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President Donald Trump is giving most federal employees two additional days off for Christmas, according to an executive order signed Thursday afternoon.
Federal employees affected by the order will be able to stay home on both Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. For many, this effectively creates a five-day holiday break, including Christmas Day and the weekend.
“All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively,” the order stated.
This marks the first time in recent years that federal employees have received two extra days off around the holiday. While it is common for presidents to grant either the day before or the day after Christmas, granting both days is less frequent.
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Dec. 5, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
Despite the additional time off for most employees, the executive order said agency heads retain the authority to determine if certain offices should remain open for reasons of “national security, defense, or other urgent public need.”
The executive order specifies that these days are to be treated similarly to federal holidays for purposes of pay and leave regulations.
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President Donald Trump points a finger during an announcement at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Reuters)
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is responsible for taking the necessary steps to implement the order across the federal workforce.
Last year, former President Joe Biden gave federal employees Christmas Eve off.
Many federal workers have been given two additional days off around Christmas. (iStock)
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During Trump’s first term in office, he gave federal employees an extra day off for Christmas Eve in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
When Christmas last fell on a Thursday in 2014, former President Barack Obama granted only Friday, Dec. 26, off, leaving Wednesday as a regular workday.
