24 and 26 federal holidays, but he’s also fired tens of thousands of federal workers.
What’s ironic about Trump’s move to beef up the federal holiday calendar for December 2025 is that the year is ending with a record-high number of federal employees being let go.
According to NPR, by the end of 2025, over 300,000 federal workers will have lost their government positions. The outlet notes that tens of thousands were fired, and many others resigned or retired over fears of losing their jobs.
So while some federal employees will get some extra days off in December, the holiday gesture does feel a tad bittersweet considering how many federal employees were fired or felt forced out.