Trump makes Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays. Fort Worth, too?
Federal workers will get a nice five-day weekend for Christmas this year.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 18 that established two new federal holidays — Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas Day.
This year, Christmas is on a Thursday, so federal employees will begin their long weekend on Wednesday.
The last time Christmas Day fell on a Thursday, former President Obama gave his employees Dec. 26 off. When Trump was last in office, federal workers had Christmas Eve off in both 2019 and 2020.
Do Fort Worth businesses follow the federal holiday calendar?
Though the federal holiday calendar serves as a framework for a lot of organizations, the state of Texas follows its own holiday calendar.
Texas agencies already observe Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas as state-observed holidays. The state has closed all agencies over these three days since 1981, when House Bill 656 passed.
A representative for the city of Fort Worth told the Star-Telegram that the city created its own holiday schedule for employees that remains consistent every year. It is never directly tied to a federal or state holiday list.
What holidays does Fort Worth observe?
Unlike the state, Fort Worth does not consider Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas to be a holiday.
Fort Worth observes these holidays:
- New Year’s Day: Jan. 1
- Martin Luther King Day: third Monday of January
- Memorial Day: last Monday in May
- Juneteenth: June 19
- Fourth of July: July 4
- Labor Day: first Monday of September
- Thanksgiving Day: fourth Thursday in November
- The day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas: Dec. 25
What does this mean for Fort Worth businesses?
All state agencies will be closed beginning Wednesday, Dec. 24. Fort Worth services will be closed for Christmas Day only.
It is also Texas law that all liquor stores close on Christmas Day. Customers can still shop normal hours on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26.
The city of Fort Worth also adjusts its trash pick up schedule to observe the Christmas holiday. This means if your trash gets collected on Thursday, it will be Friday. For those with trash pick up on Friday, it will move to Saturday.
Private businesses such as grocery stores, retailers or restaurants chose their own holiday hours.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM.