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Since returning to office, Donald Trump has been trying to flex his executive authority by changing America’s holidays. The president doesn’t actually have the power to unilaterally declare or abolish federal holidays, but you wouldn’t know that from reading his multiple Truth Social declarations proclaiming new days of national celebration. And his administration has made some subtler changes that deemphasize holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day while encouraging people to honor Trump’s birthday.

In these increasingly MAGA-fied times, it can be hard to know if Juneteenth is still a federal holiday (yes), whether we’re getting any more days off work (no), or how we’re supposed to celebrate the December holidays (say “Merry Christmas!” exclusively and keep your yuletide decorations spooky). Here’s a guide, which we’ll keep updated, to all of Trump’s holiday changes.

Has Trump actually created any new federal holidays?

No. Since 2021, there have been 12 permanent federal holidays: New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Inauguration Day (every four years), Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Federal holidays are designated through congressional legislation. The president can sign or veto that legislation, but he can’t just declare a new holiday via Truth Social. States can also set their own holidays. Congress.gov explains:

Although frequently called public or national holidays, these celebrations are only legally applicable to federal employees and the District of Columbia, as the states individually decide their own legal holidays. … Neither Congress nor the President has asserted the authority to declare a “national holiday” that would be binding on the 50 states, as each state individually determines its legal holidays.

Presidents issue proclamations recognizing all kinds of public observances, but they are not “federal holidays.” Federal offices are not required to close and there’s no expectation that businesses will give employees the day off. Most people aren’t even aware of these days of “national observance.” For example, in just the past few weeks, Trump has issued proclamations for National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, General Pulaski Memorial Day, and National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Has he claimed to created new holidays?

Yes. Confusingly, Trump keeps going on Truth Social and saying things like “I am hereby declaring a National Holiday in celebration of the Victories of World War I” when he actually means he’s just issuing another proclamation.

Did he get rid of MLK Day?

No. Trump hasn’t made any effort to officially abolish Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His second inauguration happened to fall on MLK Day in 2025. While Trump did not include any special events to honor King in his swearing-in festivities, he did mention the civil-rights leader in his second Inaugural Address. “In his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true,” Trump said.

That same day, Trump issued an executive order dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, but White House officials tried to spin that as what MLK would have wanted.

What about Juneteenth?

Surprisingly, so far it has survived Trump’s war on DEI. June 19 has only been a holiday since 2021, when Joe Biden signed legislation designating it as a day to commemorate the abolition of slavery in the U.S. Trump had actually promised to make Juneteenth a federal holiday too in a 2020 campaign document outlining his plan to help Black Americans.

But Trump certainly wasn’t enthusiastic about his first Juneteenth as president. He did not issue a proclamation, Truth Social post, or any kind of public acknowledgement of Juneteenth in 2025.

What’s going on with MLK Day and Juneteenth at national parks?

The Trump administration has removed both dates from the 2026 calendar of free-entrance days at national parks. In 2025, these were the free-entrance days:

January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

April 19: First Day of National Park Week

June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day

August 4: Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day

September 27: National Public Lands Day

November 11: Veterans Day

But in November 2025, the Department of the Interior announced these “patriotic fee-free days for 2026”:

February 16: Presidents’ Day (Washington’s Birthday)

May 25: Memorial Day

June 14: Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday

July 3–5: Independence Day weekend

August 25: 110th Birthday of the National Park Service

September 17: Constitution Day

October 27: Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday

November 11: Veterans Day

Under the new “America-first pricing” policy, these days are only for U.S. citizens and residents. All nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fees.

Did Trump really bring back Columbus Day?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that, since Trump announced on Truth Social (weirdly, in April) that he was “hereby reinstating Columbus Day” and bringing it “back from the ashes”:

However, Trump couldn’t actually bring Columbus Day back because it never went anywhere. An increasing number of states and cities celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, either alongside or in lieu of the day glorifying the homicidal explorer who never landed on the North American mainland. But Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1971 and no president has tried to change that. While Joe Biden became the first president to issue a proclamation for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2021, he also released a Columbus Day proclamation every year of his presidency.

