Mississippi Holidays 2026
Mississippi 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
11 federal holidays, 1 state holiday and 3 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in Mississippi
16 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 16Mon | Washington's Birthday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| April | 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | |
| 27Mon | Confederate Memorial Day | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | JuneteenthNot a Mississippi state holiday | 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 Mississippi state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| November | 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | Day after Thanksgiving | Commonly given | Not required | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas Eve | Commonly given | Not required | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's Eve | Commonly given | Not required |
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What employers need to know
Paid holidays
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require Mississippi 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 overtime pay just because someone works on a holiday. Overtime is owed for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Holidays and overtime
Under federal law (the FLSA), paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked. Mississippi employers don't have to count paid holiday hours toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. Under Miss. Code 3-3-7, when a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the next day is a legal holiday. The state employee handbook says a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is observed as declared by the Governor.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
Mississippi doesn't require PTO payout at termination, so each employer decides its own policy. If a policy or contract stipulates payout, the employer must pay accrued vacation at separation.
From our Mississippi leave laws guideSick leave
State law in Mississippi doesn't require private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Eligible Mississippi employers still have to comply with federal FMLA.
From our Mississippi leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Mississippi. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Mississippi state offices close for: Confederate Memorial 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.
- Federal
- State
- Commonly given
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
When US teams take time off
The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Mississippi data for a state view yet.
How Mississippi holidays differ
State holidays
Mississippi 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
Confederate Memorial Day is also a state holiday in Alabama and South Carolina.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for Mississippi state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Alabama4 holidays of its own
- Arkansas1 holiday of its own
- Louisiana8 holidays of its own
- Tennessee4 holidays of its own
Sources
- State Holidays | MS SOS (Miss. Code Ann. § 3-3-7)
- FY 2027 Mississippi State Employee Handbook §3.1 Holidays (MSPB, eff. 7/1/2026)
- 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
- 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
Not under federal law: the FLSA doesn't require pay for holidays that aren't worked, so holiday pay is a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, according to the US Department of Labor.
In 2026, Mississippi has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Confederate Memorial Day (April 27). Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Mississippi state holidays.
No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Mississippi state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Mississippi state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
No. It isn't a Mississippi state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27.
Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work as such; overtime is owed only for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
No, under federal law (the FLSA). Paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked, so it doesn't have to be counted toward overtime.
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. Under Miss. Code 3-3-7, when a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the next day is a legal holiday. The state employee handbook says a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is observed as declared by the Governor. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3.