A sticky note shows the year 2026, and a sticky note shows the year 2025 crossed out, symbolizing the transition to a new year in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 24, 2025.
Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Spring has returned to Central Texas, even if an unusually warm February has transitioned into a breezy mid-March cold front. Now that winter is wrapping up, it’s time to update your calendars with upcoming key dates.
Here’s a rundown of government holidays, religious holidays, seasonal events and historic dates to track through the remainder of 2026.
Article continues below this ad
When is St. Patrick’s Day 2026?
Originating as a religious holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17.
When is the first day of spring 2026?
The first day of spring, also called the spring equinox or the March equinox, is Friday, March 20.
Article continues below this ad
When is Palm Sunday 2026?
Don Prince, chief operating officer at St. John Neumann, streamed the Palm Sunday Mass, which was celebrated by the Very Rev. Bud Roland, in the church’s chapel.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The Christian holiday Palm Sunday, part of the Lenten season, is Sunday, March 29.
Article continues below this ad
When is Maundy Thursday 2026?
The Christian holiday Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is Thursday, April 2. It marks the last day of the Lenten season.
When is Good Friday 2026?
The Christian holiday Good Friday is Friday, April 3. It’s the Friday before Easter Sunday.
Article continues below this ad
When is Holy Saturday 2026?
The Christian holiday Holy Saturday is Saturday, April 4. It’s the day before Easter Sunday.
When is Easter Sunday 2026?
Plastic Easter Eggs were placed on the field at 1849 Park in Pflugerville for Egg Palooza on Saturday.
Megumi Rooze/Special to American-Statesman
Article continues below this ad
The Christian holiday Easter Sunday, also called Resurrection Sunday, is Sunday, April 5. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion, and is widely considered the most holy day in Christianity.
When is Tax Day 2026?
Tax Day, or the last day to file a standard federal tax return, is Wednesday, April 15.
When is San Jacinto Day 2026?
San Jacinto Day is April 21, commemorating the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto. This was the final battle in the Texas Revolution that secured the state’s independence.
Article continues below this ad
When is Cinco de Mayo 2026?
Gwendolyn DeMore performs with the ¡Viva Tejana! Dance Company at the Fiesta Austin Cinco De Mayo Celebration at Fiesta Gardens, May 7, 2022. The celebration of the holiday is dedicated to preserving Hispanic culture in East Austin, and included food, dancing, music and games.
Sara Diggins/American-Statesman
The Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo is Tuesday, May 5. It commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over French forces at the 1862 Battle of Puebla.
Article continues below this ad
When is National Teacher Appreciation Day 2026?
National Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 5. It falls within National Teacher Appreciation Week, which is Monday, May 4 through Friday, May 8.
When is Mother’s Day 2026?
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. It’s always observed on the second Sunday in May.
Article continues below this ad
When is Memorial Day 2026?
People walk across the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge during the Carry the Load march from Zilker Park to the Capitol Tuesday May 20, 2025. Participants walked three miles to honor fallen military service members and first responders. Carry The Load is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman
Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. It’s always celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Article continues below this ad
When is Flag Day 2026? When is Trump’s birthday?
Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday are on the same day: Sunday, June 14. On the date in 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the first official U.S. flag.
When is Juneteenth 2026?
Morris Walker walks Rosewood avenue carrying a pan-African flag during the Central Texas Juneteenth Park Festival at Rosewood Neighborhood Park on Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez / American Statesman
Article continues below this ad
Juneteenth National Independence Day, a holiday celebrating the effective end of slavery in the U.S., is Friday, June 19. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued on Jan. 1, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that it was enforced in Texas. Specifically, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to declare liberation. This is commonly recognized as the last group of enslaved people in the country to be freed.
When is Father’s Day 2026?
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21. It’s always celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
When is the first day of summer 2026?
The first day of summer, also known as the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, is Sunday, June 21.
Article continues below this ad
When is Independence Day 2026?
The Typhoon Texas waterpark and the city of Pflugerville celebrated Independence Day with Red, White and Boom, capped off with fireworks on July 4.
Henry Huey/Special to Pflugerville Pflag
Independence Day, commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, in Saturday, July 4. It commemorates the day in 1776 on which the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Article continues below this ad
When is Labor Day 2026?
Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 7. It’s always celebrated on the first Monday of September, the last day of a three-day holiday weekend. First celebrated in 1882 before becoming an official federal holiday in 1894, it honors the social and economic achievements of American workers spanning back to the Industrial Revolution.
When is Patriot Day 2026?
People attend a memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Article continues below this ad
Patriot Day, also known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, is Friday, Sept. 11. The observance, signed into law in December 2001, honors and remembers the 2,977 people who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93. It also recognizes the heroism of first responders and others who contributed to the response and recovery efforts.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?
Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 13. The start of the Jewish High Holy Days, it marks the birthday of the universe. The holiday is traditionally observed on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, so dates on a Gregorian calendar differ slightly each year.
When is Yom Kippur 2026?
The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, also called the Day of Atonement, is Monday, Sept. 21. It concludes the 10-day “Days of Awe” and is considered the holiest and most solemn day in Judaism. The 25-hour period involves fasting, prayer and repentance.
Article continues below this ad
When is the first day of fall 2026?
Leaves begin to show signs of changing color at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas on Nov. 6, 2022.
Site Code: AAS
Status: None
Aaron Martinez
The first day of fall, also known as the autumnal equinox, is Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Article continues below this ad
When is Columbus Day 2026? When is Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2026?
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, also called Columbus Day, is Monday, Oct. 12. Columbus Day is always observed on the second Monday in October. Unlike some states with an overlapping holiday celebrating Native Americans, Texas doesn’t officially observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day and doesn’t include it as a paid holiday.
