SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Pennsylvania State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/pennsylvania/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Pennsylvania state holiday for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Pennsylvania Holidays 2026 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania | 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 | | Flag Day (Statutory observance; not a paid state-employee holiday.) | 2026-06-14 | Sunday | | 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 | 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 (Commonwealth employee holiday.) | 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 **Paid holidays.** Pennsylvania law doesn't require holiday pay. Whether employees get it depends on your policy. **Working on a holiday.** Pennsylvania doesn't require overtime pay just because someone works on a holiday. If your policy pays holidays, the state's example is straight time for the hours worked plus straight-time holiday pay. **Holidays and overtime.** Pennsylvania overtime is weekly: non-exempt employees get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 per week. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Pennsylvania doesn't require PTO payout at termination unless a company policy or employment contract mandates it, and an employer can adopt a policy that prohibits paying out accumulated vacation. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/pennsylvania/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Pennsylvania doesn't require private employers to offer sick leave, but Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County require paid or unpaid time off depending on company size. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/pennsylvania/#sick-leave-in-pennsylvania) Full rules: Pennsylvania leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/pennsylvania/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Pennsylvania. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Pennsylvania employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 2.1× a normal week - Aug 24 – 30 (Week 35): 1.9× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.9× a normal week - Jun 15 – 21 (Week 25): 1.9× a normal week - Sep 21 – 27 (Week 39): 1.9× a normal week ## How Pennsylvania holidays differ **State holidays.** Pennsylvania 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. **Federal holidays.** Pennsylvania state offices observe all 11 federal holidays. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Delaware](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/delaware/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Maryland](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maryland/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [New Jersey](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-jersey/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [New York](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-york/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Ohio](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/ohio/2026/): no holidays of its own - [West Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/west-virginia/2026/): 6 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 Pennsylvania have to give paid holidays? No. Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry says holiday pay isn't required by law; it depends on the employer's policy. Q: What are the Pennsylvania state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Pennsylvania has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Q: Is Juneteenth a Pennsylvania state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Pennsylvania state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Pennsylvania state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Pennsylvania state holiday, where it's called Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Pennsylvania? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Pennsylvania state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Pennsylvania have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. In Pennsylvania, an employee isn't entitled to overtime pay just because they work a holiday; overtime applies to hours worked over 40 per week. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Pennsylvania? 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 Pennsylvania? 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 - Holiday and Pay Calendars - PA Office of the Budget: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/budget/programs-and-services/for-commonwealth-agencies-and-employees/for-agencies/payroll-operations/holiday-and-pay-calendars - 2027 Holiday & Pay Calendar (Commonwealth): https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/budget/documents/for-commonwealth-agencies-and-employees/for-agencies/payroll/2027-calendar.pdf - 2026 Holiday & Pay Calendar (Commonwealth): https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/budget/documents/for-commonwealth-agencies-and-employees/for-agencies/payroll/2026-calendar.pdf - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry: Wage FAQs: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/resources/compliance-laws-and-regulations/labor-management-relations/pennsylvania-s-minimum-wage-act/wage-faqs - 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/pennsylvania-holidays-2026.csv