Hawaiian Holidays Calendar 2026 — Every Local Holiday + State Holiday

Hawaii observes all the federal holidays plus several state-specific ones you won't find anywhere else in the country. Some shut down government offices but don't affect most businesses. Some trigger huge public celebrations. A few are intensely meaningful to locals and quietly observed. If you're moving to Hawaii, visiting, planning an event, or running a business that wants to be culturally aware, here's the full 2026 calendar. ## Federal holidays observed in Hawaii (2026) These all close federal offices, banks, post offices, and most schools. Stores stay open with maybe shortened hours. - **New Year's Day** — Thursday, January 1 - **Martin Luther King Jr. Day** — Monday, January 19 - **Presidents' Day** — Monday, February 16 - **Memorial Day** — Monday, May 25 → [What to do this Memorial Day →](/memorial-day) - **Juneteenth** — Friday, June 19 - **Independence Day (July 4)** — Saturday, July 4 → [Where to watch July 4 fireworks →](/holiday/july-4) - **Labor Day** — Monday, September 7 - **Veterans Day** — Wednesday, November 11 - **Thanksgiving Day** — Thursday, November 26 - **Christmas Day** — Friday, December 25 → [Where to find Christmas events in Hawaii →](/holiday/christmas) ## State of Hawaii holidays (only observed here) These close state offices and schools, often with public celebrations. **This is where Hawaii's holiday calendar gets uniquely Hawaiian.** ### Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day — Thursday, March 26 The only U.S. holiday named after a member of a royal family. Kūhiō was a Hawaiian prince who later served as Hawaii's delegate to U.S. Congress (1903-1922) and founded the Hawaiian Homes Commission. State offices close. Look for parades and ceremonies on Kauai (his birthplace) and across the islands. ### Good Friday — Friday, April 3, 2026 A state holiday in Hawaii (one of only a handful of U.S. states that observe it). State offices and schools close. ### Lei Day — Friday, May 1 **The most distinctively Hawaiian holiday.** Started in 1928 by a Honolulu poet. Lei contests, free music at Kapiʻolani Park, hula performances. Schools host lei-making contests. Locals wear lei everywhere — at work, to the beach, to dinner. What to do: Kapiʻolani Park has the biggest celebration, free, all day. ### King Kamehameha Day — Thursday, June 11 Honors Kamehameha the Great, who unified the Hawaiian Islands. **Two huge public events:** - **Royal Court ceremony at the Kamehameha Statue** in downtown Honolulu — the statue is draped with massive lei. Free, open to the public. - **Floral Parade** through Waikīkī — pa'u riders (women on horseback in traditional skirts), marching bands, hula hālau, miles of decorated floats. Free. ### Statehood Day (Admissions Day) — Friday, August 21 Marks the day Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959. Quietly observed. State offices close. No big public events — many native Hawaiians view this date with mixed feelings, given the history. ### Election Day — Tuesday, November 3 (in election years) State holiday in even-numbered years (so 2026 is an election year and yes, holiday). ### Discoverers' Day — Monday, October 12 Hawaii's version of Columbus Day, observed on the second Monday of October. Hawaiian sentiment around this day has shifted — many businesses and schools now informally observe it as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead. ## Aloha Festivals — September (multi-week) Not technically a holiday but the **biggest cultural celebration of the year in Hawaii.** Runs across multiple weeks in September. - **Royal Court Investiture** — Iolani Palace (free, public) - **Floral Parade** — Waikīkī (free, public, the longest of the year) - **Hoʻolauleʻa** (block party) — Waikīkī Beach Walk [See current Aloha Festivals events →](/holiday/aloha-festivals) ## Lunar / cultural observances (not holidays, but locals notice) These aren't days off, but if you're paying attention to Hawaiian culture, here's what's actually happening when locals seem distracted: - **Makahiki** — Ancient Hawaiian four-month season of peace (~October to February). Some hālau and cultural orgs still observe it with games, ceremonies. - **Hoʻolauleʻa** — A general Hawaiian word for "festive gathering." Used for everything from Christmas concerts to neighborhood block parties. ## So what's actually open or closed when? | Type of holiday | What's open | What's closed | |---|---|---| | Federal holidays (Memorial Day, July 4, etc.) | Most stores, restaurants, beaches | Government offices, banks, schools, post offices | | State-only (Kūhiō, Lei, Kamehameha Days) | Federal offices, most banks, all retail, beaches, tours | State offices, public schools, some museums | | Statehood Day | Almost everything | State offices, schools | ## How to plan around Hawaii holidays as a visitor - **June 11 (Kamehameha Day)** — Don't try to drive through Waikīkī after 8am. The parade closes streets for hours. - **September (Aloha Festivals weekends)** — Same warning. Plan to walk or stay in town. - **May 1 (Lei Day)** — Best time of year to take a kid through Kapiʻolani Park. - **July 4** — Magic Island and the Hilton Lagoon are the two best free fireworks viewpoints. Get there by 7pm. ## See current Hawaiian holiday events Each major holiday has its own live page on AlohaCalendar with what's happening this year: - [Memorial Day →](/memorial-day) - [July 4 →](/holiday/july-4) - [Aloha Festivals →](/holiday/aloha-festivals) - [Christmas in Hawaii →](/holiday/christmas) - [New Year's Eve →](/holiday/nye) **[See all upcoming events across Hawaiian islands →](/events)**