Are banks, stock markets open on New Year's day? Is January 1 a federal holiday?

New Year's eve day 2025 is here and Americans are celebrating December 31 as they seek to welcome 2026 on January 1. Many on social media are asking "are banks open or closed on New Year's Day", and "is new year's day a federal holiday".

To answer all the queries, let's look at the questions one by one. "Is New Year's Day a federal holiday?" New Year's Day is a designated federal holiday. On January 1, non-essential offices will be closed. Schools will remain closed.

"Are banks open or closed on New Year's Day?" Banks on New Year's Day on January 1 will remain closed. Since this is a federal holiday, stock market indexes -- S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones -- will remain closed.


Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain.

South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks strike midnight in Auckland, a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball drops in New York’s Times Square.

The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-meter (787-foot) Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday due to forecasts of rain and possible thunderstorms.

Australia’s east coast welcomes 2026 two hours after New Zealand, but in Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations will be held under the pall of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

In Indonesia, one of Australia’s nearest neighbors, cities scaled back New Year's Eve festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, will not ring in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing instead subdued celebrations with a calm and reflective program centered on prayers for victims, city Governor Pramono Anung said last week.

FAQs

Q1. When is New Year's eve?

A1. New Year's eve is on December 31.

Q2. When is New Year's Day?

A2. New Year's Day is on January 1.