With winter nearly here, people across the US are enjoying colder temperatures and seasonal activities.
But if crisp weather, sweaters and snow weren't exciting enough, the last two months of the year also bring three whole days of paid-time off from work, thanks to the US federal holidays.
In 1885, Congress decided that there were certain days federal employees should have off from work to celebrate and thus federal holidays were born.
As time went by, Congress realised how nice it was to have paid-time off - and added some historical days of significance to the list of US federal holidays, growing the list to ten.
And, as Americans take their federal holidays seriously, holidays that fall on a Saturday are observed by federal employees on the previous Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the day is observed the following Monday.
On these days, non-essential federal government offices are closed and banks, post offices, and schools may also be closed.
However, although private sector employers cannot legally be required to observe federal holidays, meaning you may have to work on a holiday, most employers will observe the day off - or pay employees for working on the day.
So if you’re looking at flights for a long-weekend trip or just fantasizing about sleeping in on a Monday, these are the days to mark on your calendar.
Unfortunately, nine have already passed but you still have one to look forward to.
2018 Federal Holidays:
- New Year’s Day: Monday, January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, January 15
- Birthday of George Washington (President’s Day): Monday, February 19
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 28
- Independence Day: Wednesday, July 4
- Labor Day: Monday, September 3
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 8
- Veterans Day: Monday, November 12
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 22
- Christmas Day: Tuesday, December 25
Other important holidays to note that you don’t get off for:
- Groundhog Day: Friday, February 2
- Valentine’s Day: Wednesday, February 14
- Saint Patrick’s Day: Saturday, March 17
- Good Friday: Friday, March 30
- Tax Day: Tuesday, April 17
- Cinco de Mayo: Saturday, May 5
- Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 13
- Father’s Day: Sunday, June 17
- Halloween: Wednesday, October 31
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6
- Black Friday: Friday, November 23
