SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Massachusetts State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/massachusetts/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Massachusetts state holiday for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Massachusetts Holidays 2026 Massachusetts has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Massachusetts | 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 | | Evacuation Day (Legal holiday in Suffolk County only; state and municipal offices stay open) | 2026-03-17 | Tuesday | | Observance | Not a day off | | 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 | | Bunker Hill Day (Legal holiday in Suffolk County only; state and municipal offices stay open) | 2026-06-17 | Wednesday | | Observance | Not a day off | | 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. Massachusetts state offices don't move it to a weekday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | | Federal | 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.** Massachusetts retailers no longer have to pay premium pay for Sundays and certain holidays; that requirement ended on January 1, 2023. Retail employers must still pay hourly employees 1.5 times their normal rate for hours over 40 a week, including hours on a Sunday or holiday. **Holidays and overtime.** In Massachusetts, holiday pay for a day the employee doesn't work isn't counted toward the 40 hours for overtime. Overtime is based on hours actually worked in the workweek. **Retail holiday work must be voluntary.** Massachusetts retailers can open without a permit on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day after noon and Veterans Day after 1 p.m., but the Blue Laws' voluntariness requirement applies on those days. Opening on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day needs a statewide approval and a local police permit. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. Massachusetts state offices don't move Independence Day to a weekday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Massachusetts requires employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when an employee leaves, regardless of the reason. A policy that makes employees forfeit accrued vacation on leaving isn't allowed. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/massachusetts/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Massachusetts employers with 11 or more employees must offer paid sick leave at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Smaller employers have to provide unpaid sick leave. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/massachusetts/#sick-leave-in-massachusetts) Full rules: Massachusetts leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/massachusetts/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Massachusetts. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Massachusetts state offices close for: Patriots' Day. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **49 days off across 12 breaks**, including 11 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, 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). - 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 Massachusetts teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Massachusetts employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 2.9× a normal week - Aug 17 – 23 (Week 34): 2.9× a normal week - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 2.0× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 2.0× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 2.0× a normal week ## How Massachusetts holidays differ **State holidays.** Massachusetts has 1 holiday of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 35 have more and 4 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Patriots' Day is also a state holiday in Maine. **Federal holidays.** Massachusetts state offices observe all 11 federal holidays. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Connecticut](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/connecticut/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [New Hampshire](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-hampshire/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [New York](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-york/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Rhode Island](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/rhode-island/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Vermont](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/vermont/2026/): 3 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 Massachusetts 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 employer and employee. Q: What are the Massachusetts state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Massachusetts has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Patriots' Day (April 20). Q: Is Juneteenth a Massachusetts state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Massachusetts state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Massachusetts state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Massachusetts state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Massachusetts? No. It isn't a Massachusetts state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Massachusetts have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Under the Massachusetts minimum fair wage law, an employer doesn't have to pay extra for holiday work. The Sunday and holiday premium pay that certain retailers once owed ended on January 1, 2023. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Massachusetts? No. In Massachusetts, holiday pay for a day the employee doesn't work isn't included in the 40 hours for overtime. An employee who works 40 hours and also gets 8 hours of holiday pay isn't owed overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Massachusetts? 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. Massachusetts state offices don't move Independence Day to a weekday. ## Sources - MA Secretary of the Commonwealth – Holiday Information / State Holiday Calendar (2026-2028): https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/cis/holiday-info.htm - M.G.L. c.4 §7 cl. Eighteenth – Legal holiday definition: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleI/Chapter4/Section7 - Mass.gov – Trial Court Legal Holidays 2026/2027: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/trial-court-legal-holidays - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Massachusetts Blue Laws and Working on Sundays and Holidays | Mass.gov: https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-blue-laws-and-working-on-sundays-and-holidays - Minimum wage and overtime information | Mass.gov: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/minimum-wage-and-overtime-information - Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/holidays 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/massachusetts-holidays-2026.csv