2012 Federal Holidays and Observances

A new year is just around the corner and we have a whole set of events and occasions to look forward to. Planning for these holidays can be much easier if you simply refer to a list of federal holidays and observances for the year 2012. This list of holidays for the upcoming year can be a god-sent if you want to ensure that you do not mess up your vacation plans because you do not have the correct dates.

Federal Holidays 2012 List

Getting a list of the federal holidays and observances for the year 2012 is very easy. All you need to do is log on to the site of the United States Office of Personal Management, where you will get a federal holidays calendar for 2012. To access this, you will need to access the section for federal employees under which there is a section for designated federal holidays. If you click on this tab, then you will get a list of the federal holidays and observances for next year. This list will also allow you access to the holidays in the previous years, and those in the years to come.

| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

January 2nd of January, New Year's Day: Since the first day of the new year is a Sunday, the federal holiday list has declared the holiday on the succeeding Monday. 16th of January, Martin Luther King Day: The third Monday of 2012, like every year, is a holiday in the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. [ Top ] February 20th of February, President's Day: This day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of George Washington, and is therefore, also known as Washington Day. [ Top ] March No Holidays [ Top ] April No Holidays [ Top ] May 28th of May, Memorial Day: Memorial day is celebrated in memory of all those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of the duty. Memorial day is celebrated on the last Monday of every May. [ Top ] June No Holidays [ Top ] July 4th of July, Independence Day: A celebration of the day on which the United States of America gained its independence. [ Top ] August No Holidays [ Top ] September 3rd of September, Labor Day: A holiday celebrated to mark the contribution of the worker force in the nation to its economic and social growth. [ Top ] October 8th of October, Columbus Day: Every year on the second Monday of October, the country celebrates Columbus Day to commemorate the day on which Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent. [ Top ] November 12th of November, Veteran's Day: A holiday to honor the war veterans who have served the country. This year, since the holiday falls on a Sunday, the succeeding day is being celebrated as Veteran's Day. 22nd of November, Thanksgiving Day: Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year, it is an occasion to give thanks and offer gratitude for everything that one possesses. [ Top ] December 25th of December, Christmas: The 25th day of December is celebrated to mark the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ. [ Top ]

As per the rules of the United States Office of Personal Management, Saturdays and Sundays are mandatory holidays, which is why a federal holiday on a Saturday or a Sunday results in a holiday on the preceding or succeeding day. Therefore a federal holiday on a Saturday is given on the preceding day, that is a Friday, and a holiday on a Sunday, is declared on the Monday after.

Another thing that is important to understand is that US public holidays are not the same as federal holidays and observances. There are fewer federal holidays than public holidays. So, if you refer to a list of US bank holidays for 2012, then you may notice a discrepancy in the list of holidays as these include holidays declared by the state governments as well. Now that you have a list of federal holidays and observances for 2012, you will surely be able to plan your year accordingly.