Christmas 2025 Countdown Shakeup: How an Executive Order Added Surprise Days off to the Holiday
By Alexander Ross
Q1: Why did the president issue an executive order for Christmas Eve and December 26 instead of Congress?
A1: Statutory federal holidays require an act of Congress signed into law under Title 5 of the United States Code. Presidents hold the unilateral authority through executive order to grant administrative leave to executive branch civilian personnel, effectively creating excused paid closures without amending federal statutory law.
Q2: Did commercial banks have to close on December 26 because of the executive order?
A2: No. The executive order applied strictly to federal executive branch agencies. Private banks, regional credit unions, and Federal Reserve payment clearing networks follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule. Commercial banks remained open for standard business on Friday, December 26.
Q3: How did the surprise five-day break affect federal workers who had already booked PTO?
A3: When an executive order designates a regular workday as an excused absence with pay, human resources departments across federal agencies automatically restore pre-scheduled annual leave hours back to the employees' PTO balances.
Q4: Did the United States Postal Service deliver packages during the executive closure days?
A4: While retail post office service counters were closed on Christmas Eve and December 26, the Postal Service continued internal processing and delivered Priority Mail Express packages to prevent peak holiday distribution gridlock.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