In 2017, the Austin City Council voted in favor of renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
When is Halloween 2026?
Halloween decorations in the Round Rock West neighborhood, October 27th, 2025.
Henry Huey @HenryHueyPhoto/Special to American-Statesman
Article continues below this ad
Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Its origins trace back two millennia, to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which later morphed into All Hallow’s Eve in the Roman Catholic Church. Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter and was a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth. To ward off such spirits, people lit bonfires and dressed in costumes on the night of Oct. 31.
When is All Saints’ Day 2026?
All Saints’ Day is Sunday, Nov. 1. As Halloween adopted a mix of pagan and Christian traditions, Pope Gregory III declared the next day “All Hallows’ Day.”
When does daylight savings time end 2026?
Alex Hernandez, Assistant Manager of Tourneau watch store in the Galleria resets one of the approximately 1000 watches that they have in the store because of daylight saving time. According to Hernandez, all of the store employees help with the time change which takes several days.
Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle
Article continues below this ad
Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 1. Clocks will “fall back” one hour.
When is Election Day 2026?
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The 2026 midterm elections will decide the makeup of the U.S. Congress, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
When is Veterans Day 2026?
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. Originally called “Armistice Day,” it was first celebrated in 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1938, it became a federal holiday to honor WWI veterans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed its name to “Veterans Day” in 1954, after which the holiday was used to honor all veterans.
Article continues below this ad
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Volunteer Shirley Bilanski waves and cheers as attendees arrive at the annual HEB Feast of Sharing, held at the Palmer Events Center, Nov. 25, 2025. Every year, HEB and their partners provide free holiday meals around Texas and Mexico, serving over 340,000 plates at 34 locations. The events are free and open to anyone. They feature free meals as well as crafts, dancing and community connection opportunities.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, Nov. 26. After centuries of variation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed in 1941 that the holiday would be observed on the last Thursday of November. While most attribute its origin to a 1621 feast between Pilgrims and indigenous peoples in present-day Massachusetts, Spanish explorers held a similar celebration in 1541 in present-day Texas.
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday, which always immediately follows Thanksgiving, is Friday, Nov. 27. Now the biggest shopping day of the year, the tradition began in the 1980s and encourages consumers to buy holiday gifts at discounts.
Article continues below this ad
When does Advent 2026 start?
The Christian holiday of Advent begins on Sunday, Nov. 29. The period, which spans four weeks leading up to Christmas, is reserved for prayer, reflection and preparation with themes like hope, peace, joy and love.
When is Cyber Monday 2026?
Rawlings Nwanna packs a trailer full of items to be shipped from the Amazon HOU6 Fulfillment Center on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 in Richmond. Employees pick, pack and ship customer orders in Amazon’s HOU6 3.7 million-square-foot Fulfillment Center.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Article continues below this ad
Cyber Monday, which comes after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, is Monday, Nov. 30. Beginning in 2005, the National Retail Federation (NRF) used the term to indicate the online shopping surge that began the Monday after Thanksgiving. Many people in those days only had access to a computer and the internet at their workplace, so they would browse online-only retailers upon returning to the office after the holiday.
The growing popularity of online shopping has encouraged retailers to promote Cyber Week, which this year is Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4.
When is Giving Tuesday 2026?
Giving Tuesday, which is always immediately after Cyber Monday, is Tuesday, Dec. 1. This tradition began in 2012, from a collaboration between New York City nonprofit center 92nd Street Y and the public charity United Nations Foundation to encourage people to give back. What started as a hashtag — #GivingTuesday — has since grown into a global movement.
Article continues below this ad
When is Pearl Harbor Day 2026?
United States Army Veteran Grover Tytten, center left, waves to onlooking travelers as seven World War II veterans are celebrated with a procession through the terminal and an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. for Pearl Harbor Day commemorations, Dec 6, 2025 at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The veterans, ages 98 to 104 years old, will visit The White House and attend a ceremony at the World War II Memorial.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is Monday, Dec. 7. On this day in 1941, a total of 2,403 Americans were killed in a Japanese surprise attack that targeted the major U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. The country adopted the observance in 1994 as a way to honor those who died.
When is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 2026?
The Christian holiday, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is Saturday, Dec. 12. It honors the day in 1531 when the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego in present-day Mexico City, which inspired the mass conversion of indigenous people to Catholicism. Today, the feast celebrates the cultural-religious identity of Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
Article continues below this ad
When is the first day of winter 2026?
The first day of winter, also known as the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year, is Monday, Dec. 21.
When is Christmas Eve 2026?
Christmas Eve, or the day before Christmas, is Thursday, Dec. 24.
Article continues below this ad
When is Christmas 2026?
Rachael Dahlman, a tuba player that performs with Blowcomotion, left, and Michale Sneed, a tuba player that performs with La Murga de Austin, right, perform during the TubaChristmas Austin concert on the south steps of the Texas Capitol on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. TubaChristmas has been held in Austin since 1975. Tuba, euphonium, and baritone players of all ages gather at the Texas Capitol and perform Christmas carols.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Christmas Day is Friday, Dec. 25. The religious-turned-mainstream holiday originated from celebrations of Jesus Christ’s birth. While the actual birth date is uncertain, the fourth-century Roman Church established Dec. 25 as the holiday to align with its calendar’s winter solstice.
When is New Year’s Eve 2026?
NYE, or the day before New Year’s, is Thursday, Dec. 31.
Article continues below this ad
2026 federal holidays
Here are this year’s 11 federal holidays, as listed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
Thursday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
Monday, Jan. 19: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, Feb. 16: Washington’s Birthday
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day
Friday, June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
Friday, July 3:Independence Day (observed as paid holiday)
Monday, Sept. 7: Labor Day
Monday, Oct. 12: Columbus Day
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Thursday, Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day
Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day
Article continues below this ad