Hawaii State Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Hawaii and start planning to make the most of your time off.
There are some holidays celebrated in Hawaii that are not federally recognized. Hawaii considers Good Friday a holiday with many offices and businesses closed. Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day is celebrated on March 26 each year. The day is celebrated with festivals and parades in honor of the Prince’s efforts to improve the lives of the Hawaiian people, especially the passage of the 1920 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act which provided homesteads for native Hawaiians.
On June 11, the state celebrates King Kamehameha Day in honor of Hawaii’s first king who united the islands in 1810. Hawaiian Statehood Day is also celebrated on the third Friday in August. The state also recognizes election day on the first Tuesday of November in even-numbered years. The Governor of Hawaii is also authorized to designate additional holidays.
Public employees receive paid holidays as a benefit, but there is no legislation that requires private employers to provide paid holidays. Private employers are not required to pay more than the employee’s regular rate if they work on a holiday, although an employee who works more than 40 hours in any week is eligible for overtime. If the business closes on the holiday, the employer is not required to pay the employee for the time they do not work.