Wondering when your next day off will be? Don’t worry — Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 20, in 2025. Many companies and businesses take this national holiday off.
Here is what we know about Martin Luther King Jr. Day and other holidays in January 2025.
When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day — or MLK Day — is celebrated annually on the third Monday of January. MLK Day became a federal holiday in 1994, but has been observed by Americans since January 1986, when it was first officially celebrated, per the Observance Calendar from the Department of Defense Education Activity site.
“This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities,” per the Department of Defense Education Activity site. “In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service and marking the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service — a ‘Day On, Not a Day Off.’”
What holidays are in January?
There are three national holidays in January, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:
- Wednesday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
- Monday, Jan. 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Monday, Jan. 20: Inauguration Day
What is the National Day of Mourning?
In light of former President Jimmy Carter’s death, President Joe Biden set Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning.
“I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.,” Biden announced, per The White House. “I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.”
U.S. stock markets will be closed on Jan. 9 in observance of the mourning day, reports The Associated Press.