Christmas came early for federal workers as President Donald Trump declared Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 as federal holidays this year.
Trump issued an executive order Thursday, per The Hill.
This means federal agencies will be closed both days as well as Dec. 25, which is already a federal holiday.
However, Trump said agency heads “may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty” on Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas.
Trump extended the holiday during his first term in office.
In 2019 and 2020, he designated Christmas Eve as a federal holiday.
In those years, Dec. 24 fell on a Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Former President Obama did the same for Dec. 26 in 2014, because it was a Friday.
Trump declared national holidays on Nov. 11 and May 8 to commemorate the end of World War I and World War II, respectively, in May.
Nov. 11 is already Veterans Day, but the president sent out an additional proclamation commemorating the victory in World War I.
This year now has commemorated 13 federal holidays — New Year’s Day; Jan. 20 — for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Trump’s inauguration — Presidents Day; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; and Dec. 26.
In order to make a federal holiday permanent, Congress must pass legislation and the president must sign it into law.
Juneteenth was added by former President Joe Biden 2021.
