President George W. Bush has excused federal employees from reporting to work on Friday, December 26.

Via an executive order, Bush said that all executive branch departments and agencies of the federal government will be closed on the day after Christmas. However, the heads of the departments and agencies may determine that certain employees must report for duty on December 26, 2008, for reasons of national security or defense or other public need.

Bush also gave federal employees a holiday on December 26, 2003, when Christmas fell on a Thursday as well. In 2001, President Bush gave federal employees a day off on December 24 because Christmas fell on a Tuesday.