SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: New York State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-york/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 New York state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # New York Holidays 2026 New York 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 York | 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 | | Lincoln's Birthday (Legal holiday; observed as a floating holiday only for certain state bargaining units) | 2026-02-12 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Susan B. Anthony Day (Commemorative day; not a legal holiday for state employees) | 2026-02-15 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | 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 | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3. New York state offices don't move it to a weekday; eligible state employees earn holiday leave (a pass day holiday) instead | 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 | | Election Day (Legal holiday; observed as a floating holiday only for certain state bargaining units) | 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 | | 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.** New York doesn't require employers to pay for holidays not worked unless the employer has set a policy to pay them. If you create a holiday policy, you can set its conditions. **Working on a holiday.** New York Labor Law doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work. If an employment agreement or union contract promises extra pay for holiday work, that promise is enforceable. **Written holiday policy.** New York employers must tell employees their holiday policy in writing or by posting it publicly. Without a written policy, an oral policy or past practice can still be enforced if an investigation confirms its terms. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, eligible New York state employees earn holiday leave (a pass day holiday) instead; a Sunday holiday is observed on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** In New York, the employer's policy or employment contract decides whether accrued, unused vacation is paid at termination. If the policy is silent, the employer must still pay it, and forfeiture must be in a written or posted policy. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-york/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** New York requires all private employers to offer sick leave, accrued at 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Employers with 5 to 99 employees provide up to 40 paid hours, and those with 100+ employees up to 56. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-york/#sick-leave-in-new-york) Full rules: New York leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-york/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in New York. New York state offices don't close for any extra full days in 2026, so these use the 11 federal holidays. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **45 days off across 11 breaks**, including 10 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, 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 New York teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most New York employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 3.1× a normal week - Aug 24 – 30 (Week 35): 2.0× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.7× a normal week - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.7× a normal week - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 1.7× a normal week ## How New York holidays differ **State holidays.** New York 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. **Shared with a few states.** Lincoln's Birthday is also a state holiday in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. **Federal holidays.** New York 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 - [Massachusetts](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/massachusetts/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [New Jersey](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-jersey/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Pennsylvania](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/pennsylvania/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 York have to give paid holidays? No. New York doesn't require pay for holidays not worked unless the employer has established a policy to pay them. Q: What are the New York state holidays in 2026? In 2026, New York has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) and Election Day (November 3). Q: Is Juneteenth a New York state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a New York state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a New York state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a New York state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in New York? No. It isn't a New York state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in New York have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. New York Labor Law doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work, but an employment agreement or union contract that promises extra holiday pay is enforceable. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in New York? New York overtime is based on hours worked: nearly all covered employees get overtime for hours worked beyond 40 in the workweek (44 for residential employees). Under federal law (the FLSA), paid holiday time off isn't hours worked and doesn't have to be counted toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in New York? Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, eligible New York state employees earn holiday leave (a pass day holiday) instead; a Sunday holiday is observed on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3. ## Sources - NYS Dept. of Civil Service - 2027 Calendar of Legal Holidays for State Employees: https://www.cs.ny.gov/attendance_leave/2027_legal_holidays.cfm - NYS Dept. of Civil Service - 2026 Calendar of Legal Holidays: https://www.cs.ny.gov/attendance_leave/2026_legal_holidays.cfm - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wages and Hours Frequently Asked Questions | New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/wages-and-hours-frequently-asked-questions - Overtime Frequently Asked Questions | New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/03/overtime-frequently-asked-questions_0.pdf 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-york-holidays-2026.csv