WASHINGTON DC (Kashmir English): Many people’s perception of the Third Monday of January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day), a day dedicated to celebrating the life and memory of the American civil rights hero.
The Trump administration is also making changes to one of the two federal holidays this year. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in the end.
Is MLK Day a Federal Holiday?
Every year, the holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January, and according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, “It is the only federal holiday that is specifically designated and promoted as a day of service to the nation; that is the reason all Americans are encouraged to volunteer and thus improve their communities.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of the federally recognized holidays. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on November 2, 1983, and the first nationwide observance took place in 1986.
However, it took states across the country a longer time to comply with and adopt the holiday, including the battles that took place in Arizona, South Carolina, and other places, as reported by the National Constitution Center.
Texas officially accepted MLK Day in 1991, and it wasn’t until 2000 that the other 49 states did the same. Nowadays, it continues to be the only federal holiday that is recognized as a national day of service; hence, all Americans are encouraged to volunteer and help their communities.
In November 2025, the Department of the Interior publicized changes in the access of people to National Parks, which covers Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well.
In earlier years, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management have set aside some federal holidays and commemorative days as “fee-free days.” During these days, entrance fees to access federal lands such as National Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Refuges are waived.
