There is an underlying layering in New Mexico’s holiday schedule. Spanish colonial, national, Native American, and state administrations all exist in the background. This is not an attempt at symbolically representing all that in the holiday schedule. The holiday schedule actually does one thing. The schedule indicates when state offices should close.
There are no decorative holidays listed. When there is a holiday listed, it is because courts are closed, offices close their doors, and public systems shut down. When a holiday is not listed, faith, culture, geographic location, and/or region allow holidays to pass without closure.
What makes New Mexico special is neither the amount of holidays, but rather how much abstemiousness there is. It largely tracks the federal system, expands to a handful of holidays which are administratively relevant, and leaves everything else to locals. The reason for this is to ensure it remains a predictable system in a state where everything already overlaps in certain ways.
The following is a list of official holidays recognized by the State of New Mexico's offices.
Official State Holidays in New Mexico for 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 01 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Federal |
| Jan 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal |
| Feb 16 | Monday | Presidents' Day | Federal |
| May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day | Federal |
| Jun 19 | Friday | Juneteenth | Federal |
| Jul 03 | Friday | Independence Day (Observed) | Federal |
| Sep 07 | Monday | Labor Day | Federal |
| Nov 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day | Federal |
| Nov 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Federal |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Federal |
How Holidays Work in New Mexico
This is a set of guidelines that is uniformly adhered to by offices and courts. Juneteenth is acknowledged as a state holiday, ensuring full closure of government offices in New Mexico. This separates it from the states in which Juneteenth is considered optional until today.
In cases where Independence Day is on a weekend, New Mexico observes it on the weekday that precedes it, which means that the closing in 2026 will occur on Friday, July 3.
However, this fact is only applicable to some legal procedures, while others remain unaffected by this aspect.
Banks also follow the federal banking calendar, which overlaps extensively with this list. There are no state holidays that private companies must follow, although some state holidays are in agreement with federal holidays based on the particular industry or employee expectation.
The localized and tribal celebrations are culturally valuable but do not usually cause administrative shutdowns at a statewide level.
FAQs
1. Does New Mexico observe Juneteenth as a public holiday?
Yes. State offices close in observance of Juneteenth.
2. Does New Mexico observe Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
No statewide public holiday is observed for either.
3. Why is Independence Day observed on July 3 in 2026?
July 4 falls on a Saturday, so the observed closure shifts to Friday.
4. Are courts closed on these holidays?
Yes. New Mexico courts follow the official state holiday calendar.
5. Do private companies have to observe these holidays?
No. Holiday observance depends on employer policy.