North Carolina State Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for North Carolina and start planning to make the most of your time off.
North Carolina celebrates holidays recognized by the federal government, including Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day and Labor Day. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated the next day, on Monday. If it falls on a Saturday, the holiday is celebrated the preceding day, on Friday.
North Carolina also celebrates Good Friday on the Friday before Easter each year. In addition, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even years, the state celebrates Election Day and many offices are closed.
In North Carolina, state employees are provided a maximum of 11 paid holidays. If Christmas falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, the governor may authorize a 12th paid holiday. However, private employers are not required to provide paid holidays to employees.
Despite the fact that the law does not require it, many employers throughout North Carolina offer at least six paid holidays to their employees as a benefit. Many also offer higher rates of pay on the holiday in order to encourage employees to work those days. Some may offer time off at a different time during the year in lieu of a higher rate of pay.