President Donald Trump has ordered the closure of all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, excusing most federal employees from duty on the days immediately before and after Christmas.
Paired with the annual Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25, the move gives many federal employees three consecutive days off during Christmas week. The order applies only to this year and does not permanently alter the federal holiday calendar.
The directive, signed at the White House on Thursday, says the closures are intended to provide additional time off for federal workers around the Christmas holiday. Christmas Day, December 25, is already a federal holiday. The directive also allows agency leaders to require certain offices to remain open and some employees to report to work on one or both days.
Under the order, agency heads may determine that certain offices, installations or parts of their organizations must remain open. Employees may be required to work on one or both days for reasons of national security, defense or other public need, according to the directive.
Temporary holiday declarations around Christmas are not unprecedented. President Joe Biden granted federal workers Dec. 24 off last year, and Trump issued similar one-day holiday orders during his first term.
