SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Louisiana State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/louisiana/2027/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 Louisiana state holidays for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Louisiana Holidays 2027 Louisiana has 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2027. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2027 holidays in Louisiana | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2027-01-01 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2027-01-18 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Mardi Gras | 2027-02-09 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2027-02-15 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Good Friday | 2027-03-26 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2027-03-28 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Memorial Day | 2027-05-31 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2027-06-19 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jun 18 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2027-07-04 | Sunday | Falls on a Sunday. Observed Mon Jul 5 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2027-09-06 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2027-10-11 | Monday | Not a Louisiana state holiday: Not observed by state offices (R.S. 1:55) | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2027-11-11 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2027-11-25 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving | 2027-11-26 | Friday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Day | 2027-12-25 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Dec 24 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Day (observed) (Observed for New Year's Day on Sat Jan 1, 2028) | 2027-12-31 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | ## 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/louisiana/#sick-leave-in-louisiana) Full rules: Louisiana leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/louisiana/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2027 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: Mardi Gras and Good Friday. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get **57 days off across 14 breaks**, including 13 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Monday, January 4 off to get a 5-day break from December 31 to January 4 (New Year's Eve and New Year's Day). - Take Friday, January 15 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 15 to 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). - Take Monday, February 8 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 6 to 9 (Mardi Gras). - Take Friday, February 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 12 to 15 (Washington's Birthday). - Take Thursday, March 25 off to get a 4-day weekend from March 25 to 28 (Good Friday). - Take Friday, May 28 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 28 to 31 (Memorial Day). - Take Thursday, June 17 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 17 to 20 (Juneteenth). - Take Friday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day). - Take Friday, September 3 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 3 to 6 (Labor Day). - Take Friday, October 8 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 8 to 11 (Columbus Day). - Take Friday, November 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 11 to 14 (Veterans Day). - Take Friday, November 26 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 25 to 28 (Thanksgiving Day). - Take Thursday, December 23 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 23 to 26 (Christmas Day). - Take Thursday, December 30 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 30 to January 2 (New Year's Day). ## 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. - Dec 27 – Jan 2 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jul 5 – 11 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 12 – 18 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 2 – 8 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 9 – 15 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Louisiana holidays differ **State holidays.** Louisiana has 2 holidays of its own in 2027 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 12 have more and 22 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Mardi Gras is also a state holiday in Alabama. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Louisiana state employees: Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2027: - [Arkansas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arkansas/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Mississippi](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/mississippi/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Texas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/texas/2027/): 10 holidays of its own Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2027/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Louisiana have to give paid holidays? 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. Q: What are the Louisiana state holidays in 2027? In 2027, Louisiana has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Mardi Gras (February 9) and Good Friday (March 26). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Louisiana state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Louisiana state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Louisiana state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18. Q: Is Columbus Day a Louisiana state holiday? 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 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Louisiana? No. It isn't a Louisiana state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2027 it falls on Friday, November 26. Q: Do employers in Louisiana have to pay extra for working on a holiday? 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. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Louisiana? 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. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Louisiana? 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 2027, Juneteenth falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, June 18; Independence Day falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday, July 5; Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, December 24. ## Sources - Louisiana Division of Administration - State Holiday Calendar: https://www.doa.la.gov/doa/hr/state-holiday-calendar/ - La. R.S. 1:55 Days of public rest, legal holidays, and half-holidays: https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=74097 - State Civil Service Job Aid: Understanding State Holidays: https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/files/HRHandbook/JobAid/11-Understanding%20State%20Holidays.pdf - General Circular 2026-023 (Memorial Day and Juneteenth 2026 proclamations): https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/files/general_circulars/2026/GC2026-023.pdf - 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 - 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 - R.S. 23:631 - Discharge or resignation of employees; payment after termination of employment (Louisiana State Legislature): https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=83945 - 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/louisiana-holidays-2027.csv