How does he want us to celebrate Easter?

By hating your enemies and railing against those who persecute you.

At the 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll, Trump said, “We’re honoring Jesus Christ … We’re bringing religion back in America.”

But the president spent much of the day on Truth Social posting vitriolic tirades about Joe Biden and “the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials” holding up his mass-deportation efforts. And during the Easter Egg Roll, he entertained kids by showing off a Trump trading card featuring his bloody post-assassination-attempt photo and taking more jabs at Biden:

“Remember when the bunny took Joe Biden out? He’s not taking Trump out.” 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/dQyhKpQnzK

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 21, 2025

What about Christmas and Hanukkah?

Following First Lady Melania Trump’s example, we should all wear black from head to toe, use the word “Christmas” rather than “holiday,” and display bloody and glowering portraits of the president next to the tree.

As for how to celebrate Hanukkah, maybe just … celebrate Christmas instead? The Washington Post noted that other holidays were excluded from Christmas festivities at the White House this year:

This year’s theme? “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” And it’s officially called Christmas at the White House, rather than referring to the broader holiday season. (Indeed, there’s not a menorah or a nod to other religious traditions in sight. A White House staffer confirmed there is no menorah.)

J.D. Vance is holding a Hanukkah reception at the vice-president’s residence. But the invitation was headlined “The Golden Noel,” and the line right below that says, “CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CHRISTMAS AT THE VICE PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE.”

Some niche White House Jewish history I just learned: In '08, Bush’s press sec apologized after the WH Hanukkah party invite had a Christmas tree on it.Meanwhile, this year’s invite for the VP’s Hanukkah party: "Celebrating 50 years of Christmas"https://t.co/7ZhQFMvavn pic.twitter.com/NtAXBFPIyk

— Gabby Deutch (@GSDeutch) December 3, 2025

This may seem like a mistake, but a Vance spokesperson told The Independent it isn’t.

“The same branding for invitations was used for all holiday parties at the vice-president’s residence,” the spokesperson said. “The Vance family is celebrating 50 historic years of Christmas at the vice-president’s residence. They look forward to welcoming all of their guests.”

How should we celebrate Trump’s birthday?

You can visit a national park for free, or better yet throw Trump a military parade. Last year his birthday, June 14, just happened to coincide with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. But we know Trump loves big trucks and displays of military might, so he’d surely enjoy a repeat.

Did he really rename Veterans Day?

He tried to, but it didn’t work. Trump has repeatedly expressed his jealousy over how other nations celebrate their war victories, so on May 1 he announced, “I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I”:

Of course, November 11 is already Veterans Day, and veterans groups objected to the proposed name change.

A few days later, Trump issued a second Truth Social post “declaring a National Holiday” celebrating U.S. victories in WWI and WWII. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified, “We are not renaming Veterans Day. It will just be an additional proclamation that goes out on that day.”

So Trump doesn’t want us to have more days off work?

Absolutely not. In his second Truth Social post attempting to rename Veterans Day, Trump said no one would get any additional days off, as Americans just love to work:

We will not be closing the Country for these two very important Holidays, November 11 and May 8, World War I and World War II, because we already have too many Holidays in America — There are not enough days left in the year. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!

There are actually far fewer public holidays in the United States compared to other countries. But weeks later, Trump repeated this dubious claim on Truth Social. He complained on June 19 that we have “Too many non-working holidays in America”:

Does “It must change” mean Trump is going to try to cut back on nonworking holidays in the name of Making America Great Again? All we can say is enjoy your meager 12 federal holidays while they last.

MLK Day Out, Trump’s Birthday In? All His Holiday Changes.

MLK Day Out, Trump’s Birthday In? All His Holiday Changes.