Louisiana has the most public holidays of any US state, with at least 16 legal holidays written into its statutes. That count includes all 11 federal holidays plus five observances tied to the state’s French Catholic heritage and regional history. Most states sit between 11 and 13, so Louisiana clears the pack by a wide margin.
What Puts Louisiana at the Top
Every state begins from the same federal baseline of 11 holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays States add to that list through their own legislation.
Louisiana’s holiday statute keeps the federal list and layers on days you won’t see anywhere else: the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, Mardi Gras, Good Friday, Huey P. Long Day on August 30, and All Saints’ Day on November 1.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 1:55 – Days of Public Rest, Legal Holidays, and Half-Holidays A separate statute adds Juneteenth.3Justia. Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:55.1 – Days of Public Rest; Juneteenth Day The fixed statutory total comes to 16.
The real number in any given year is usually higher. Louisiana’s governor can proclaim additional holidays by executive order, and in practice that often means state employees also get Lundi Gras (the Monday before Mardi Gras), Acadian Day (the Friday after Thanksgiving), and extra days around Christmas and New Year’s. A government calendar that includes Good Friday, Mardi Gras, and All Saints’ Day would look foreign to workers in most other states, and it reflects the state’s French Catholic roots.
Other States With High Holiday Counts
A handful of states come close to Louisiana without matching it.
West Virginia enumerates 15 holidays in its code, including West Virginia Day on June 20, the day after Thanksgiving (designated Lincoln’s Day), every general or primary election day, and any day the governor or president proclaims as a day of special observance. Because the election-day provision counts, the total fluctuates year to year.4West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 2-2-1
Illinois gives state employees 14 paid holidays, including Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12 and General Election Day in even-numbered years, on top of the federal list.
Kentucky provides 12.5 paid holidays per year, rising to 13.5 in presidential election years when Election Day is added. Good Friday is recognized as a half-day holiday, which only a few states do.
Massachusetts recognizes 12 legal holidays statewide, adding Patriots’ Day on the third Monday in April to the 11 federal holidays. Suffolk County technically gets Evacuation Day on March 17 and Bunker Hill Day on June 17, but state law now requires government offices there to remain open and staffed on those days.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title I, Chapter 4, Section 7
At 16 fixed statutory holidays before any gubernatorial proclamation, Louisiana carries at least one more day than its nearest competitor, and more than that once Lundi Gras and Acadian Day are added in.
Why Comparing Holiday Counts Is Tricky
Straight state-by-state comparisons tend to understate or overstate the real picture, for three reasons.
Some states use floating holidays. New York’s state employee system, for example, converts Lincoln’s Birthday and Election Day into floating holidays for certain bargaining units, letting workers use the days at their discretion rather than on a specific date. A state with 12 fixed holidays and two floating days gives workers 14 total days off, but the floating days don’t show up in a simple count of statutory legal holidays.
Some states let the governor add days by proclamation. Louisiana does this routinely; West Virginia’s statute explicitly folds proclaimed days into its holiday list.
Weekend rules shift the actual calendar. When a fixed-date holiday falls on a weekend, most states follow the federal convention: a Saturday holiday is observed the preceding Friday, a Sunday holiday the following Monday.6U.S. Department of Commerce. State and Local Holidays A few handle it differently. Massachusetts observes Saturday holidays on Saturday rather than shifting them to Friday.
What a State Holiday Actually Means If You Work in the Private Sector
Expectations and reality often diverge here. A state holiday closes state government offices and gives state employees a paid day off. It does not require your employer to do the same. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not mandate paid time off for any holiday, federal or state.7U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay Whether you get the day off, and whether you’re paid for it, comes down to your employment contract, company policy, or collective bargaining agreement.
A small number of states go further. Rhode Island law requires that employees working on Sundays or legal holidays be paid at least one and a half times their normal rate, though several industries are exempt.8Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island General Laws 25-3-3 – Work on Sundays or Holidays Massachusetts previously required premium pay for retail workers on holidays, but that requirement was fully phased out as of January 1, 2023. Most states impose no holiday pay obligation on private employers.
Banks typically follow the federal holiday calendar, so a state-specific day like Mardi Gras generally won’t close bank branches outside Louisiana. Financial markets follow their own schedules set by the exchanges, aligned with federal holidays rather than any single state’s list.
How State Holidays Can Shift Legal Deadlines
State holidays don’t only affect office closures. They can move deadlines you’re counting on.
Tax Filing
The IRS rule is straightforward: if a tax deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, you get until the next business day. For individual filers, a statewide legal holiday in your home state counts, even if the IRS itself doesn’t observe that holiday.9Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and Maine falls on the third Monday in April, close to the April 15 federal deadline, so residents there sometimes get an extra day or more. D.C. Emancipation Day on April 16 can push the deadline nationwide, since the IRS is headquartered in Washington.
One limit worth knowing: a statewide holiday delays your filing deadline but does not delay the due date for federal tax deposits. Businesses owing payroll tax deposits still need to meet the original schedule.
Court Filings
In federal court, state holidays matter for forward-counted deadlines. Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, if the last day of a filing period falls on a state holiday where your district court sits, the deadline extends to the next business day.10Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time This applies only to periods counted forward from an event. Backward-counted deadlines, like filing something at least 14 days before a hearing, do not get the same extension for state holidays. Missing that distinction can mean a missed filing.