# Moveable holidays and long weekends in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128 "2015-07-03T10:42:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/21 "2015-07-05T06:34:46Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > Yes, mail is being delivered today; they’re not quite a federal agency. Kind of half and half. Incorrect. The US Postal Service is an independent federal agency, and its employees are federal employees. The Postal Service operates on Saturdays and with the Fourth of July on a Saturday, the Post Office is closed, except for special deliveries. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/22 "2015-07-05T12:40:39Z")
Speaking of the post office; their tracking sucks donkey balls. My package that tracking predicted would be delivered on the third wasn’t, yet tracking still predicts it will be. That’s unpossible. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/23 "2015-07-05T16:41:50Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > My husband worked for state universities for about forty years. He was in an area that didn’t get all holidays off, no matter what day they fell on, but I know the faculty and other staff enjoyed a slower pace when the kids were gone. There was still work, but it wasn’t as hectic, and there were summer hours where they started earlier, closed earlier, and got to leave at noon on Friday, so it wasn’t horrible. When I worked in a boiler room and at a hotel we worked the holidays. We got time and a half for all hours worked and 8 hours of holiday pay (straight time). When I worked at San Jose State it was time and a half for all hours worked and 8 hours of comp time. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/24 "2015-07-05T16:47:33Z")
Is the US unique in observing holidays that fall on a weekend by taking a Friday or a Monday off? Does that not happen in Germany (or other countries)? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/25 "2015-07-05T16:49:38Z")
Just remember one job where I worked Tuesday through Saturday. If the holiday fell on Sunday or Monday I did not get paid holiday pay but got an floating holiday that was to be taken off in the same pay period. But generally the Chief would let me have a day off up to two months after the holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/26 "2015-07-05T18:16:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Is the US unique in observing holidays that fall on a weekend by taking a Friday or a Monday off? Does that not happen in Germany (or other countries)? In Germany, if the holiday falls on a weekend, you (i. e. the working stiff) are out of luck. No holiday for you. On the other hand, there are more public holidays anyway (including a number of rather obscure, Christian feast days). That is why the exact number of working days varies from year to year. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/27 "2015-07-05T18:18:36Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Is the US unique in observing holidays that fall on a weekend by taking a Friday or a Monday off? Does that not happen in Germany (or other countries)? [Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Monday_System) does it too. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/28 "2015-07-07T10:26:09Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Is the US unique in observing holidays that fall on a weekend by taking a Friday or a Monday off? Does that not happen in Germany (or other countries)? In the UK the only holidays tied to a specific date are Christmas day, Boxing day, and New Year’s day. The rest of the holidays are usually defined as the first or last Monday of a month. This year Xmas falls on Friday and Boxing day is Saturday. We get Monday the 28th off as a substitute for Boxing day. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/29 "2015-07-07T21:56:21Z")
Since 1942 by Federal law Thanksgiving in the US [must be on the fourth Thursday of November.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_%28United_States%29#1939_to_1941) Some, not a lot, of employers will also give the following Friday off. If not many will take that day off if possible (based on seniority)… ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/30 "2015-07-07T23:00:42Z")
I used to work in a bar that was open every day of the year, including Christmas and New Year. If your shift fell on a holiday, too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128/32 "2015-08-05T14:30:42Z")
> [@bonesjones](#): > > I agree with shagnasty, they usually give employees the day off on the closest weekday if it falls on a weekend. Just looking forward to [labor day](http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/us/labor-day/) next month, i’ll have a 4 day weekend. What are you talking about? Labor Day is always on a Monday, by definition. If you are getting Friday off as well, that reflects your personal situation and has nothing to do with the types of holidays that were discussed in this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moveable-holidays-and-long-weekends-in-the-u-s/724128.md?page=1)