Flying the flag on US federal holidays
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
The United States has eleven legal public holidays, set by Congress in 5 U.S.C. § 6103. They govern pay and leave for federal employees, while each state sets its own holidays. For the flag, all eleven are days on which it is displayed, and ten of them are named in the Flag Code’s list of days on which the flag is especially displayed (4 U.S.C. § 6(d)). According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the flag is displayed often, but especially on national and state holidays and special occasions.
The federal holidays and the flag
| Holiday | Date | Flag |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Full staff |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Third Monday in January | Full staff |
| Washington’s Birthday | Third Monday in February | Full staff |
| Memorial Day | Last Monday in May | Half-staff until noon, then full staff |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 19 | Full staff |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Full staff |
| Labor Day | First Monday in September | Full staff |
| Columbus Day | Second Monday in October | Full staff |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Full staff |
| Thanksgiving Day | Fourth Thursday in November | Full staff |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Full staff |
The dates for 2026 and 2027 are in the guide to flag days. A half-staff order from the President or a governor can apply on any of these days; how it works is described in the guide to half-staff.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is the one federal holiday with a special flag rule. Under 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), the flag is displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. Congress also asks the President to proclaim a period on Memorial Day in which the people unite in prayer for permanent peace (36 U.S.C. § 116).
Juneteenth
Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, became the eleventh legal public holiday in 2021 (Public Law 117-17). It is not in the Flag Code’s list in § 6(d), which was last amended in 2017, but as the Code states that the flag should be displayed on all days, the flag is displayed on Juneteenth as on any other day.
Independence Day and Flag Day
Independence Day, July 4, is also the date on which new stars are added to the flag: under 4 U.S.C. § 2, a star for a new state takes effect on the Fourth of July after the state’s admission. Flag Day, June 14, is not a federal holiday, but it opens the 21 Honor America Days that end on Independence Day.
Veterans Day
On Veterans Day, November 11, the flag flies at full staff. Since 2016, Congress has asked the President to call on the people to observe two minutes of silence, beginning at 2:11 p.m. Eastern standard time and at the corresponding times in the other time zones (36 U.S.C. § 145).
Weekends and Inauguration Day
For the pay and leave of federal employees who work Monday to Friday, a holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before (5 U.S.C. § 6103(b)). This affects offices, not the flag: the flag days in § 6(d) are the dates themselves. Inauguration Day, January 20 every fourth year, is a legal public holiday for federal employees in Washington, D.C., and the neighboring counties in Maryland and Virginia (§ 6103(c)), and it is one of the days in the Flag Code.
State holidays
The Flag Code also names state holidays and the birthdays of the states, the dates of their admission to the Union, among the days on which the flag is especially displayed. Each state sets these by its own law. How the state flag is flown with the national flag is described in the guides to flags of the United States and flag etiquette.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the federal holidays in the United States?
The legal public holidays in 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a) are New Year’s Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Inauguration Day, every fourth year, is a holiday for federal employees in and around Washington, D.C.
Is the flag at half-staff on Memorial Day?
Until noon. Under 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), the flag is displayed at half-staff on Memorial Day until noon only, and then raised to the top of the staff. On the other federal holidays, it flies at full staff unless a half-staff order applies.
Is the flag flown on Juneteenth?
Yes, as on all days. Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, became a legal public holiday in 2021. It is not among the days named in 4 U.S.C. § 6(d), but the Flag Code states that the flag should be displayed on all days.
Do state holidays count as flag days?
Yes. The Flag Code names state holidays and the birthdays of the states, the dates of their admission to the Union, among the days on which the flag is especially displayed (4 U.S.C. § 6(d)). Each state sets its own holidays by state law.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources:
- 5 U.S.C. § 6103 Holidays – U.S. Government Publishing Office
- 4 U.S.C. § 6(d) and § 7(m) – U.S. Government Publishing Office
- 36 U.S.C. §§ 107, 116 and 145 – U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Guidelines for Display of the Flag – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Related guides
- Flag daysThe days on which the US Flag Code calls for the flag to be displayed in 2026 and 2027, with the half-staff days and the federal holidays.
- The Flag CodeWhat the US Flag Code says about displaying the American flag – hours, weather, lighting, respect and retiring worn flags – and why it carries no penalties.
- Half-staffWhy US flags fly at half-staff (half-mast): who orders it, where the orders are published, the periods set by law and the half-staff dates in 2026 and 2027.
- Flag typesThe flags flown in the United States: the Stars and Stripes, the union jack, state flags, the POW/MIA flag, the Medal of Honor flag and the service flag.