Trump Grants Federal Workers Two-Day Christmas Break, Creating a Rare Five-Day Holiday

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon, granting most federal employees two additional days off around Christmas, giving many workers a rare five-day holiday break, as reported by Fox News.

Under the order, federal executive departments and agencies will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, and Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.

With Christmas Day falling on Thursday, Dec. 25, and the weekend immediately following, many federal employees will be excused from duty for five consecutive days.

According to reports, Trump ordered federal employees to have Dec. 24 and 26 off, creating a five-day Christmas weekend, though some offices will remain open for essential work. | #ONLYinDADE pic.twitter.com/Ogo4Mth1fE

— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) December 19, 2025

“All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively,” the executive order states.

The move marks one of the more expansive holiday breaks granted to the federal workforce in recent years.

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While it has been common for presidents to excuse employees from duty either the day before or the day after Christmas, granting both days has occurred far less frequently.

The order applies to most federal employees, though it includes exceptions for agencies and offices that must remain operational.

According to the executive order, agency heads retain the authority to determine whether certain offices should stay open due to “national security, defense, or other urgent public need.”

The directive also clarifies that Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 are to be treated in the same manner as federal holidays for purposes of pay and leave regulations.

Employees who are required to work on those days due to operational needs will be subject to existing holiday pay rules.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is tasked with implementing the order across the federal workforce.

The Director of OPM is responsible for issuing guidance to agencies to ensure compliance with the executive order and to address any personnel or payroll considerations.

The decision follows a pattern of holiday-related executive actions by past administrations, though the scope of this order stands out.

Last year, former President Joe Biden granted federal employees Christmas Eve off, but did not include the day after Christmas.

During President Trump’s first term, he authorized an extra day off for federal employees on Christmas Eve in 2018, 2019, and 2020. However, those actions did not include both the day before and the day after Christmas.

When Christmas last fell on a Thursday in 2014, former President Barack Obama granted federal workers Friday, Dec. 26, off, while leaving Wednesday, Dec. 24, as a regular workday.

The White House has not released an estimate of how many employees will be affected by the order, though it is expected to apply to the vast majority of the federal civilian workforce.

The executive order takes effect immediately and applies specifically to the 2025 Christmas holiday period.

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