A.Bill has discovered a lot about Federal Holiday legislation by exploring the Constitution, the House Journal, and the Congressional record of Floor debates. After doing research on the Internet and at the Library, A.Bill has been able to find the text of all the acts passed by Congress that pertain to Federal Holidays.

How can A.Bill find information that is not on the Internet?

The Internet helps us with our research in a lot of ways, but some information cannot be found in electronic form. Some resources for further research include the Office of the Clerk's Legislative Activities resources, the Legislative Resource Center, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Government Printing Office, and your local school, public and Federal Depository libraries.



The text of the bills related to the creation of Federal holidays appears below.

June 28, 1870

An Act making the first Day of January, the twenty-fifth Day of December, the fourth Day of July, and Thanksgiving Day, Holidays, within the District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following days, to wit: The first day of January, commonly called New Year's day, the fourth day of July, the twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas day, and any day appointed or recommended by the President of the United States as a day of public fast or thanksgiving, shall be holidays within the District of Columbia, and shall, for all purposes of presenting for payment or acceptance of the maturity and protest, and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of exchange, bank checks and promissory notes or other negotiable or commercial paper, be treated and considered as is the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, and all notes, drafts, checks, or other commercial or negotiable paper falling due or maturing on either of said holidays shall be deemed as having matured on the day previous.

APPROVED, June 28, 1870

Jan 31. 1879

An act to amend section nine hundred and ninety-three of the Revised Statutes of the United States for the District of Columbia, so as to make the twenty-second day of February a holiday within said District.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section nine hundred and ninety-three of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia be, and the same hereby is, amended by adding to the days therein declared to be holidays within the District the twenty-second day of February; and such day shall be a holiday for all the purposes mentioned in said section: Provided, That this act shall not apply to the twenty-second day of February, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine.

APPROVED, January 31, 1879.

August 1, 1888

An act making May thirtieth a holiday in the District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thirtieth day of May in each year, usually called "Decoration Day," shall be, and hereby is, made a holiday within the District of Columbia as fully in all respects as are the days mentioned as holidays in section nine hundred and ninety-three of the Revised Statutes of the District of Columbia.

APPROVED, August 1, 1888.

June 28, 1894

An Act Making Labor Day a legal holiday.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first Monday of September in each year, being the day celebrated and known as Labor's Holiday, is hereby made a legal public holiday, to all intents and purposes, in the same manner as Christmas, the first day of January, the twenty-second day of February, the thirtieth day of May, and the fourth day of July are now made by law public holidays.

APPROVED, June 28, 1894.

May 13, 1938

AN ACT
Making the 11th day of November in each year a legal holiday.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,That the 11th day of November in each year, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day, is hereby made a legal public holiday to all intents and purposes and in the same manner as the 1st day of January, the 22nd day of February, the 30th day of May, the 4th day of July, the first Monday of September, and Christmas Day are now made by law public holidays.

APPROVED, May 13, 1938.

December 26, 1941

JOINT RESOLUTION
Making the fourth Thursday in November a legal holiday.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the fourth Thursday of November in each year after the year 1941 be known as Thanksgiving Day, and is hereby made a legal public holiday to all intents and purposes and in the same manner as the 1st day of January, the 22nd day of February, the 30th day of May, the 4th day of July, the first Monday of September, the 11th day of November, and Christmas Day are now made by law public holidays.

APPROVED, December 26, 1941.

June 1, 1954

AN ACT
To honor veterans on the 11th day of November of each year, a day dedicated to world peace.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act making the 11th day of November in each year a legal holiday," approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S.C., sec. 87a), is hereby amended by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "Veterans."

APPROVED, June 1, 1954.

January 11, 1957

JOINT RESOLUTION
Making Inauguration Day a legal holiday in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 20th day of January 1957 and the 20th day of January in every fourth year thereafter, known as Inauguration Day, is hereby made a legal holiday in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia for the purpose of all statutes relating to the compensation and leave of employees of the United States, including the legislative and judicial branches, and of the District of Columbia, employed in such area: Provided, however, That whenever the 20th day of January in any such year shall fall on a Sunday, the next succeeding day selected for the public observance of the inauguration of the President of the United States shall be considered a legal holiday as provided by this joint resolution.
SEC. 2. For the purposes of this joint resolution, the term "metropolitan area of the District of Columbia" shall include, in addition to the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, Virginia.

APPROVED, January 11, 1957.

November 2, 1983

PUBLIC HOLIDAY - BIRTHDAY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
An act to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,That section 6103(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting immediately below the item relating to New Year's Day the following:
"Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January."
SEC.2. The amendment made by the first section of this Act shall take effect on the first January 1 that occurs after the two-year period following the date of the enactment of this Act.

APPROVED, November 2, 1983.