Easter Monday may soon join the list of official U.S. federal holidays if a new Republican-led legislative effort gains traction in Congress.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) are spearheading a bill to designate the day after Easter Sunday as a federal holiday, arguing it would both honor America’s religious heritage and provide a much-needed springtime break for workers and families.Should Easter Monday become a federal holiday? *
In a thread posted to X (formerly Twitter), Schmitt noted that Easter is celebrated by 81% of Americans, citing data from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
“This isn’t a radical idea,” Schmitt wrote. “It’s a federal recognition of a tradition that is central to Western civilization—a tradition already recognized as a public holiday in nations across (and beyond!) the West, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe.”
Unlike the United States, many countries across Europe and the Commonwealth observe Easter Monday as a public holiday, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. In some cultures, the day is marked by religious services, family outings, or rest after Easter Sunday observances.
Moore, like Schmitt, said the proposal would strengthen faith traditions in public life while also supporting workers and families with a well-timed spring reprieve.
Schmitt also emphasized that Easter, unlike Christmas, is a “floating holiday,” falling between March 22 and April 25 each year. That, he argued, makes Easter Monday a well-placed opportunity to fill what is currently the only two-month gap (April to May) in the federal holiday calendar.
“A three-day Easter weekend would not only be pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-faith, but also a stimulus for the economy,” Schmitt added, estimating that the existing $15 billion Easter holiday economy could grow by $2 billion with the extension.
While Christmas remains the only federally recognized religious holiday, Easter—widely celebrated as the most important day in the Christian calendar—has long been a fixture in American culture, combining spiritual observance with seasonal family traditions like egg hunts and festive meals.
Rep. Moore echoed the spiritual significance of the holiday, tweeting: “The passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. ‘Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.’”
Senate Bill 1426, introduced by Schmitt last Thursday, has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s unclear whether the Senate will advance the bill, but momentum is building among conservative lawmakers and faith-based advocates.
If passed, Easter Monday would become the 12th federal holiday in the United States. The most recent addition to the calendar was Juneteenth, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.
“It’s a small but meaningful step toward restoring faith and family at the center of American life,” said one congressional staffer familiar with the bill.
Whether the measure becomes law remains to be seen, but it’s already sparking renewed national conversation about how the country honors its religious and cultural traditions.
