SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Delaware State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/delaware/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 4 Delaware state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Delaware Holidays 2026 Delaware has 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Delaware | 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 | Not a Delaware state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Good Friday | 2026-04-03 | Friday | | 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 a Delaware state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Election Day | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Return Day (Half-day state holiday after 12 noon, for state employees in Sussex County) | 2026-11-05 | Thursday | | 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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 **Paid holidays.** Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require employers to pay for holidays not worked; holiday pay is a matter of agreement between employer and employee. **Holiday pay you promise must be paid.** If a Delaware employer has agreed to provide holiday or vacation pay, Delaware's Wage Payment and Collection Act requires it to pay those amounts within 30 days after they are due. **Delaware Paid Leave.** Delaware Paid Leave has been in full effect since Jan. 1, 2026. Employers with 25 or more employees must provide full coverage, employers with 10 to 24 employees must provide parental leave only, and employers with 9 or fewer employees are exempt but can join voluntarily. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Delaware leaves vacation payout to the employer's written policy or agreement. If the policy or contract requires payout, the employer must pay the value of the accrued time within 30 days of separation. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/delaware/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) Full rules: Delaware leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/delaware/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Delaware. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Delaware state offices close for: Good Friday, Election Day and Day After Thanksgiving. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get **54 days off across 13 breaks**, including 11 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, November 25 off to get a 5-day break from November 25 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Day After Thanksgiving). - 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 Thursday, April 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 2 to 5 (Good Friday). - 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 Monday, November 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 31 to November 3 (Election 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 Delaware 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 Delaware holidays differ **State holidays.** Delaware has 4 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 5 have more and 37 have fewer. **Only in Delaware.** Only Delaware has Return Day as a holiday in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Delaware state employees: Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Maryland](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maryland/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [New Jersey](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-jersey/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Pennsylvania](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/pennsylvania/2026/): 1 holiday of its own Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2026/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Delaware have to give paid holidays? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require employers to pay for holidays not worked; holiday pay is a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Q: What are the Delaware state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Delaware has the 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays: Good Friday (April 3), Election Day (November 3), Return Day (November 5) and Day After Thanksgiving (November 27). Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Delaware state holidays. Q: Is Juneteenth a Delaware state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Delaware state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Delaware state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Delaware state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Delaware? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Delaware state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Delaware have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on holidays as such; holiday hours only earn overtime when they push an employee past 40 hours in the workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Delaware? Under federal law (the FLSA), a paid holiday the employee takes off is not hours worked, so it doesn't have to count toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Delaware? 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. ## Sources - 2027 State Holidays - Delaware DHR: https://dhr.delaware.gov/holidays/2027.shtml - 2026 State Holidays - Delaware DHR: https://dhr.delaware.gov/holidays/2026.shtml - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/holidays - Delaware Code Title 19, Chapter 11: Wage Payment and Collection (§ 1109): https://delcode.delaware.gov/title19/c011/ - Delaware Paid Leave | Delaware Department of Labor: https://labor.delaware.gov/delaware-paid-leave/ - Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/23-flsa-overtime-pay - 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/delaware-holidays-2026.csv