When is New Years? New Year's Eve and New Year's Day 2026–2028

The short answer: new year's eve is Thursday, December 31, 2026, and New Year's Day is Friday, January 1, 2027.

• The countdown to 2027 happens at midnight between them
• New Year's Day 2028 is Saturday, January 1
• Its federal holiday is observed Friday, December 31, 2027
• What's open and closed on New Year's
• Next step: Get the free New Year's planner (we email it to you); want more? The Annual Budget Spreadsheet is $6.99.

When is New Years? New Year's Eve is Thursday, December 31, 2026, and New Year's Day is Friday, January 1, 2027. The countdown to 2027 happens at midnight between them. Below you'll find the dates for the next few years, what's open and closed, and a free New Year's planner for your party, your goals and your budget. For traditions, the ball drop and things to do that night, see our New Year's Eve ideas.

New Year's dates at a glance

The 2027 holiday comes from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday schedule, which lists New Year's Day as Friday, January 1, 2027. Its 2028 schedule lists Friday, December 31, 2027 as the New Year's Day holiday, because January 1, 2028 falls on a Saturday.

Why New Year's Day 2028 is observed in 2027

OPM explains the rule: if a holiday falls on a Saturday, for most federal employees, the preceding Friday is treated as the holiday for pay and leave purposes. If it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is the holiday.

That means the federal New Year's holiday for 2028 is actually Friday, December 31, 2027, which is also New Year's Eve. It's an unusual year: many government workers get New Year's Eve off, and the holiday counts toward 2028's schedule even though it falls in 2027.

Banks on New Year's

The Federal Reserve Board's list of holidays observed shows New Year's Day on January 1 every year from 2026 through 2030. Most banks follow the Fed's schedule.

• New Year's Day 2027 (Friday, January 1): Federal Reserve offices are closed. Transfers and direct deposits scheduled for that day usually process on the next business day, Monday, January 4.
• New Year's Day 2028 (Saturday, January 1): the Fed's rule for Saturday holidays applies. Its footnote says the Federal Reserve Banks are open on Friday, December 31, 2027, but the Board of Governors is closed.

Your own bank sets its branch hours, so check with it before New Year's Eve. If a bill is due around January 1, pay it a few days early so a holiday doesn't delay it.

Looking ahead: New Year's Eve 2027

New Year's Eve 2027 falls on Friday, December 31, 2027, which is also the observed federal holiday for New Year's Day 2028. That makes for a long weekend at the end of 2027: Friday, December 31 through Sunday, January 2, 2028, for many federal workers and anyone whose employer follows the federal schedule.

The Fed's list also shows a busy December 2027. Christmas falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027, so the Federal Reserve Banks are open on Friday, December 24, while the Board of Governors is closed. The same happens a week later on December 31. If you pay bills or move money around the holidays that year, plan early.

Is New Year's Eve a holiday?

New Year's Eve is a big celebration, but it isn't a federal holiday. Offices, schools and banks usually keep normal hours on December 31, though many close early and some employers give the afternoon off. In years when New Year's Day falls on a Saturday, like 2028, the federal holiday moves to New Year's Eve itself. If you're hosting, start with these New Year's Eve party ideas.

What time does the new year start?

The new year begins at midnight, 12:00 a.m. on January 1, in each time zone. That means it arrives at different times around the world, and many countries ring it in hours before the U.S. does. Within the U.S., the East Coast celebrates first and Hawaii last.

That's useful for families: if kids can't stay up until midnight, you can celebrate along with an earlier time zone, or just pick an "early midnight" at 8 or 9 p.m.

Plan New Year's Eve

The free planner's first two pages help you plan the night:

1. Choose where and who. Home, a friend's place or an event.
2. Pick a start time, and a kids' countdown time if you need one.
3. Plan food and drinks, and who brings what.
4. Make a countdown schedule: games, dinner, a movie, the toast.
5. Plan rides home. Decide who's driving before the party starts.

For ideas, see our guide to a family New Year's Eve at home. Planning the next day too? Our New Year's Day meal guide covers traditional foods and an easy menu.

How many days until New Years?

As of Tuesday, October 27, 2026, there are 66 days until New Year's Day 2027. A few other milestones:

The week between Christmas and New Year's goes fast. If you're hosting both, plan the New Year's Eve menu and shopping before Christmas so you aren't heading to the store on December 31. Our holiday countdown planner counts down to the big days and breaks the season into weekly tasks.

Working on New Year's Day

Some people work on New Year's Day: nurses, police, retail, restaurant and hotel staff, and many others. Whether you get extra pay depends on your employer and your job, since private employers set their own holiday pay rules. Our holiday pay guide explains how it usually works and what to ask your employer. If you're a federal employee, OPM's schedule sets your holiday: Friday, January 1, 2027, and then Friday, December 31, 2027 for the 2028 New Year's Day.

Make the long weekend count

New Year's Day 2027 on a Friday gives many families a three-day weekend, January 1 through January 3. A simple plan:

• Friday: sleep in, a big brunch, and a walk or a movie. Fill in the year in review page together.
• Saturday: take down holiday decorations, and box them by room so next year is easier.
• Sunday: plan the week ahead, set the January budget and get school bags ready for Monday.

Look back, then look ahead

The planner's "my year in review" page asks for the best moment of the year, something you learned, something you're proud of, a hard thing you got through and someone you want to thank. Fill it in on New Year's Eve, or make it a family conversation at dinner.

Then the goals page asks for three goals, why each one matters, a first step and a date. Small first steps are easier to start than big resolutions. Our New Year's resolutions page has ideas by category, from health to money to home.

Reset your budget for the new year

January is a natural time to reset your money. The planner's money reset checklist walks you through:

• Listing every bill and its due date.
• Checking last year's spending by category.
• Setting a monthly budget.
• Picking a savings goal.
• Reviewing subscriptions.
• Putting next year's big expenses on a calendar.

The Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99) gives you a yearly overview with monthly budget tabs. Prefer paper? The Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) has twelve undated pages for your budget, bills, spending, savings and debt. And the Sinking Funds Tracker ($4.99) helps you save ahead for the year's big costs, like car registration, holidays and back-to-school. Our how to make a budget for the new year guide walks through the steps.

Simple New Year's traditions for families

You don't need a big party to make the night special. A few easy ideas families enjoy:

• A time capsule. Everyone writes a note or adds a small item, and you open it next New Year's Eve.
• A memory jar. Read last year's notes aloud, then start a new jar for the year ahead.
• A photo look-back. Scroll through the year's photos and pick a favorite from each month.
• A family goal. Choose one thing to do together, like a trip, a new recipe each month or a weekly game night.

Curious about the luck customs, like eating 12 grapes at midnight? See our guide to New Year's superstitions.

• A New Year's Day walk to start the year outside.

Put the year's dates on a calendar

Once the new year arrives, put the year's holidays and big dates on one calendar. Our 2027 calendar lists the federal holidays, and our holiday calendar covers the season. The Household Binder ($6.99) has a monthly calendar, weekly planner and Birthdays & Important Dates page to keep your family's year organized.

Other holidays around New Year's

New Year's comes right after the Christmas holidays. For 2026, Christmas is Friday, December 25. Keep track of the days in between with our holiday countdown planner. The next federal holiday after New Year's Day 2027 is the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 18, according to OPM.

Not every new year starts on January 1. Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, the start of the Year of the Goat.