The United States observes eleven national holidays — each one passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, which is why they are also called federal holidays National holidays that have been passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. All 11 U.S. national holidays are federal holidays. . Several of them connect directly to content tested on the civics exam: they mark the battles that built the nation, the people who fought to make it just, and the founding documents that gave it purpose. Knowing what each holiday commemorates — and when it falls — is essential for the test.

All 11 U.S. Federal Holidays

The civics test focuses most heavily on the holidays listed below. Each has specific historical facts attached to it that are directly testable.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Third Monday in January

honors the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., a church and community leader who dedicated his life to ending racial discrimination and securing civil rights for all Americans.

King fought for civil rights by working to protect the freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which protect individual rights and freedoms. , and he particularly championed the rights and freedoms established by the First Amendment The constitutional amendment that protects freedom of worship, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government for change. — which protects freedom of worship, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government for change.

Among the most significant events King led: in 1963, he organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom A massive civil rights demonstration held in Washington, D.C., in 1963, at which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. , where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1965, King and fellow civil rights leaders including John Lewis A civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and helped organize the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to support voting rights. organized a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand voting rights for all U.S. citizens. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 shortly after that march.

King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated Murdered for political reasons. on April 4, 1968. There is a memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated to his memory.

Presidents’ Day — Third Monday in February

honors two of America’s most consequential presidents. George Washington — born on February 22 — was the first President of the United States and is known as the “Father of Our Country.” Abraham Lincoln — born on February 12 — was the 16th President and led the United States through the Civil War. Presidents’ Day falls on the third Monday in February because that date lands between the two birthdays.

Memorial Day — Last Monday in May

honors the men and women who gave their lives serving the United States. It was originally called Decoration Day — named for the practice of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags — and Americans began observing it widely in the period following the Civil War.

Today, Memorial Day is commemorated with a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery each year, during which a small American flag is placed on each grave. The American flag is also flown at half-staff on Memorial Day to honor those who died in service to the country.

Juneteenth — June 19

is a national holiday that recognizes and celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that enslaved people in most Southern states were free. However, slavery did not fully end in practice until the Civil War concluded in 1865. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people living in Galveston, Texas, became the last to receive the news that they were free — making June 19th the symbolic final day of American slavery.

Independence Day — July 4

, also called the Fourth of July, celebrates the birth of the United States as an independent nation. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence as a formal statement of freedom from the unfair treatment of Great Britain. The Declaration emphasized the importance of self-government and went on to inspire many other nations around the world to pursue their own independence.

Veterans Day — November 11

honors all men and women who have served in the U.S. military, whether living or deceased. The date — November 11 — is significant because that is when World War I ended in 1918.

The holiday was originally called Armistice Day The original name for Veterans Day, marking the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. It was officially recognized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. . President Woodrow Wilson — the 28th President and the President during World War I — officially recognized it in 1919, and it was observed around the world to honor those who fought to end what was then called the “Great War.” In 1954, U.S. veterans petitioned Congress to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, broadening the holiday to honor all military veterans. Congress passed the law making Veterans Day a national holiday on June 1, 1954.

Thanksgiving — Fourth Thursday in November

is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday has its roots in November 1621, when English colonists who were establishing a colony in Massachusetts gathered with the

, a local Native American tribe, for a fall harvest feast. Today, Americans mark the holiday by gathering with family and friends to share a meal and reflect on what they are grateful for.

Wrapping Up

The federal holidays of the United States are not simply days off — each is a chapter of American history condensed into a single day on the calendar. Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the fight for equality. Presidents’ Day remembers the leaders who shaped the nation at its founding and its most dangerous hour. Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor the sacrifice of military service. Juneteenth and Independence Day mark the moments when Americans declared or achieved freedom. And Thanksgiving connects the present to the very earliest years of the nation’s story. Knowing the dates and meanings of each is one of the final things to master before test day — and you are ready.