US Virgin Islands Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for US Virgin Islands and start planning to make the most of your time off.
The U.S. Virgin Islands celebrate 13 national holidays. The government of the Virgin Islands celebrates an additional five public holidays where government offices and banks are closed. Several of the public holidays are the same as the United States, and many are based on the Christian faith. Some of the Christian based holidays will change in date each year because they are calculated based on the lunar cycle.
All public holidays in the U.S. Virgin Islands are paid holidays. Employees in the private sector who are required to work on a public holiday are given the option for a paid day off in lieu of the holiday or to work at a premium pay rate on the holiday. Most of the employers within the islands offer a premium pay rate instead of days off in lieu for holidays.
The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands retains the authority to create or eliminate public holidays. The government has the authority to create one-time holidays for special events or national emergencies. In recent years two of the national holidays have been eliminated as paid holidays. However, island residents still celebrate these two events each year.
Additionally there are two holidays, Hurricane Prayer Day and Hurricane Thanksgiving, that are no longer paid holidays on the islands but are still celebrated by the residents. Each of these holidays are deeply rooted in the cultural beliefs of the islanders and are celebrated on each island in the country.