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A '''holiday''' is a special day which may include celebrating, or simply staying home instead of working. The word is derived from the word [[holy]]. Most [[culture]]s have some holidays to help with the well being and positive attitude of their populace, often based on the culture's predominant religion or a significant event in its history.

A '''holiday''' is a special day which may include celebrating, or simply staying home instead of working. The word is derived from the word [[holy]]. Most [[culture]]s have some holidays to help with the well being and positive attitude of their populace, often based on the culture's predominant religion or a significant event in its history.

In the United States, some holidays are permanently set on a specific day of a specific week in the month (for example, [[Labor Day]] is always observed on the first Monday of September), while some are set of specific days (such as [[Independence Day]] which is always observed on July 4).  At the Federal level, for those holidays falling on a specific date, if that date falls on a Saturday then the holiday is observed on the preceding Friday (e.g. if July 4 is a Saturday, then Friday, July 3 is the holiday), whereas if the date falls on a Sunday then the holiday is observed on the following Monday (e.g. if July 4 is a Sunday, then Monday, July 5 is the holiday).  Banks are required to observe Federal holidays.  Also, though Christmas Eve is not a holiday, the President of the United States may declare all or part of it to be a holiday (the custom has been observed haphazardly).  Also, by tradition, if a President dies, the day of his funeral is also declared a national holiday.

In the United States, some holidays are permanently set on a specific day of a specific week in a month (for example, [[Labor Day]] is always observed on the first Monday of September), while some are set of specific dates (for example, [[Independence Day]] is always observed on July 4, subject to rules below when that date falls on a Saturday or a Sunday).

State and local governments are not required to observe Federal holidays, but many do observe all or most of them as holidays (for example, [[Texas]] observes all Federal holidays except Columbus Day).  In addition, they also may observe holidays with special local or statewide significance (for example, Texas observes April 21 as a "partial staffing holiday"; April 21 is San Jacinto Day, the day on which Texas won its independence over Mexico) as well as religious holidays (Texas allows the following days to be "optional holidays" in lieu of "partial staffing holidays: [[Good Friday]], [[Yom Kippur]], and [[Rosh Hashanah]]).<ref>In Texas, a "partial staffing day" is a day on which state offices must be open, though with limited staff; an employee may take that day as a holiday or one of the "optional holidays" instead.</ref>

State and local governments are not required to observe Federal holidays, but many do observe all or most of them as holidays (for example, [[Texas]] observes all Federal holidays except Columbus Day).  In addition, they also may observe holidays with special local or statewide significance (for example, Texas observes April 21 as a "partial staffing holiday"; April 21 is San Jacinto Day, the day on which Texas won its independence over Mexico) as well as religious holidays (Texas allows the following days to be "optional holidays" in lieu of "partial staffing holidays: [[Good Friday]], [[Yom Kippur]], and [[Rosh Hashanah]]).<ref>In Texas, a "partial staffing day" is a day on which state offices must be open, though with limited staff; an employee may take that day as a holiday or one of the "optional holidays" instead.</ref>

==Federal Holidays==

==Federal Holidays==

The following holidays are observed by the United States Government:<ref>If a holiday is set for a specific date, if that date falls on a Saturday then the holiday is observed on the preceding Friday; if it falls on a Sunday then the holiday is observed on the following Monday.  This rule does not apply to Federal workers who regularly work on Saturdays and/or Sundays; in those instances they observe the actual date, or an alternate date if their work requires round-the-clock staffing such as prison guards or nurses.</ref>

The following holidays are observed by the United States Government as official paid holidays for Federal employees:<ref>If a holiday is set for a specific date, if that date falls on a Saturday then the holiday is observed on the preceding Friday; if it falls on a Sunday then the holiday is observed on the following Monday.  This rule does not apply to Federal workers who regularly work on Saturdays and/or Sundays; in those instances they observe the actual date, or an alternate date if their work requires round-the-clock staffing such as prison guards or nurses.</ref>

*[[New Year's Day]] (January 1)

*[[New Year's Day]] (January 1)