Louisiana Holidays 2026
Louisiana has 11 federal holidays and 8 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays and 8 state holidays in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 8 state holidays in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in Louisiana
20 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 2Fri | Day after New Year's DayProclaimed by the Governor | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 16Mon | Lundi GrasProclaimed a state holiday by the Governor | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 16Mon | Washington's BirthdayLouisiana state offices closed this day for Lundi Gras instead (proclaimed holiday) | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 17Tue | Mardi Gras | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| April | 3Fri | Good Friday | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | ||
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | Juneteenth | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| July | 4Sat | Independence DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| September | 7Mon | Labor Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| October | 12Mon | Columbus DayNot a Louisiana state holiday: Not observed by state offices (R.S. 1:55) | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| November | 3Tue | Election Day | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | Acadian DayProclaimed by the Governor (43 JML 2026) | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas EveProclaimed by the Governor (44 JML 2026) | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's EveProclaimed by the Governor | State | Not required for private employers |
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What employers need to know
Paid holidays
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require Louisiana employers to pay for holidays that aren't worked. Holiday pay is a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee.
Working on a holiday
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require Louisiana employers to pay overtime or a premium just because work falls on a holiday. Overtime is owed only if the employee works more than 40 hours in the workweek.
Vacation pay at separation
In Louisiana, earned vacation pay under your stated vacation policy must be paid when an employee is discharged or resigns, if they were eligible for it and hadn't taken it or been paid for it. Your policy can't make employees forfeit vacation pay they've already earned.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. For Louisiana state employees, when a holiday falls on a regular day off, the agency head designates the closest workday before or after it (R.S. 1:55(B)(4)). The Governor can also proclaim the day for all state offices.
Sick leave
Louisiana doesn't require private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Eligible employers must comply with the federal FMLA, but there are no additional state sick leave laws.
From our Louisiana leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Louisiana. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Louisiana state offices close for: Day after New Year's Day, Lundi Gras, Mardi Gras, Good Friday, Election Day, Acadian Day, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Take all 15 suggested PTO days and you get 62 days off across 14 breaks, including 8 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Federal
- State
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
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When US teams take time off
The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Louisiana data for a state view yet.
How Louisiana holidays differ
State holidays
Louisiana has 8 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 1 have more and 49 have fewer.
Only in Louisiana
Only Louisiana has Lundi Gras and Acadian Day as holidays in 2026.
Shared with a few states
Day after New Year's Day is also a state holiday in Kentucky and Tennessee. Mardi Gras is also a state holiday in Alabama. New Year's Eve is also a state holiday in Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for Louisiana state employees: Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
Compare all 50 states and DCSources
- Louisiana Division of Administration - State Holiday Calendar
- La. R.S. 1:55 Days of public rest, legal holidays, and half-holidays
- State Civil Service Job Aid: Understanding State Holidays
- General Circular 2026-023 (Memorial Day and Juneteenth 2026 proclamations)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor
- R.S. 23:631 - Discharge or resignation of employees; payment after termination of employment (Louisiana State Legislature)
- FLSA Hours Worked Advisor: Holidays, Vacations and Sick Time | U.S. Department of Labor
Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays that aren't worked; it's a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Check your own policy or contracts for any holiday pay you've promised in Louisiana.
In 2026, Louisiana has the 11 federal holidays and 8 state holidays: Day after New Year's Day (January 2), Lundi Gras (February 16), Mardi Gras (February 17), Good Friday (April 3), Election Day (November 3), Acadian Day (November 27), Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31). Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Louisiana state holidays.
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Louisiana state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Louisiana state holiday. Not observed by state offices (R.S. 1:55). In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Louisiana state holiday, Acadian Day. Private employers don't have to give it.
Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work as such, so Louisiana employers only owe time-and-a-half if the employee works more than 40 hours in the workweek.
Not under federal law. Paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked under the FLSA, so Louisiana employers don't have to count it toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime.
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. For Louisiana state employees, when a holiday falls on a regular day off, the agency head designates the closest workday before or after it (R.S. 1:55(B)(4)). The Governor can also proclaim the day for all state offices. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3.