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Wisconsin state holidays 2027

Wisconsin gives state employees 9 paid holidays in 2027. Here are the observed dates, how weekend holidays move and what they mean for a private employer.

The 9 paid state holidays of 2027

7 long weekends

  1. January 1: New Year’s Day Friday Long weekend
  2. January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday Monday Long weekend
  3. May 31: Memorial Day Monday Long weekend
  4. July 5: Independence Day Monday · observed, July 4 is a Sunday Long weekend
  5. September 6: Labor Day Monday Long weekend
  6. November 25: Thanksgiving Day Thursday
  7. December 24: Christmas Eve Day Friday Long weekend
  8. December 25: Christmas Day Saturday · stays on Saturday, state employees get equivalent time off Weekend
  9. December 31: New Year’s Eve Day Friday · a separate state holiday; New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday and isn’t moved Long weekend
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Who Wisconsin state holidays apply to

State holidays in Wisconsin are the days the state gives its own employees off with pay. They don’t bind private employers: whether your team gets these days off, and whether they’re paid, depends on your policy, your employment contracts or a union agreement.

Wisconsin’s holiday rules, including time and a half for state employees who work a holiday, cover state employees only. We found no Wisconsin law that requires private employers to give state holidays off or to pay extra for working them. Source: Wis. Stat. 230.35(4), Holidays.

Holidays that fall on a weekend

Wisconsin only moves New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Christmas, and only from a Sunday to the day after. A holiday that falls on a Saturday isn’t moved: state employees get equivalent time off. On top of the legal holidays, state employees earn personal holidays to use when they choose.

In 2027:

  • Independence Day falls on Sunday, July 4 and is observed on Monday, July 5.
  • Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25 and isn’t moved, but state employees get equivalent time off.

How Wisconsin compares with the federal holidays

Of the 11 federal holidays, Wisconsin doesn’t give state employees a paid day off for Presidents’ Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. On top of the federal list, it adds Christmas Eve Day on Friday, December 24 and New Year’s Eve Day on Friday, December 31.

Some shared holidays land on a different day. Christmas Day is on Saturday, December 25, while the federal holiday is on Friday, December 24.

Plan 2027’s holidays on your team calendar

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Plan 2027’s holidays on your team calendar

Frequently asked questions

How many paid state holidays does Wisconsin have in 2027?

Wisconsin gives state employees 9 paid holidays: New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday on Monday, January 18; Memorial Day on Monday, May 31; Independence Day on Monday, July 5; Labor Day on Monday, September 6; Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 25; Christmas Eve Day on Friday, December 24; Christmas Day on Saturday, December 25; and New Year’s Eve Day on Friday, December 31.

Is Juneteenth a state holiday in Wisconsin?

No. Juneteenth isn’t one of the paid state holidays in Wisconsin, so it’s a regular workday for state employees. It’s still a federal holiday, observed on Friday, June 18.

Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Wisconsin?

No. Friday, November 26 is a regular workday for state employees in Wisconsin. Many private employers give it off anyway; if yours does, put it in your holiday policy and on the team calendar.

Do private employers have to give state holidays off in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s holiday rules, including time and a half for state employees who work a holiday, cover state employees only. We found no Wisconsin law that requires private employers to give state holidays off or to pay extra for working them. Beyond that, whether your team gets these days off, and whether they’re paid, depends on your policy, your employment contracts or a union agreement. Federal law doesn’t require holiday pay, but nonexempt employees still earn time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, holiday or not.

What state holidays fall on a weekend in 2027?

Independence Day falls on Sunday, July 4 and is observed on Monday, July 5. Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25 and isn’t moved, but state employees get equivalent time off.

Official sources

Data reviewed on October 12, 2026.