SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Virginia State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/virginia/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 4 Virginia state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Virginia Holidays 2026 Virginia has 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Virginia | 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 | | 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 | | Election Day | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day before Thanksgiving (half day) (4 hours of additional holiday time for state employees) | 2026-11-25 | Wednesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2026-11-26 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving (Virginia state holiday.) | 2026-11-27 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Eve (8 hours of additional holiday time for state employees) | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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 **Holiday pay isn't wages.** Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry says paid holidays, vacation leave and sick leave are not wages under the state wage statute, so they can't be part of a state unpaid-wage claim. **State now enforces overtime.** Since July 1, 2026, Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry can investigate and enforce overtime claims, including for holiday-week hours. Overtime owed for work before that date goes to the U.S. Department of Labor or to court. **Paid sick leave from July 2027.** Virginia's general paid sick leave law starts July 1, 2027, for employers with at least 50 employees. It extends to employers with 25 or more on January 1, 2028, and to all employers on January 1, 2029. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Virginia does not require employers to provide a PTO payout at termination. A company policy or employment contract defines whether accrued, untaken vacation is paid. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/virginia/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) Full rules: Virginia leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/virginia/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Virginia. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Virginia state offices close for: Election Day, Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **51 days off across 12 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 Wednesday, December 23 off to get a 5-day break from December 23 to 27 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). - 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 Monday, November 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 31 to November 3 (Election Day). - Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day). ## When Virginia teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Virginia employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 3.6× a normal week - Aug 17 – 23 (Week 34): 1.9× a normal week - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 1.6× a normal week - Sep 21 – 27 (Week 39): 1.6× a normal week - Jul 13 – 19 (Week 29): 1.5× a normal week ## How Virginia holidays differ **State holidays.** Virginia has 4 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 5 have more and 37 have fewer. **Only in Virginia.** Only Virginia has Day before Thanksgiving (half day) as a holiday in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Virginia state offices observe all 11 federal holidays. Neighboring states in 2026: - [District of Columbia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/district-of-columbia/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Kentucky](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2026/): 5 holidays of its own - [Maryland](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maryland/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [North Carolina](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/north-carolina/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2026/): 4 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 Virginia have to give paid holidays? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays not worked; it treats holiday pay as a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Q: What are the Virginia state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Virginia has the 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays: Election Day (November 3), Day before Thanksgiving (half day) (November 25), Day after Thanksgiving (November 27) and Christmas Eve (December 24). Q: Is Juneteenth a Virginia state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Virginia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Virginia state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Virginia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Virginia? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Virginia state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Virginia have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require overtime pay for work on holidays as such. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Virginia? 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 Virginia? 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 - Pay and Holiday Calendar - Virginia DHRM: https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/payandholidaycalendar - Commonwealth of Virginia 2027 Pay and Holiday Calendar: https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2027-pay-and-holiday-calendar.pdf?sfvrsn=19dff6ab_2 - Commonwealth of Virginia 2026 Pay and Holiday Calendar: https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2026-pay-and-holiday-calendar.pdf?sfvrsn=301dddbc_0 - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Virginia Department of Labor and Industry: Claim for Unpaid Wages form and instructions: https://doli.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LL-POW-01-POW-Claim-Form-112024.pdf - Virginia Department of Labor and Industry: Payment of Wage: https://doli.virginia.gov/labor-law/payment-of-wage/ - Code of Virginia § 40.1-33.6:1 (effective July 1, 2027): paid sick leave definitions: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodeupdates/title40.1/section40.1-33.6:1/ - 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/virginia-holidays-2026.csv