This article lists all the national holidays that will be observed in the United States of America in the year 2012. Make a note so that you can plan your little outings or family get-togethers accordingly.
In this article, you will get a complete list of the US national holidays (2012), declared by the United States Office of Personnel Management. You can go through these dates, and begin your year-round planning. Do note that US public holidays and national holidays may not always be the same; in the sense that, all the national holidays are definitely public holidays, but all public holidays are not necessarily national holidays. Three of these holidays fall on a Sunday. Five holidays fall on a Monday, so those can be planned as long weekends.
So let us have a look at the national holidays that await us this year, after which, we will look at some other important days of the year, which might be declared as holidays by certain states or organizations.
| January 1 Sunday |
| New Year’s Day: Observed on the first of January, New Year’s Day marks the start of the year according to both the ancient Julian calendar and the modern Gregorian calendar. |
Martin Luther King Day
| January 16 Monday |
| Martin Luther King Day: The third Monday every year is observed as a national holiday, celebrating Martin Luther King Day. This day honors Martin Luther King Jr. |
President’s Day
| February 20
Monday
|
| President’s Day: Every third Monday of February is celebrated as Washington Day in honor of George Washington. It is also called President’s Day in quite a few states of the country. |
| April 8 Sunday |
| Easter: An important religious holiday worldwide, Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
Memorial Day
| May 28 Monday |
| Memorial Day: Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is an important national holiday that is observed in the United States as a symbol of respect and honor for those who lost their lives in the American Civil War. |
American Independence Day
| July 4 Wednesday |
| American Independence Day: As the name American Independence Day suggests, this day represents the day the United States of America was born. |
Labor Day
| September 3
Monday
|
| Labor Day: This day is celebrated to pay respects to the working class of the country as can be concurred from its history. |
Columbus Day
| October 8 Monday |
| Columbus Day: Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October every year to signify the day that the great explorer, Christopher Columbus made his foray into America. |
Veteran’s Day
| November 11
Sunday
|
| Veteran’s Day: Veteran’s Day falls on the same day every year. On this day, we pay our respects to the veterans of all wars. Though initially it was just for World War I veterans, today it honors the soldiers of all wars. |
Thanksgiving Day
| November 22 Thursday |
| Thanksgiving Day: Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday that falls on the fourth Thursday of November, every year. On this day, people offer their thanks and gratitude to God for everything that they have. |
Christmas Day
| December 25
Tuesday
|
| Christmas Day: Christmas Day is celebrated on the same day every year to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and also marks the end of the Advent season. |
Though the list above has all the holidays that are binding on every citizen of America, there are some more holidays that are declared according to the decisions taken by the state governments too. They are as follows:
- February 1: National Freedom Day
- February 2: Groundhog Day
- February 22: Ash Wednesday
- March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
- April 6: Good Friday
- April 7: Passover
- April 9: Easter Monday
- May 1: May Day
- September 11: Patriot Day
- September 28: Native American Day
- October 31: Halloween
- November 1: All Saints’ Day
- November 2: All Souls’ Day
- December 7: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
- December 26: Boxing Day
- December 31: New Year’s Eve
