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President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order designating Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, commonly known as Boxing Day, as federal holidays for 2025.
Under the order, federal departments and agencies will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 26, though agencies may keep certain operations open for national security reasons or other public needs. The move gives federal employees a five-day holiday weekend surrounding Christmas.
“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,” President Trump wrote in the order.
Federal employees would be able to begin their holiday break as early as Wednesday, Dec. 24, and return to work the following Monday. While past presidents have often granted Christmas Eve off or treated it as a half day, Axios reported, the designation of both days as holidays through an executive order is less common.
The White House noted that the order does not prevent agencies from maintaining staffing for essential services, including national security, public safety, and other critical functions. Presidents have occasionally declared one-time holidays or granted additional time off for federal workers. However, the creation of permanent federal holidays requires congressional approval and the president’s signature.
The action follows President Trump’s announcement Wednesday of a one-time bonus for active-duty military personnel to mark the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. During a prime-time address, Trump said roughly 1.45 million service members would receive a $1,776 payment before Christmas.
“Tonight, I am also proud to announce … 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special we call ‘warrior dividend’ before Christmas,” the president said. “So warrior dividend in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776… and the checks are already on the way.”
The holiday order and the military bonuses are part of a broader series of end-of-year actions by the administration tied to the upcoming semiquincentennial celebration of the United States in 2026.