Louisiana PTO planner 2026

Holidays 2026 in Louisiana and what each one gives you

Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer stretch.

United StatesiPhoto: Gordon Leggett · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

TexasiPhoto: Leaflet · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

• Thursday, January 1: New Year's Day. New Year's Day opens the year with parades, college football bowl games and a quiet day at home. When it falls near a weekend, it extends the holiday season into a longer break. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, January 1 to 4.
• Friday, January 2: Day After New Year's. The day after New Year's Day gives state workers a second day of rest at the start of the year, which can turn a midweek New Year into a longer winter break. You get 4 free days in a row, January 1 to 4, with no leave needed.
• Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Honors the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the third Monday of January. Many people volunteer in a day of service, and the Monday creates the first long weekend of the year, popular for ski trips. You get 3 free days in a row, January 17 to 19, with no leave needed.
• Monday, February 16: Lundi Gras. Carnival in Louisiana peaks on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. State offices close in many parishes, parades fill New Orleans, and hotels book out well in advance. You get 4 free days in a row, February 14 to 17, with no leave needed.
• Tuesday, February 17: Mardi Gras. Carnival in Louisiana peaks on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. State offices close in many parishes, parades fill New Orleans, and hotels book out well in advance. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, February 14 to 17.
• Friday, April 3: Good Friday. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is a state holiday in a handful of states. Offices close, and the Easter weekend becomes a good time for a spring break trip. You get 3 free days in a row, April 3 to 5, with no leave needed.
• Monday, May 25: National Memorial Day. Memorial Day honors the men and women who died serving in the armed forces. It falls on the last Monday of May and unofficially opens summer: beaches, lake houses and road trips fill up. You get 3 free days in a row, May 23 to 25, with no leave needed.
• Friday, June 19: Juneteenth Day. Juneteenth marks June 19, the day news of emancipation reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. A federal holiday since 2021, it brings festivals, cookouts and family reunions and an early summer day off. You get 3 free days in a row, June 19 to 21, with no leave needed.
• Friday, July 3: Independence Day Observed. The Fourth of July celebrates the Declaration of Independence: parades, barbecues and fireworks. When it lands near a weekend, it creates one of the busiest summer travel stretches of the year. The date itself, Saturday, July 4, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Friday, July 3. You get 3 free days in a row, July 3 to 5, with no leave needed.
• Monday, September 7: Labor Day. Labor Day honors American workers on the first Monday of September and marks the unofficial end of summer. It is the last big long weekend for beaches, lakes and road trips before school is back in full swing. You get 3 free days in a row, September 5 to 7, with no leave needed.
• Tuesday, November 3: Election Day. Election Day gives state workers time to vote, usually on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Polling stations open early, and in many states schools close as they serve as polling places. Take Monday, November 2 off and you have 4 days in a row, October 31 to November 3.
• Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day. Veterans Day honors everyone who served in the U.S. armed forces, on November 11, the anniversary of the First World War armistice. Federal offices and many schools close; many businesses stay open. Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off and you have 5 days in a row, November 7 to 11.
• Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November: turkey, family and football. It is the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States, so book flights and drives early. Take Friday, November 27 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 26 to 29.
• Friday, December 25: Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a federal holiday: most shops close and families gather. The weeks around it are a peak time for flights and drives, so book early if you plan to travel. You get 3 free days in a row, December 25 to 27, with no leave needed.

What 1 to 10 PTO days get you

With 1 PTO day the longest run you can build is 4 days, October 31 to November 3. Three days stretch to 9 days off (February 14 to 22). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around New Year's Day and Day After New Year's, January 1 to 11.

iPhoto: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 19 days in a row, January 1 to 19. For nine days or more away you need 3 PTO days.

Many US employers offer around 10 to 15 PTO days a year. Spend four of them well and you can have two four-day weekends and one long week, without touching the rest.

When the holidays fall in 2026

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Day After New Year's on January 2, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, Lundi Gras on February 16, Mardi Gras on February 17 and Christmas Day on December 25. The pick of the season is February 14 to 22 with 3 PTO days for 9 days off.

iPhoto: Felix König · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spring: Good Friday on April 3 and National Memorial Day on May 25. The pick of the season is March 28 to April 5 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: Juneteenth Day on June 19 and Independence Day Observed on July 3. The pick of the season is June 13 to 21 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 7, Election Day on November 3, Veterans Day on November 11 and Thanksgiving Day on November 26. The pick of the season is October 31 to November 3 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Getaways for your 2026 stretches

From Louisiana, New Orleans is the city for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest in spring and food all year. Cajun country around Lafayette suits a music weekend, and the Gulf beaches of Alabama and Florida's Panhandle are the summer escape.

AlabamaiPhoto: DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Your strongest stretches this year fall in January, February and March, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Louisiana has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Louisiana: Louisiana R.S. 1:55: legal holidays observed by the departments of the state, State Civil Service General Circular 2025-053 and State Civil Service General Circular 2026-010, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another state's dates.

iPhoto: Keith Pomakis · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

The planner treats weekends and full holidays as free days and works out where your PTO days turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Louisiana or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.