SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Maine State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maine/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 3 Maine state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Maine Holidays 2026 Maine has 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Maine | 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 | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Patriots' Day | 2026-04-20 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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 Maine state holiday: Maine observes Indigenous Peoples' Day on this date instead | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Indigenous Peoples' Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | | 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 pay for holidays not worked. Holiday pay is a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee. **Holiday store closings.** Maine law bars any store with more than 5,000 square feet of customer selling space from opening on Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Plan schedules for large retail sites around these closures. **Holidays and overtime.** Maine requires overtime at 1 1/2 times the regular hourly rate for hours actually worked over 40 in a week. A holiday in the week doesn't change that weekly rule. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Maine employers aren't required by law to pay accrued, unused vacation at termination. They must pay it only if they have a policy that requires it. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/maine/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Paid leave.** Maine requires employers to provide paid leave for any reason, including non-medical personal reasons. Employees accrue 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours in one year of employment. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/maine/#maines-earned-paid-leave-mepl) Full rules: Maine leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/maine/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Maine. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Maine state offices close for: Patriots' Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day and Day after Thanksgiving. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **50 days off across 12 breaks**, including 10 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 Friday, April 17 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 17 to 20 (Patriots' 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 and Indigenous Peoples' 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 Maine 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 Maine holidays differ **State holidays.** Maine has 3 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 14 have more and 31 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Patriots' Day is also a state holiday in Massachusetts. Indigenous Peoples' Day is also a state holiday in the District of Columbia, New Mexico and Vermont. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Maine state employees: Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [New Hampshire](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-hampshire/2026/): 2 holidays 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 Maine have to give paid holidays? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays not worked. Holiday pay is a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee. Q: What are the Maine state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Maine has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: Patriots' Day (April 20), Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 12) and Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Maine state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Maine state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Maine state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Maine state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Maine state holiday. Maine observes Indigenous Peoples' Day on this date instead. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Maine marks October 12 as Indigenous Peoples' Day, a Maine state holiday. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Maine? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Maine state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Maine have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on a holiday unless the hours are overtime hours. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Maine? Maine's overtime law applies to hours actually worked over 40 in a week. Hours paid for a holiday the employee had off aren't hours actually worked. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Maine? 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 - Holiday Schedule | Maine Bureau of Human Resources (2026 & 2027): https://www.maine.gov/bhr/state-employees/holiday-schedule - Court Holidays Observed: State of Maine Judicial Branch (2026 & 2027): https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/schedules/holidays.html - 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 - Maine Revised Statutes Title 17, §3204: Business, traveling or recreation on Sunday: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/17/title17sec3204.html - Maine Revised Statutes Title 26, §664: Minimum wage; overtime rate: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/26/title26sec664.html - Overtime Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/overtimepay 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/maine-holidays-2026.csv