The holidays in Texas are not perceived as symbolic. They are viewed as an employment structure. That is a crucial distinction between the two approaches. Even though there are demographic signs of a more cosmopolitan mixture, the holidays do not embrace such an attitude or sentiment much.
In this state, official public holidays are regulated in legislation and decrees of administrative bodies, particularly regarding the arrangement of payroll and closure procedures. There are holidays that imply complete closure. Some holidays are celebrated in pairs, while others are sometimes combined. There are holidays that formally exist as skeleton crew holidays.
The tables below show the state holidays for Texas government offices in 2027 and 2026, based on the official State of Texas holiday schedule. Optional holidays and cultural observances are excluded. On skeleton crew holidays, state offices stay open with minimum staff, and other employees can take the day off.
List of National and State Holidays in Texas for 2027
| S.No. | Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|
| 1 | Jan 01 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Federal |
| 2 | Jan 18 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal |
| 3 | Jan 19 | Tuesday | Confederate Heroes Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 4 | Feb 15 | Monday | Presidents’ Day | Federal |
| 5 | Mar 02 | Tuesday | Texas Independence Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 6 | Apr 21 | Wednesday | San Jacinto Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 7 | May 31 | Monday | Memorial Day | Federal |
| 8 | Aug 27 | Friday | Lyndon Baines Johnson Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 9 | Sep 06 | Monday | Labor Day | Federal |
| 10 | Nov 11 | Thursday | Veterans Day | Federal |
| 11 | Nov 25 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Federal |
| 12 | Nov 26 | Friday | Day After Thanksgiving | State |
| 13 | Dec 24 | Friday | Christmas Eve | State |
Texas does not move a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday to a weekday, so that holiday is not observed. In 2027, Emancipation Day (Saturday, June 19), Independence Day (Sunday, July 4), Christmas Day (Saturday, December 25), and the Day After Christmas (Sunday, December 26) fall on weekends, so they are not listed. Dates from January to August 2027 follow the official State of Texas holiday schedule for fiscal year 2027. The schedule for September to December 2027 has not been published yet, so those dates follow state rules.
Official State Holidays in Texas for 2026
| S.No. | Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|
| 1 | Jan 01 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Federal |
| 2 | Jan 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal |
| 3 | Jan 19 | Monday | Confederate Heroes Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 4 | Feb 16 | Monday | Presidents’ Day | Federal |
| 5 | Mar 02 | Monday | Texas Independence Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 6 | Apr 21 | Tuesday | San Jacinto Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 7 | May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day | Federal |
| 8 | Jun 19 | Friday | Emancipation Day (Juneteenth) | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 9 | Aug 27 | Thursday | Lyndon Baines Johnson Day | State (Skeleton Crew) |
| 10 | Sep 07 | Monday | Labor Day | Federal |
| 11 | Nov 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day | Federal |
| 12 | Nov 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Federal |
| 13 | Nov 27 | Friday | Day After Thanksgiving | State |
| 14 | Dec 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | State |
| 15 | Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Federal |
How Holidays Work in Texas
Texas maintains one of the more complicated systems of state holidays in the United States, though the complication exists not in the closure list.
Some holidays can fall on the same date. In 2026, Martin Luther King Jr. Day fell on Monday, January 19, the same date as Confederate Heroes Day, so both were observed that day.
San Jacinto Day continues to be a holiday observed in Texas alone. It is a skeleton crew holiday, so state offices stay open with minimum staff, and employees can take the day off.
In this regard, the holiday in question is known as Juneteenth, though in actuality, it was celebrated as “Emancipation Day” long before it was federally recognized. Texas has observed it as a state holiday since 1980, as June 19, 1865 is the day news of emancipation reached Galveston.
Texas deliberately institutes blocks of closure before Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the Day After Christmas are state holidays. In 2026, the Day After Christmas falls on a Saturday, so it is not observed. Independence Day also fell on a Saturday in 2026, so state offices did not get a weekday off for it. Closure of offices is statewide, and this is factored in much ahead of time in the calendars of agencies.
Banking hours are governed by the federal banking calendar. Banks will not close on holidays that are unique specifically to the state of Texas, such as San Jacinto Day. In the case of private employers, they have the option to adhere to this list, but usually chop and change according to internal policy.
FAQs
1. Why did Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Confederate Heroes Day fall on the same day in 2026?
Confederate Heroes Day is always on January 19, and in 2026 the third Monday in January was also January 19, so both holidays fell on the same day.
2. Is Juneteenth a federal or state holiday in Texas?
In Texas, it is specifically a state holiday called Emancipation Day, which was recognized decades before federal adoption.
3. Does Texas still observe San Jacinto Day?
Yes. San Jacinto Day is a state holiday on April 21, but state offices stay open with a skeleton crew.
4. Are Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas official holidays?
Yes. Both are state holidays. In 2026, offices close on Thursday, December 24, but the Day After Christmas falls on a Saturday, so it is not observed.
5. Do Texas courts follow this calendar?
Yes. State courts align with the official state government holiday schedule.
