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Bridge Days: Double Your Vacation Days in 2025
Don’t let your precious vacation days go to waste! With strategic planning, you can turn a few days off into extended breaks, thanks to public holidays and “bridge days” (workdays between a holiday and a weekend). Here’s how to make the most of your time off in 2025 with more long weekends for trips.
When are the Bridge Days 2025?
Top 3 Ways to Extend Your Vacation 2025
Add a day off before or after a holiday: For example, you could take the Thursday before or Monday after the Fourth of July weekend.
Take advantage of holidays that fall on a Monday: For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day often falls on a Monday.
Pair school and office closures with personal leave days: You can use your vacation days to extend three-day weekends into longer trips.
By leveraging these opportunities, you can significantly extend your breaks and enjoy more time for travel, relaxation, or personal projects without exceeding your annual PTO or vacation allowance.
Overview of Public Holidays 2025
Public Holidays in America
New Year’s Day – January 1, 2025 (Wednesday)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 20, 2025 (Monday)
Presidents’ Day – February 17, 2025 (Monday)
Memorial Day – May 26, 2025 (Monday)
Independence Day – July 4, 2025 (Friday)
Labor Day – September 1, 2025 (Monday)
Columbus Day – October 13, 2025 (Monday)
Veterans Day – November 11, 2025 (Tuesday)
Thanksgiving Day – November 27, 2025 (Thursday)
Christmas Day – December 25, 2025 (Thursday)
State Holidays 2025
In addition to federal holidays, there are also local holidays that vary depending on the state. Depending on where you live or work, you have the opportunity to benefit from long weekends and use your vacation days even more effectively! We have an overview for you:
State-Specific Holidays:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Observed by most states, but not all) – January 20, 2025
Cesar Chavez Day – March 31, 2025
Presidents’ Day (Alternative Observance) – February 17, 2025
Patriots’ Day – April 21, 2025
Emancipation Day – April 16, 2025
Juneteenth National Independence Day – June 19, 2025
Indigenous Peoples’ Day – October 13, 2025
How Do I Best Use My Bridge Days?
Now that you know when the holidays fall in 2025, you’re probably starting to think about the best way to plan your vacation and make the most of your days off. The key is using bridge days (public holidays) to extend weekends or create long breaks while using fewer vacation days. Here’s how you can make the most of your vacation days:
1. Maximize Your Time Off with Strategic Planning
If you work Monday to Friday, you can use vacation days to create an extended vacation by planning around the holidays. This is the perfect way to double your time off without using up too many vacation days.
For example:
Take a bridge day between a public holiday and a weekend (Friday or Monday), and you’ve created an extended weekend.
Combine bridge days around longer holidays like Christmas or Easter, and you can enjoy multiple weeks off by taking just a few vacation days.
2. Key Bridge Day Opportunities
Here are some of the best ways to leverage your bridge days to maximize your time off:
Easter (April 2025)
Public holidays: Good Friday (April 18) and Easter Monday (April 21)
Bridge day: Take off April 14-17 (4 vacation days)
Christmas and New Year’s (Dec 2025)
Public holidays: Christmas Day (Dec 25), Boxing Day (Dec 26), and New Year’s Day (Jan 1, 2026)
Bridge day: Take off December 20-24 and December 29-31 (7 vacation days)
3. Use Long Weekends
Take advantage of holidays that fall on Thursdays or Mondays, as these naturally create long weekends. For instance, Labor Day (September 1) and Veterans Day (November 11) fall on Mondays in 2025. If you plan your vacation around these weekends, you can enjoy longer breaks.
4. Plan Extended Vacations
If you have more vacation days to use or need a longer break, combining multiple bridge days with public holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, can provide you with several weeks off using personal time off.
5. Maximize Your Rest Time
By carefully selecting bridge days around holidays like Labor Day (September) or Memorial Day (May), you can enjoy shorter getaways throughout the year. You’ll have the opportunity to explore new destinations, unwind at home, or catch up on personal projects.
Still Have Questions? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Bridge Days
What is a Bridge Day?
A bridge day is a regular workday that falls between a public holiday and a non-working day, such as a weekend. These days offer the perfect opportunity to extend a long weekend or make a mini-vacation out of a public holiday.
Some of the most common bridge days include:
The days before and after Easter Sunday
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day
The first Monday in September for Labor Day
The days between Christmas and New Year’s
The last Monday in May for Memorial Day
Many people prefer to use bridge days to plan vacations, turning them into longer getaways or using the time to relax. As bridge days are often combined with vacation days, these days tend to see higher traffic levels on the roads and in airports, as many people take advantage of this time to travel.
When is a Bridge Day a Vacation Day?
Many employees take advantage of bridge days to extend their time off from work. However, a bridge day is not a regular holiday or vacation day; it must be officially requested as a vacation day. If you have limited vacation days, some companies offer the option to compensate for bridge days by taking time off for overtime.
Who Sets Bridge Days?
Bridge days are not officially designated — they are simply the workdays between a public holiday and a day off (like a weekend). Employers can choose to use bridge days as compensatory time off for overtime, and employees can take these days off accordingly. Companies may also declare business holidays during these times, closing parts of or the entire workplace. Schools can use bridge days as part of their movable holiday schedule, which is determined by each state.
Which States Have the Most Opportunities for Bridge Days?
1. California
California has a variety of public holidays that fall on weekdays, such as Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September). You can bridge these holidays with weekends for extended time off. California also recognizes holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, and Veterans Day, which can align well to give you a long weekend.
2. Texas
Texas celebrates holidays like Juneteenth (June 19) and Mardi Gras (in certain regions), along with widely observed ones, such as Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. Texas offers m
3. New York
New York offers holidays such as Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, as well as region-specific holidays like Washington’s Birthday. These can be used as bridge days to extend weekends.
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