May 8, 2026
If you don't remember Donald Trump's proclamation of a new U.S. holiday last year, you'd be forgiven. A lot has happened in the 12 months since he took to Truth Social (1) on the evening of May 5, 2025 to announce he was declaring not one but two national holidays, meant to commemorate the ends of World War I and World War II.
One of those, he announced, would fall on May 8. The other would be observed Nov. 11.
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The announcement was largely met with a collective "huh?" Nov. 11, after all, already was a national holiday: Veteran's Day. The other holiday would be just three days later. Did that mean people wouldn't have to go to work? For that matter, some wondered, does Trump have the authority to simply declare national holidays?
Now, as the May 8 holiday occurs for the second year, here's what you need to know about what's open, what's closed, and what this all means for Americans.
Are banks open on May 8?
Yep! But we understand the confusion. Banks are normally closed on national holidays, but not this one. As part of his social media post/proclamation, Trump said "we will not be closing the Country" for these new holidays, because "we already have too many Holidays in America. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!" As a result, you'll be able to access your safe deposit box and conduct business as usual (2).
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Will there be any mail delivery on May 8?
There will. The U.S. Postal Service, as well as FedEx and UPS, will operate normally. All post offices and drop off locations will keep their normal hours (3).
Is the stock market open on May 8?
Trade away! All major markets will open and close at their usual times (4).
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Are government offices open on May 8?
Both federal offices and state offices will be open (5) for business. No states opted to put a bill before their legislators to propose closing for the new holiday.
Which retail and grocery stores are closed on May 8?
None. Zero. Zip. And typically, when retailers stay open during a holiday, they find a reason to whip up a sale around it. Given the timing, though, they'll likely remain focused on Mother's Day deals instead.
Does Trump even have the ability to declare a national holiday?
Technically, he does, but then again, so do you (6). Declaring a national holiday is simple. It's making it a federal holiday that's tricky.
There are, of course, some absolutely wild 'holidays' already on the calendar. May 8 (7), in addition to being a Trump-declared holiday, is also "National Give Someone a Cupcake Day" and "No Socks Day." Aug. 8 (8) is "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day." And, if you'd like to keep the party going on May 9, you can celebrate "Hurrah For Buttons Day" or "Lost Sock Memorial Day."
When it comes to federal holidays, though, only Congress can designate those (9). There are currently 12 federal holidays on the books in the U.S. The next one where you're likely to get a day off is Memorial Day, which takes place on May 25 in 2026.
Article Sources
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Truth Social (1); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (2); U.S. Postal Service (3); New York Stock Exchange (4); U.S. Office of Personnel Management (5); National Day Archives (6); Holidays and Observances (7); Old Farmer's Almanac (8); U.S. Congress (9)
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
