Happy Memorial Day 2020!

[7/8]

Actually, one thing I considered mentioning, but decided to omit, is that Good Friday seems to have been picking up steam as a holiday in recent years, including more businesses closing that didn't used to. The majority still seem to be open, though.

Huh, I would've assumed Good Friday was a holiday in the US, but I guess not.

And no one's mentioned President's Day in February (I know that one since it coincides with Ontario's Family Day).

....

Part of the issue in the US is that the states, and the private sector, don't have to follow the federal holidays. Some are pretty universal–Thanksgiving and Christmas are the biggest two (July 4 is universally a holiday, but many retail businesses are open that day). Some are generally ignored by the private sector–Columbus Day and Veterans' Day are the most obvious there.

...

Reading your comment led me to do some quick research and now I know that the US private sector is not required to give any federal holidays. It didn't occur to me that there wouldn't be any paid holidays guaranteed for everyone. That explains the discussions on which holidays are "actually" observed.

[1995hoo]

Actually, one thing I considered mentioning, but decided to omit, is that Good Friday seems to have been picking up steam as a holiday in recent years, including more businesses closing that didn't used to. The majority still seem to be open, though.

Huh, I would've assumed Good Friday was a holiday in the US, but I guess not.
And no one's mentioned President's Day in February (I know that one since it coincides with Ontario's Family Day).
....

Part of the issue in the US is that the states, and the private sector, don't have to follow the federal holidays. Some are pretty universal–Thanksgiving and Christmas are the biggest two (July 4 is universally a holiday, but many retail businesses are open that day). Some are generally ignored by the private sector–Columbus Day and Veterans' Day are the most obvious there.

That pretty much sums up what my response was going to be before I read yours.
However, I always thought President's Day fit pretty neatly into the same bucket as Columbus Day and Veterans Day, but maybe I'm wrong on that. It's certainly ignored by the private sector around here, anyways.

I would not be surprised to hear that the private sector here in the DC area might be a bit unique in this respect due to how many people have spouses/immediate family who work for the government. Most retail businesses are open on Washington's Birthday here. Some professionals are as well (my dentist, for example; I usually go on the holiday because I get there and back faster). Most white-collar private-sector non-retail businesses seem to observe it. The same is definitely not true of Columbus Day (widely ignored) and Veterans' Day (most non-government non-retail workers get the day after Thanksgiving instead, which is a trade I think most people are happy to make....I sure would if I had the option).

[GaryV]

If employees are represented by a strong union, it is more likely that more holidays will be paid.  And the non-union employees at those locations will often get the paid holidays too.

For example, I used to work for one of the Big 3 automakers.  Beside the standard holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day - we got Christmas Eve, the whole week between Christmas and New Years, MLK day, Veterans Day and Election Day in federal election years (even number years).

We did not get Columbus Day, and I was surprised to read on a soccer board that clubs in New York were holding tournaments that weekend.

For many retailers that are open on holidays, they pay time and a half or double time pay.  But not all - again, it depends on the employer and the presence of any union.

EDIT:  A post below reminded me that we also got the day after Thanksgiving, Good Friday and Easter Monday.  And if any of the holidays were on Tuesday or Thursday, we usually got the Monday or Friday off as well.

[ixnay]

[The federal holiday is called Washington's Birthday by statute. People who insist it is "now" called "Presidents' Day" are simply wrong if they're referring to the federal holiday.

The labeling of the the fed holiday as Washington's Birthday is inaccurate too since the latest it can fall is Feb. 21.  GW was born on Feb. 22.  But then again the Queen of England has an Official Birthday which is nowhere her real one.

Some states do call it "Presidents' Day," however (though which presidents are honored is sometimes a matter of dispute; four presidents were born in February).

The other two are W.H. Harrison and R.W. Reagan.

ixnay

[SEWIGuy]

My paid holidays

New Year's Day
Memorial Day
July 4
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Day after Thanksgiving (not common)
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Years Eve

And my employer usually grants us three days off as a Christmas gift between Christmas and New Years - which means when I leave work on December 23, I don't return until January 2.  All paid.

[1995hoo]

[The federal holiday is called Washington's Birthday by statute. People who insist it is "now" called "Presidents' Day" are simply wrong if they're referring to the federal holiday.

The labeling of the the fed holiday as Washington's Birthday is inaccurate too since the latest it can fall is Feb. 21.  GW was born on Feb. 22.  But then again the Queen of England has an Official Birthday which is nowhere her real one.

Right, the holiday should be on the fourth Monday in February, not the third, if it is to be called Washington's Birthday with any accuracy. But the statute does in fact call it Washington's Birthday.

From a trivia standpoint, it can't fall on either his "original" birthday or his "current" birthday. George Washington was born on February 11, 1731, Old Style. That became February 22 when the Brits, and their colonies, converted to New Style in 1752, and the change in the date on which they observed the new year is usually applied retroactively as well such that Washington is now said to have been born on February 22, 1732, New Style (of course New Style is usually omitted). Washington never objected to celebrating his birthday on February 22, but that acceptance was not universal–Thomas Jefferson, for example, was born on April 2, 1743, Old Style, which became April 13, 1743, New Style, yet he always observed his birthday on April 2 throughout his life and directed that his gravestone say "April 2, 1743 (O.S.)."

The Washington's Birthday holiday, designated for the third Monday in February, can fall no earlier than February 15 and no later than February 21, so it can never fall on either "real" date.