South Carolina State Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for South Carolina and start planning to make the most of your time off.
South Carolina recognizes all federal holidays including Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day. When the holiday falls on a weekend, it is celebrated on either Friday or Monday, depending on which day the holiday falls on in the weekend.
In addition to federal holidays, South Carolina also celebrates holidays that have been approved by the state government. The Friday after Thanksgiving is considered a holiday in South Carolina. On May 10, South Carolina celebrates Confederate Memorial Day. The holiday is designed to honor and remember Confederate soldiers who died or were wounded during the American Civil War.
State and governmental offices are closed on legal holidays in South Carolina. All state employees are entitled to paid holidays. Private employers are not required to provide paid holidays nor are they required to pay a higher rate of pay if an employee works on a holiday.
Although there are no laws in the state that require employers to offer paid holidays to employees, most employers in South Carolina do so as a benefit to their staff. Many also offer premium rates of pay if an employee must work on a holiday or the option of taking another day off during the year to make up for working on a holiday.