United States federal observances

See also: Title 36 of the United States Code

Observances in the United States
Public • Paid • Federal • Observance • School • Hallmark
Observed by	Federal government
Type	National

United States federal observances are days, weeks, months, or other periods designated by the United States Congress for the commemoration or other observance of various events, activities, or topics. These observances differ from Federal holidays in that Federal employees only receive a day free from work on holidays, not observances. Federal observances that are designated by Congress appear in Title 36 of the United States Code (36 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.). Below is a list of all observances so designated. Note that not all of the laws below require that the observance be declared, in some cases, such as 36 U.S.C. § 114, Congress simply requested the President to issue a proclamation of the observance. They are published at Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1256.; Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1261.; Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1262.; Pub. L. 107–89, § 1, Dec. 18, 2001, 115 Stat. 876.; and Pub. L. 114–240, § 2(a), Oct. 7, 2016, 130 Stat. 974..

The President may also declare selected Federal observances by presidential proclamation. Those observances are referenced at the List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation.

Days

• 36 U.S.C. § 104 — Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (First Saturday after Labor Day)
• 36 U.S.C. § 105 — Child Health Day (The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Monday in October as Child Health Day)
• 36 U.S.C. § 106 — Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (September 17)
• 36 U.S.C. § 107 — Columbus Day (The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation designating the second Monday in October as Columbus Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 109 — Father's Day (Third Sunday in June)
• 36 U.S.C. § 110 — Flag Day (June 14)
• 36 U.S.C. § 111 — Gold Star Mother's Day (Last Sunday in September)
• 36 U.S.C. § 113 — Law Day, U.S.A. (May 1)
• 36 U.S.C. § 114 — Leif Erikson Day (The President may issue each year a proclamation designating October 9 as Leif Erikson Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 115 — Loyalty Day (May 1)
• 36 U.S.C. § 116 — Memorial Day
• 36 U.S.C. § 117 — Mother's Day (Second Sunday in May)
• 36 U.S.C. § 118 — National Aviation Day (August 19)
• 36 U.S.C. § 119 — National Day of Prayer (First Thursday in May)
• 36 U.S.C. § 120 — National Defense Transportation Day (The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation designating the third Friday in May as National Defense Transportation Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 124 — National Freedom Day (February 1)
• 36 U.S.C. § 125 — National Grandparents' Day (The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Sunday in September after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 127 — National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (July 27 of each year until 2003)
• 36 U.S.C. § 128 — National Maritime Day (May 22)
• 36 U.S.C. § 129 — National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7)
• 36 U.S.C. § 134 — Pan American Aviation Day (The President may issue each year a proclamation designating December 17 as Pan American Aviation Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 135 — Parents' Day (Fourth Sunday in July)
• 36 U.S.C. § 136 — Peace Officers Memorial Day (The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in honor of Federal, State, and local officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 140 — Stephen Foster Memorial Day (The President may issue each year a proclamation designating January 13 Stephen Foster Memorial Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 141 — Thomas Jefferson's birthday (April 13)
• 36 U.S.C. § 142 — White Cane Safety Day (The President may issue each year a proclamation designating October 15 as White Cane Safety Day.)
• 36 U.S.C. § 143 — Wright Brothers Day (December 17)
• 36 U.S.C. § 144 — Patriot Day (September 11)
• 36 U.S.C. § 145 — Veterans Day (November 11)

Weeks

• 36 U.S.C. § 108 — Constitution Week (September 17 through September 23)
• 36 U.S.C. § 122 — National Flag Week (Designating the week in which June 14 falls as National Flag Week)
• 36 U.S.C. § 123 — National Forest Products Week (The week beginning on the third Sunday in October)
• 36 U.S.C. § 130 — National Poison Prevention Week (Third week in March)
• 36 U.S.C. § 131 — National Safe Boating Week (The 7-day period ending on the last Friday before Memorial Day)
• 36 U.S.C. § 132 — National Suicide Prevention Week (The week beginning on the second Sunday in October)
• 36 U.S.C. § 133 — National Transportation Week (The week that includes the third Friday of May)
• 36 U.S.C. § 137 — Police Week (The week in which May 15 occurs)
• 36 U.S.C. § 138 — Save Your Vision Week (The first week in March)

Months

• 36 U.S.C. § 101 — American Heart Month (February)
• Black History Month (February)
• National Nutrition Month (March)
• Confederate History Month (April)
• 36 U.S.C. § 103 — Cancer Control Month (April)
• Child Abuse Prevention Month (April)
• 36 U.S.C. § 102 — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
• 36 U.S.C. § 139 — Steelmark Month (May) — honors the steel industry
• Gay and Lesbian Pride Month (June)
• 36 U.S.C. § 126 — National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15)
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)
• Filipino American History Month (October)
• 36 U.S.C. § 121 — National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)
• Native American Heritage Month (November)

Other

• 36 U.S.C. § 112 — Honor America Days—The 21 days from Flag Day through Independence Day.

External links

• National Health Observances , Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services.