The Restaurant That Was Closed on Labor Day
The best Italian restaurant in my city has a sign on the door that lists their closed days. Christmas. Easter. Thanksgiving. Fourth of July. Labor Day. Memorial Day. New Year’s Day. The first time I drove out there specifically to eat on Labor Day, I had not read the sign. I stood at a locked door for ten minutes before I saw the piece of paper. Drove home and ate cereal.
The stock market has its own version of that sign. Nine federal holidays per year. Plus every weekend. Plus a handful of early close days where the market pretends to be open but shuts down at 1:00pm ET. New traders who do not know the schedule get caught the same way I got caught at the restaurant. They show up ready to trade, the market is closed, and they either lose productive time or, worse, they miss handling positions they needed to close.
This article is the complete 2026 stock market holiday calendar, plus the rules for how these closures work and why each one matters.
For the rest of the trading day schedule (regular hours, pre-market, after-hours), see stock market hours: when does the stock market open and close.
The Quick Answer: 9 Stock Market Holidays Per Year
The US stock market (NYSE and NASDAQ) is closed on these days in a typical year:
- New Year’s Day (January 1, or observed on the nearest weekday)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
- Presidents Day (third Monday in February)
- Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday; the one holiday that is not a federal holiday but is observed by US markets)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Juneteenth (June 19, or observed on the nearest weekday; added as a federal holiday in 2021)
- Independence Day (July 4, or observed on the nearest weekday)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Day (December 25, or observed on the nearest weekday)
That is technically ten holidays, but Good Friday is the odd one out (not a federal holiday, but the market closes anyway). Nine if you count only federal holidays, ten including Good Friday.
2026 Stock Market Holiday Calendar
Here are the specific dates for 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Day of Week | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1, 2026 | Thursday | Full close |
| MLK Day | January 19, 2026 | Monday | Full close |
| Presidents Day | February 16, 2026 | Monday | Full close |
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 | Friday | Full close |
| Memorial Day | May 25, 2026 | Monday | Full close |
| Juneteenth | June 19, 2026 | Friday | Full close |
| Independence Day (observed) | July 3, 2026 | Friday | Full close (actual holiday is Saturday July 4) |
| Independence Day Eve | July 2, 2026 | Thursday | Early close 1:00pm ET |
| Labor Day | September 7, 2026 | Monday | Full close |
| Thanksgiving | November 26, 2026 | Thursday | Full close |
| Day After Thanksgiving | November 27, 2026 | Friday | Early close 1:00pm ET |
| Christmas Eve | December 24, 2026 | Thursday | Early close 1:00pm ET |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday | Full close |
Note for 2026: Christmas falls on a Friday. New Year’s Day 2027 will fall on a Friday too. This creates two potential long weekends around the end of 2026 where the market is closed for three consecutive days each.
The Rules Behind Holiday Observance
Weekend-Falling Rule
When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, the stock market typically closes the preceding Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, the market typically closes the following Monday.
Example: Independence Day 2026 is Saturday, July 4. The market is closed on Friday, July 3 (the observed holiday).
The exception is some holidays where the date itself matters more than the nearest weekday. Juneteenth, for instance, is observed on the exact date unless that date is a weekend. When June 19 falls on a weekend, the market has sometimes observed it on Friday and sometimes on Monday, depending on what the exchanges decided that specific year.
Good Friday Is Different
Good Friday is not a US federal holiday. Banks are open. The post office runs. Government offices operate. But the US stock market closes anyway. This is an exchange-level decision rather than a federal mandate, and it has been observed for over a century.
What this means in practice: if you are trying to find out whether the US market is open on a specific Friday in late March or April, check whether that Friday is Good Friday. It is the most commonly forgotten closure by new traders.
Early Close Days
Some days the market is “open” but closes at 1:00pm ET instead of 4:00pm. These are sometimes called half days or early close days. The standard ones are:
- Day after Thanksgiving (the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Eve (when it falls on a weekday)
- Independence Day Eve (when July 3 falls on a weekday and is not itself a closed day)
On early close days, pre-market runs normally (4:00am to 9:30am ET), the regular session runs from 9:30am to 1:00pm, and there is no after-hours session. Trading ends at 1:00pm and does not resume until the next scheduled trading day.
This is where new traders get caught. They place a day trade at 12:45pm on an early close Friday, planning to close it by 3pm. At 1:00pm, the market closes. Their position auto-closes at the closing auction, or more commonly, stays open and rolls overnight. If the stock gaps against them on the next trading day, they take a loss they did not plan for.
Unscheduled Closures
Occasionally the market closes outside the regular holiday schedule. This happens rarely. Recent examples include:
- September 11-14, 2001: Four trading days closed after the 9/11 attacks
- October 29-30, 2012: Closed for two days due to Hurricane Sandy
- December 5, 2018: Closed for President George H.W. Bush’s funeral
- January 9, 2025: Closed for President Jimmy Carter’s funeral
If you see a surprise closure, check the news. It is usually either a natural disaster affecting New York specifically or a presidential funeral.
Why Each Holiday Matters for Traders
The “Quiet Week” Effect
Some holidays create extended quiet periods in the market. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is the most famous. Volume drops dramatically. Portfolio managers are on vacation. Major firms skeleton-staff their trading desks. Moves in this week can be exaggerated because thin liquidity means small orders push prices further.
If you trade during the last week of December, expect lower volume, wider spreads, and choppier price action. Many professional traders simply take the week off rather than trade into unpredictable conditions.
