New Year’s Day 2023, 2024 and 2025
New Year’s Day is a national public holiday in the United States, observed on 1 January each year. New Year’s Eve, on 31 December, is the scene of most of the celebration, however. Government offices, schools, and many businesses will be closed for the first day of the year.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 Jan | Sun | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 2 Jan | Mon | New Year Holiday | Federal workers; All states | |
| 31 Dec | Sun | New Year's Eve | KY, MI & WI | |
| 2024 | 1 Jan | Mon | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Tue | New Year's Eve | KY, MI & WI | |
| 2025 | 1 Jan | Wed | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Wed | New Year's Eve | KY, MI & WI | |
| 2026 | 1 Jan | Thu | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Thu | New Year's Eve | KY, MI & WI | |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | ||||
America is a vast and diverse so you can’t expect that everyone celebrates New Year’s here in the same way. There will be special traditions brought in from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and all over the world depending on one’s background. But we can still say that there are a few basic elements in a truly “American New Year celebration.”
First, there is the iconic event at Times Square in New York City, where a large, shimmering silver ball flashes light and counts down the final 60 seconds of the old year. This event is seen on TV all over the country and, indeed, the world. There are many other less well-known countdowns to midnight as well, of course, in the US every New Year’s Eve night. And you will find countless private parties in homes where everyone counts down to midnight and then shouts “Happy New Year!” Some also take a swish of champaign.
Next, there are numerous New Year’s parades across the country. Those in big cities like New York, Chicago, or San Francisco catch most of the national attention. But there are parades in almost every town and city. The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl football match in Pasadena, California, combines two New Year’s traditions – parading and sports events!
Additional New Year’s traditions in the US include family get-togethers and large family feasts, setting off fireworks or firecrackers, wearing new clothes, going on shopping sprees, attending special church services, and making new year’s resolutions. New Year’s foods vary widely, but turkey, ham, chicken, duck, pork, fruit cake, grapes, black-eyed peas, greens, long noodles, cornbread, fish, and an abundance of sweets are commonly served. In the South, you may see “Hoppin’ John,” a dish that includes black-eyed peas, ham, and other ingredients considered to be “good luck.”
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 Jan | Sat | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 3 Jan | Mon | New Year Holiday | GA, RI, SC & TN | |
| 30 Dec | Fri | New Year Holiday | MI | |
| 31 Dec | Sat | New Year's Eve | MI & WI | |
| 2021 | 1 Jan | Fri | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 30 Dec | Thu | New Year Holiday | KY & MI | |
| 31 Dec | Fri | New Year Holiday | Federal workers; All states except RI & SC | |
| 2020 | 1 Jan | Wed | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Thu | New Year's Eve | KY & MI | |
| 2019 | 1 Jan | Tue | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Tue | New Year's Eve | KY & MI | |
| 2018 | 1 Jan | Mon | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 31 Dec | Mon | New Year's Eve | KY, MI & WI | |
| 2017 | 1 Jan | Sun | New Year's Day | Federal workers; All states |
| 2 Jan | Mon | New Year Holiday | Federal workers; All states except KY | |
| 3 Jan | Tue | New Year Holiday | TN | |
| 29 Dec | Fri | New Year Holiday | KY & MI | |
| 31 Dec | Sun | New Year's Eve | MI & WI |