Easter Monday Holiday Proposal Gains Support in Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a bid to establish a federal holiday, Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Representative Riley Moore, R-W.Va., have introduced legislation to designate the day after Easter Sunday as a national holiday. With increasing interest in Easter celebrations, this proposal is gaining traction in a landscape where several countries already recognize Easter Monday as a public holiday.

Recent polling data from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics reveals that 81% of Americans celebrated Easter in 2023. Schmitt argues that recognizing Easter Monday is not just a cultural acknowledgment but a legislative move that aligns the U.S. with many nations across the globe, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several Western European countries.

“This isn’t a radical idea. It’s a federal recognition of a tradition that is central to Western civilization,” Schmitt said in a post on X. He outlined the economic benefits of the holiday, stating that the Easter weekend generates around $15 billion for the U.S. economy, and a three-day weekend could boost that by an estimated 10-15%, amounting to an additional $2 billion in economic activity.

Currently, the U.S. federal holiday calendar includes 11 public holidays, with the gap between April and May being the only two-month period without a federal holiday. Schmitt highlighted that making Easter Monday a holiday could provide families with a much-needed three-day weekend.

“Easter is a floating holiday; it can fall between March 22 and April 25,” Schmitt noted, emphasizing that introducing this holiday is “Pro-worker. Pro-family. Pro-faith.” He believes it would provide stability for families, allowing them to spend more time together.

The most recent public holiday added to the federal calendar was Juneteenth, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States and was signed into law in 2021. Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Sunday following Good Friday, is often viewed in the U.S. as both a religious and spring celebration, complete with traditions like egg hunts.

Representative Moore echoed Schmitt’s sentiments, tweeting, “The passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. ‘Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.’” Moore further expressed excitement about Schmitt’s introduction of the legislation, noting its referral to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In unrelated legislative news, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 14, aimed at creating a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the governor’s office to streamline state regulations. This bill, inspired by similar initiatives at the federal level, seeks to eliminate unnecessary rules while promoting more cost-effective regulations.

The bill has successfully passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature and is now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott‘s signature. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick stated that this initiative will help reduce taxpayer burdens and stimulate economic growth in Texas.

As discussions on these legislative proposals continue, it is clear that lawmakers are actively seeking solutions that align with both cultural practices and economic efficiency.