The “Santa Claus Rally”
An old Wall Street pattern: the stock market often rises in the last five trading days of December and the first two of January. This period (which spans the Christmas holiday) is called the “Santa Claus rally.” Whether or not it will happen in any given year is impossible to predict, but the seasonal tendency has been documented over decades.
The “Summer Doldrums” Period
The weeks around Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day tend to have lower volume and slower price action. Many institutional traders take vacation during the summer. This is called the “summer doldrums” on Wall Street. If your trading style depends on volume and volatility, you may find the summer less productive.
Earnings Season vs Holiday Periods
Companies time their earnings reports to avoid holiday weeks when possible. This means the weeks just before major holidays often see a surge of earnings reports as companies try to get their reports out before the quiet period. Be aware of the compressed earnings calendar around Thanksgiving and around the July 4 holiday.
How to Check If the Market Is Open Today
Before you start your trading day, a thirty-second check:
- Is it Saturday or Sunday? If yes, market is closed.
- Is it a federal holiday? Check the list above.
- Is it Good Friday? Often missed. Check if today is the Friday before Easter.
- Is it an early close day? Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and occasional others close at 1:00pm ET.
If you have to check more than once a month, get in the habit of looking at the calendar at the start of each month and marking any relevant closures.
Holiday Trading in Other Markets
Options Markets
Options follow the same holiday schedule as the underlying stock exchanges. If the stock market is closed, options are not trading.
Futures Markets
Most futures markets (CME equity index futures, commodities) have their own holiday schedules that are often similar to but not identical to stock market holidays. Equity index futures typically close early on the same early-close days as stocks, and close fully on the major holidays, but they often have slightly different schedules for minor holidays.
Bond Markets
The US bond market has its own calendar set by SIFMA (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association). The bond market typically closes for the same federal holidays as stocks, PLUS a few additional days like Columbus Day and Veterans Day (when the stock market is open but bonds are closed). Bond traders need to check both calendars.
Foreign Markets
International exchanges observe their own holiday schedules based on their countries’ calendars. The Tokyo Stock Exchange closes for Japanese holidays. The London Stock Exchange closes for UK bank holidays. If you trade ADRs or international ETFs, be aware that the underlying market may be closed even when the US is open.
For a complete overview of international market hours, see global stock market hours.
A Practical Holiday Checklist for Traders
Here is the monthly routine I recommend.
Start of each month:
- Open a calendar for the month
- Mark any federal holidays
- Mark any early close days (especially Thanksgiving week in November, Christmas week in December, Independence Day week in July)
- If you trade earnings reactions, check the earnings calendar; companies cluster reports around holiday breaks
Friday before a long weekend:
- Decide which positions to close and which to hold through the closure
- Remember: news can break during the closure and you cannot react until the market reopens
- Smaller positions are easier to hold through multi-day closures than larger ones
- Consider using stop losses more carefully on positions you plan to hold through closures
- If you are day trading for beginners, the rule is simple: close all positions before the weekend. Holding overnight introduces gap risk you are not yet equipped to manage.
Day of an early close:
- Set an alarm for 12:45pm ET (15 minutes before close)
- Do not open new day trades after 11:00am ET on early close days
- Close any day trades well before 1:00pm to avoid being rushed
Thanksgiving week specifically:
- Wednesday is a full trading day (no early close)
- Thursday is closed
- Friday is an early close day (1:00pm ET)
- Volume is thin all week as institutions take vacation
Christmas week specifically:
- Depending on where Christmas falls, the schedule varies
- If Christmas is on a weekend, there may be an observed holiday on Friday or Monday
- Christmas Eve is usually an early close day
- Volume is the thinnest of the year
Common Holiday Questions
Is the stock market open on Martin Luther King Day?
No. The market is closed on the third Monday of January for MLK Day.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday?
No. Despite Good Friday not being a federal holiday, the US stock market closes for it.
Is the stock market open on Columbus Day or Veterans Day?
Yes. The stock market is open on both Columbus Day (second Monday of October) and Veterans Day (November 11). The bond market is closed on both, and banks are closed on Veterans Day. This is a common source of confusion.
What happens if July 4 falls on a Sunday?
When Independence Day falls on a Sunday, the market is closed on the following Monday, July 5. When it falls on a Saturday, the market is closed on the preceding Friday, July 3.
Is the stock market closed on Easter?
Easter Sunday is, obviously, not a trading day because it is Sunday. Good Friday (two days before Easter) is closed. Easter Monday (the day after) is a regular trading day in the US, even though it is a public holiday in many other countries.
When does Black Friday trading happen?
The day after Thanksgiving is an early close day, with the market closing at 1:00pm ET. Retail shopping happens during the day but trading stops at 1pm. Volume is typically very thin.
Are there any Sunday trading hours?
No. The US stock market is closed every Sunday. Some futures markets (CME equity index futures) reopen Sunday evening at 6:00pm ET for the following week’s trading.
Key Takeaways
- The US stock market is closed for 9 federal holidays per year, plus Good Friday (which is not a federal holiday but is observed by the exchanges).
- Early close days (1:00pm ET instead of 4:00pm) include the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and occasional Independence Day Eve dates.
- When a federal holiday falls on a weekend, the market observes it on the nearest weekday. July 4 on a Saturday means a Friday closure. July 4 on a Sunday means a Monday closure.
- The week between Christmas and New Year’s has the lowest trading volume of the year. Summer months and days around major holidays also see reduced volume.
- Check the calendar at the start of each month. Mark full closures and early close days. Plan around them rather than getting caught by surprise.
For the regular trading schedule, see stock market hours: when does the stock market open and close. For the extended-hours schedule on days the market is open, see pre-market and after-hours trading.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making trading decisions.