Trump gifts federal workers a four-day Christmas break — but not everyone will log off

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order granting US federal employees two additional days off around Christmas, extending the holiday break to include 24 December and 26 December, a move that goes beyond recent presidential precedent and injects fresh debate into the politics of public holidays.

Federal employees already receive 25 December as a standard federal holiday. The new order, signed on Thursday afternoon, effectively creates a four-day Christmas period for most government workers, although key exceptions remain.

What exactly does the executive order do?

Under the order, most federal employees will be excused from duty on Christmas Eve (24 December) and the day after Christmas (26 December). However, the White House made clear that not all workers will benefit.

The order specifies that certain agencies and offices may be required to remain operational and that some employees must still report for work due to “national security, defense or other public need”.

Agency and department heads retain the authority to mandate attendance where necessary.

Is this move unusual?

While US presidents frequently grant federal employees time off on Christmas Eve, adding 26 December is far less common. Trump had previously given Christmas Eve off during his first term in 2018, 2019 and 2020, but this year’s decision goes further by extending the break beyond Christmas Day itself.

Former President Joe Biden also granted Christmas Eve off in 2024, continuing a modern tradition of discretionary holiday relief rather than legislated public holidays.

Full or half-day dispensations on Christmas Eve have been relatively routine. A complete shutdown the day after Christmas, however, is widely seen as unusual.

Why now?

The announcement comes shortly after federal workers endured a record-breaking 43-day government shutdown, which ended last month and left many employees furloughed or working without pay for weeks.

For many observers, the timing suggests a political and symbolic gesture aimed at restoring morale across the federal workforce following a turbulent period.

Holiday decisions for federal workers often act as a bellwether for the private sector, with employers frequently mirroring government practice.

Does this conflict with Trump’s past stance on holidays?

The decision sits uneasily alongside Trump’s earlier criticism of expanding public holidays. In June, around the Juneteenth celebrations, Trump complained on Truth Social:

“Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed,” he wrote.

“The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Juneteenth became a federal holiday after former President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2022, marking the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

Can US presidents create permanent holidays?

US Presidents can designate one-time holidays for federal workers through executive action. However, the authority to create permanent national holidays rests with Congress, not the White House.

Trump’s move therefore applies only to the current year and does not establish a lasting change to the federal holiday calendar.

What else has changed under Donald Trump?

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has also revised the National Park Service’s free entrance days, removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list.

In their place, the agency added Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, the 110th Birthday of the National Park Service, Constitution Day, and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. Flag Day on 14 July has also been made a free-entry day — a date that coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday.