SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     Mississippi State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/mississippi/2027/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31
UPDATED:   2026-11-01
SUMMARY:   All 11 federal and 1 Mississippi state holiday for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads.

# Mississippi Holidays 2027

Mississippi has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2027. Private employers don't have to give any of them.

Last updated on Nov 1, 2026.

## All 2027 holidays in Mississippi

| 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 |
| Washington's Birthday | 2027-02-15 | Monday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Easter Sunday | 2027-03-28 | Sunday |  | Observance | Not a day off |
| Confederate Memorial Day | 2027-04-26 | Monday |  | State | Not required for private employers |
| 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. Not a Mississippi state holiday | 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 Mississippi state holiday | 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. Falls on a Saturday; Mississippi state offices observe it on the day the Governor declares | 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 | Falls on a Saturday; Mississippi state offices observe it on the day the Governor declares | Federal | Not required for private employers |

## 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/mississippi/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination)

**Sick 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/mississippi/#sick-leave-in-mississippi)

Full rules: Mississippi leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/mississippi/

## Maximize your PTO in 2027

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 **52 days off across 13 breaks**, all long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.

- Take Monday, January 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (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 Friday, February 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 12 to 15 (Washington's Birthday).
- Take Friday, April 23 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 23 to 26 (Confederate Memorial Day).
- 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi holidays differ

**State holidays.** Mississippi has 1 holiday of its own in 2027 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 29 have more and 5 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 2027:
- [Alabama](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/alabama/2027/): 3 holidays of its own
- [Arkansas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arkansas/2027/): 1 holiday of its own
- [Louisiana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/louisiana/2027/): 2 holidays of its own
- [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2027/): 1 holiday 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 Mississippi have to give paid holidays?
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.


Q: What are the Mississippi state holidays in 2027?
In 2027, Mississippi has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Confederate Memorial Day (April 26). Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Mississippi state holidays.


Q: Is Juneteenth a Mississippi state holiday?
No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Mississippi state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18.


Q: Is Columbus Day a Mississippi state holiday?
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Mississippi state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11.


Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Mississippi?
No. It isn't a Mississippi state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2027 it falls on Friday, November 26.


Q: Do employers in Mississippi 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; overtime is owed only for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.


Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Mississippi?
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.


Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Mississippi?
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 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

- State Holidays | MS SOS (Miss. Code Ann. § 3-3-7): https://www.sos.ms.gov/communications-publications/state-holidays
- FY 2027 Mississippi State Employee Handbook §3.1 Holidays (MSPB, eff. 7/1/2026): https://www.mspb.ms.gov/sites/mspb/files/MSPB_File/Resources%20for%20HR/Policies/FY%202027%20Policies/FY%202027%20State%20Employee%20Handbook%20effective%207.1.26%20for%20web.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
- 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/mississippi-holidays-2027.csv