On Saturday 11 November, the US will honour military veterans of the United States Armed Forces for Veterans Day.

Every year, Americans celebrate soldiers on what used to be called “Armistice Day” and which was first enacted by President Woodrow Wilson after the end of World War I. In 1954, President Dwight D Eisenhower signed off on the name change, officially making the day Veterans Day. However, this year, the holiday falls over the weekend, meaning businesses will observe it on Friday 10 November and state and federal buildings will be closed.

First introduced by Congress in 1885 when it was decided that federal employees should have certain days off from work, the list of US federal holidays is made up of 11 days of significance that Americans recognise - and celebrate.

To ensure that these holidays are observed, certain guidelines have been put in place, with federal holidays that fall on a Saturday observed by federal employees on the previous Friday, while holidays that fall on Sunday are observed the following Monday.

On these 11 days, all non-essential federal offices are closed, while banks, post offices and schools may also be closed. However, that doesn’t mean that all Americans will receive a day off from work, as employees in the private sector may or may not get the day off, depending on their employer.

From Memorial Day to Thanksgiving, these are the dates of the 2023 federal holidays.

2023 federal holidays:

New Year’s Day: Sunday, January 1 (Observed Monday, January 2)

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, January 16

Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 20

Memorial Day: Monday, May 29

Juneteenth: Friday, June 16

Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4

Labor Day: Monday, September 4

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (also observed as Columbus Day): Monday, October 9

Veterans’ Day: Saturday, November 11 (Observed Friday, November 10)

Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 23

Christmas: Monday, December 25

Other important days to note:

Valentine’s Day: Tuesday, February 14

St Patrick’s Day: Friday, March 17

Passover: Thursday, April 6

Good Friday: Friday, April 7

Easter: Sunday, April 9

Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 14

Father’s Day: Sunday, June 18

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