Newsweek has created a map showing how many federal holidays the United States has compared to other countries, after President Donald Trump said there were “too many non-working holidays in America.”
Trump called for the number of holidays to change in a post on Truth Social on Juneteenth, June 19, which celebrates the day when, in 1865, the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.
It became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation into law, but it has been celebrated by the African American community for more than 150 years and has been a recognized holiday in Texas for decades.
The Context
Trump wrote 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. 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!”
Harvard University’s Jeffrey Alan Miron, a senior economics lecturer, said that he does not think reducing the number of federal holidays would make an economic difference.
This would “probably have only a minor impact on the economy,” he told Newsweek. “Private efforts will end up replacing federal holidays to a significant degree. For example, many businesses will close on Christmas, regardless of federal policy.”
How Do U.S. Holidays Compare To Other Countries?
The United States, France, Canada, Ukraine, Ecuador, Israel, Singapore and Luxembourg have 11 federal holidays, according to the World Population Review.
Nations that have fewer include the United Kingdom, Belgium and Ireland (10) as well as Netherlands and Serbia (nine) and Mexico (eight).
India has the most public holidays (42), followed by Nepal (35), Iran and Myanmar (26) and Sri Lanka (25).
What Are All 11 U.S. Federal Holidays?
Here is a list of each federal holiday in the United States, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
New Year’s Day – January 1Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK Day) – third Monday of JanuaryWashington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) – third Monday of FebruaryMemorial Day – Last Monday in MayJuneteenth National Independence Day – June 19Independence Day – July 4Labor Day – first Monday in SeptemberColumbus Day – second Monday in OctoberVeterans Day – November 11Thanksgiving Day – November 27Christmas Day – December 25
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, on whether President Donald Trump would commemorate Juneteenth, told reporters on Thursday: “I’m not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We’re working 24/7 right now.”
Democratic strategist Matt McDermott, on X, formerly Twitter: “There are too many holidays, Trump whines — after literally campaigning on making Juneteenth a federal holiday to pander to Black voters. No principles. No shame. Just the con.”
Former President Joe Biden, on X: “One of the proudest moments of my presidency was making Juneteenth a federal holiday. It’s a day of liberation. It’s a day of remembrance. And it’s a day of celebration. Today, it was an honor to be in Galveston where freedom rang out 160 years ago.”
What Happens Next
Trump has not said that he wants to cancel Juneteenth as a federal holiday, but if he wanted to, he would not be able to do so unilaterally. The only way to cancel a federal holiday would be for Congress to pass a bill, which the president could then sign into law.
