The history of national holidays in the United States dates back to June 28, 1870, when Congress created … See more

Most of the 11 U.S. federal holidays are also state holidays. Five of the "floating" date holidays always fall on a Monday, the remaining floating holiday, Thanksgiving, is always on a Thursday. The rest are on fixed dates… See more

Federal law also provides for the declaration of other public holidays by the President of the United States. Generally the president will provide a reasoning behind the elevation of the day, and call on the people … See more

Many federal holidays have been proposed. As the U.S. federal government is a large employer, the holidays are expensive. If a holiday is controversial, opposition will generally prevent bills enacting them from passing. Fo… See more