SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: New Hampshire State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-hampshire/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 New Hampshire state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # New Hampshire Holidays 2026 New Hampshire has 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in New Hampshire | 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 | | Memorial Day | 2026-05-25 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2026-06-19 | Friday | Not a New Hampshire state holiday: not a legal holiday under RSA 288:1 or a state-employee holiday under Per 1301.02 | 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 | Legal holiday under RSA 288:1, but not a paid holiday for New Hampshire state employees | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Election Day (Legal holiday under RSA 288:1, but not a paid holiday for state employees) | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | 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 **Put holiday policy in writing.** New Hampshire employers must give employees a written or posted description of their paid holiday and vacation policies, and tell employees in writing before changing them. Holiday pay already earned doesn't lapse because of a policy change. **Holiday work in mills and factories.** New Hampshire law bars requiring employees to work in a mill or factory on a legal holiday, except for work that is absolutely necessary and can lawfully be done on a Sunday. **Holidays and overtime.** In New Hampshire, hourly employees who aren't exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act get time and a half for hours actually worked over 40 in a week. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** In New Hampshire, PTO payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement. State lawmakers and courts are silent on whether a policy can block payment of accumulated vacation, so employers may set their own policy. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-hampshire/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** New Hampshire has no state sick leave law and doesn't oblige employers to provide paid or unpaid leave. Eligible employers must still comply with the FMLA. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-hampshire/#sick-leave-in-new-hampshire) Full rules: New Hampshire leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-hampshire/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in New Hampshire. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days New Hampshire state offices close for: Day after Thanksgiving. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **46 days off across 11 breaks**, including 9 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, 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 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire holidays differ **State holidays.** New Hampshire has 2 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 20 have more and 16 have fewer. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for New Hampshire state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Maine](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maine/2026/): 3 holidays of its own - [Massachusetts](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/massachusetts/2026/): 1 holiday 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire state holidays in 2026? In 2026, New Hampshire has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Election Day (November 3) and Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but not a New Hampshire state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a New Hampshire state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a New Hampshire state holiday. It isn't a legal holiday under RSA 288:1 or a state-employee holiday under Per 1301.02. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a New Hampshire state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under RSA 288:1, but not a paid holiday for New Hampshire state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in New Hampshire? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a New Hampshire state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in New Hampshire have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require overtime or premium pay just because work falls on a holiday. Overtime under federal law is owed for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in New Hampshire? Under federal law (the FLSA), paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked, so it doesn't have to be counted toward the 40 hours for overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in New Hampshire? 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 - NH Employee Portal – State Holiday Schedule: https://www.employeeportal.nh.gov/compensation-savings/state-holiday-schedule - N.H. Admin. Rules Per 1301.02 (state employee holidays): https://gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/per100-1500.html - RSA 288:1 Legal holidays: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/xxv/288/288-1.htm - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - N.H. Admin. Rules, Lab 800 (Lab 803.03 Notification and Records): https://gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/lab800.html - RSA 275:28 Holidays - New Hampshire General Court: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXIII/275/275-28.htm - RSA 279:21 (minimum wage and overtime): https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXIII/279/279-21.htm - 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/new-hampshire-holidays-2026.csv