President Trump issued an Executive Order granting federal employees two additional paid holidays: the day after Christmas and Christmas Eve.

In a recent article, FedSmith author Ralph Smith predicted that federal employees could see another paid holiday at Christmas for two key reasons: the day after Christmas falls on a Friday this year, and President Trump has previously granted extra holidays around Christmas.

President Trump must have been feeling particularly generous as this gives federal employees three days off in addition to the following weekend.

While there was no way to know for certain what would happen, the data suggested a good chance of getting a four-day weekend, as there have been many past instances of presidents making the day after Christmas an extra holiday when it falls on a Friday. President Trump has decided to do that again this year.

Another day off in addition to Christmas Eve is rare and apparently unprecedented for a president to do that. 

According to the Executive Order:

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 heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2025, or December 26, 2025, or both, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.

A copy of the EO is included below.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued guidance for these two extra holidays. It states:

To celebrate Christmas, President Trump has issued an Executive Order excusing Federal employees from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025 and Friday, December 26, 2025, except those who, in the judgment of the head of the agency, cannot be excused for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need. For pay and leave purposes, this period will be treated as falling within the scope of statutes and Executive orders governing holidays for Federal employees.

Here is OPM’s 2026 guidance on these holidays.

2025 marks the second year in a row that federal employees got an extra Christmas holiday. President Biden gave federal employees Christmas Eve off in 2024. President Trump gave federal employees holidays on Christmas Eve in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

PROVIDING FOR THE CLOSING OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND
AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON DECEMBER 24, 2025, AND DECEMBER 26, 2025

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  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.

Sec. 2.  The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2025, or December 26, 2025, or both, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.

Sec. 3.  December 24, 2025, and December 26, 2025, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States.

Sec. 4.  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement this order.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of Personnel Management.

DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,

Source here