President Donald Trump has signed an executive order giving federal employees two additional days off around Christmas, meaning many will be away from work from Christmas Eve through Boxing Day.
The order, signed on Thursday, will see federal agencies close on December 24 and December 26, with staff excused from work. Some agency heads may require certain employees to report for duty on those days, the order said.
The move comes after Mr Trump criticised the number of non-working holidays, specifically complaining about Juneteenth, which was added as a federal holiday by his predecessor Joe Biden in 2021. Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump said holidays cost the country billions of dollars and that workers did not want them.
With the addition of the two days, there are now 13 federal holidays this year. Congress must pass legislation and the president must sign it to establish a permanent federal holiday.
Mr Trump previously designated Christmas Eve as a federal holiday during his first term in 2019 and 2020, while Barack Obama did the same for December 26.
Separately, the National Park Service announced it will offer free admission to US residents on Mr Trump's birthday next year and other federal holidays, but excluded Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. The policy takes effect on January 1.
