SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Alaska State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/alaska/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 Alaska state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Alaska Holidays 2026 Alaska has 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Alaska | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2026-01-19 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Seward's Day | 2026-03-30 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Memorial Day | 2026-05-25 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2026-06-19 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Not an Alaska state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Indigenous Peoples' Day (Not a paid State of Alaska holiday) | 2026-10-12 | Monday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Alaska Day | 2026-10-18 | Sunday | Falls on a Sunday. Observed Mon Oct 19 | State | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2026-11-26 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving | 2026-11-27 | Friday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Eve | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Eve | 2026-12-31 | Thursday | | Commonly given | Not required | ## What employers need to know **Working on a holiday.** Alaska law doesn't require extra pay for holiday work. Whether a holiday bonus is owed depends on what the employer has promised. **Daily and weekly overtime.** In Alaska, overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate is owed for hours worked over 40 in a week or over 8 in a day, unless an exemption applies. **Paid sick leave.** Alaska employers must provide paid sick leave. Employers with 15 or more employees must let workers accrue and use up to 56 hours a year; smaller employers, up to 40 hours. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Alaska law does not require employers to pay out accrued vacation or PTO when employment ends. Payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement, and must be made if the contract or policy provides for it. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/alaska/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) Full rules: Alaska leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/alaska/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Alaska. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Alaska state offices close for: Seward's Day and Alaska Day. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get **53 days off across 13 breaks**, including 12 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Friday, January 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day). - Take Friday, January 16 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 16 to 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). - Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 13 to 16 (Washington's Birthday). - Take Friday, March 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from March 27 to 30 (Seward's Day). - Take Friday, May 22 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 22 to 25 (Memorial Day). - Take Thursday, June 18 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 18 to 21 (Juneteenth). - Take Thursday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day). - Take Friday, September 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 4 to 7 (Labor Day). - Take Friday, October 9 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 9 to 12 (Columbus Day). - Take Friday, October 16 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 16 to 19 (Alaska Day). - Take Friday, November 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 26 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day). - Take Thursday, December 24 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 24 to 27 (Christmas Day). - Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day). ## When US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Alaska data for a state view yet. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Alaska holidays differ **State holidays.** Alaska has 2 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 20 have more and 16 have fewer. **Only in Alaska.** Only Alaska has Seward's Day and Alaska Day as holidays in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Alaska state employees: Columbus Day. Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2026/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Alaska have to give paid holidays? Not by law. Alaska's labor department says holiday pay depends on whether the employer has promised it, so your policy or contract decides. Q: What are the Alaska state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Alaska has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Seward's Day (March 30) and Alaska Day (October 18). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not an Alaska state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth an Alaska state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and an Alaska state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day an Alaska state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Alaska state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Alaska? No. It isn't an Alaska state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Alaska have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Alaska law doesn't require a holiday premium. If you promise time and a half for holiday work, you must pay it; if you offer no holiday bonus, holiday hours are paid at straight time. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Alaska? Not under federal law. Under the FLSA, paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked and doesn't have to be counted toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Alaska? Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3; Alaska Day falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday, October 19. ## Sources - State of Alaska 2027 State Calendar (Dept. of Administration, Division of Finance, revised 09/29/2025): https://doa.alaska.gov/dof/payroll/resource/calendar2027.pdf - State of Alaska 2026 State Calendar (Dept. of Administration): https://doa.alaska.gov/dof/payroll/resource/calendar2026.pdf - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage and Hour FAQ | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whfaq.htm - Minimum Wage Standard and Overtime Hours | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whact.htm - Sick Leave FAQ | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://www.labor.alaska.gov/lss/sick-leave-faq.html - FLSA Hours Worked Advisor: Holidays, Vacations and Sick Time | U.S. Department of Labor: https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/hoursworked/screenEE14.asp Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them. CSV: https://vacationtracker.io/static/data/holiday-pages/united-states/alaska-holidays-2026.csv