U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

2005 Federal Holidays

* January 1, 2005 (the legal public holiday for New Years Day) falls on a Saturday.  For most Federal employees, Friday, December 31, 2004, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.  It does not matter that December 31, 2004 is in the prior calendar year.  (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)

Inauguration Day, January 20, 2005, falls on a Thursday. An employee who works in the District of Columbia, Montgomery or Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington or Fairfax Counties in Virginia, or the cities of Alexandria or Falls Church in Virginia, and who is regularly scheduled to perform non-overtime work on Inauguration Day, is entitled to a holiday. There is no in-lieu-of holiday for employees who are not regularly scheduled to work on Inauguration Day.

This holiday is designated as "Washington's Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.

** December 25, 2005, ( the legal public holiday for Christmas Day) falls on a Sunday.  For most Federal employees, Monday, December 26, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.  (See Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971.)

Federal Holidays Home Page