Is Good Friday a public holiday in the US? Not at the federal level. Good Friday — the Friday before Easter Sunday, falling on April 3 in 2026 — does not appear on the United States’ official federal holiday list. Federal government offices, the post office, and the Federal Reserve operate normally, and there is no nationwide day off. This surprises many people, because Good Friday is a public holiday in much of the world, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Spain. The American answer is more complicated — and it varies by state.
The Federal Holiday List for 2026
The US Office of Personnel Management sets eleven federal holidays for 2026: New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (January 19), Washington’s Birthday (February 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4, observed July 3), Labor Day (September 7), Columbus Day (October 12), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 26), and Christmas Day (December 25). Good Friday is conspicuously absent — and so is Easter Monday. The federal calendar is a product of congressional action, and no Congress has ever added Good Friday to it.
The reason is partly constitutional culture: the US has historically been cautious about enshrining explicitly religious observances in federal law. Christmas survives as a federal holiday largely through long custom and its broad cultural status, but Good Friday — a more specifically devotional day — never made the cut.
Which States Do Observe Good Friday?
Here is where it gets interesting. About a dozen states recognize Good Friday as a state holiday, closing state government offices. These generally include Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas, though the exact list can shift as legislatures revise their calendars — always check the current year’s state notice. In these states, state employees get the day off, and state courts and agencies close.
Private employers are a different story everywhere: no US employer is legally required to close for Good Friday. In practice, many financial markets do observe it — the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed on Good Friday, which gives the day an outsized presence in business life despite its unofficial status. Many private companies, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, also give employees the day off or an early dismissal.
What This Means for You
If you work for the federal government or live in a state that does not recognize Good Friday, April 3, 2026 is a normal workday — plan accordingly and use vacation time if you observe the day religiously. If you work in finance, expect markets to be closed regardless of your state. And if you are traveling, note the contrast with neighboring Canada, where Good Friday (also April 3, 2026) is a full statutory holiday nationwide — cross-border business simply pauses on the Canadian side.
The broader lesson is a very American one: in the United States, “public holiday” means different things at federal, state, and private levels. Always check which level applies to you rather than assuming a day is — or isn’t — a day off.
Planning tips
Dates and rules can change, so treat any calendar as a planning aid and confirm important details with the official government or employer notice before you book travel, schedule deliveries or arrange time off. If a date falls close to a weekend, check whether a substitute day applies, because many countries move the observance to the nearest working day.
Use this guide as a starting point, compare it with the official source for your location and check again closer to the date, since announcements and local arrangements can change. Sharing the dates early with family, colleagues and customers also avoids last-minute surprises.