{"id":375148,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:02","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/new-mexico-law\/new-mexico-legal-holidays-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:50:16","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:50:16","slug":"new-mexico-legal-holidays-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/new-mexico-law\/new-mexico-legal-holidays-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico Legal Holidays Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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New Mexico Legal Holidays Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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Many of us have experienced that moment when we arrive at the post office or the local courthouse and are confused that it\u2019s closed. It\u2019s usually a holiday like Columbus Day that your employer doesn\u2019t give you off and isn\u2019t generally celebrated anymore. To prevent you from awkwardly standing outside a closed state building, take note of the legal holidays in your state.<\/p>\n

Columbus Day vs. American Indian Day<\/h2>\n

Because Columbus Day is at odds with modern American culture, some cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle, have changed the name of the holiday to Indigenous People\u2019s Day<\/a>. New Mexico recognizes American Indian Day on the first February of each year, separately from Columbus Day. American Indian Day recognizes the many contributions to of Native Americans to the economic and cultural heritage of the United States.
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New Mexico celebrates the state holidays listed in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n
Code Section<\/b><\/td>\nNew Mexico Statutes Section 12-5-2: Legal Holidays, Designation<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>
Legal Holidays<\/b><\/td>\nNew Mexico celebrates the following state holidays:
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Delayed Holidays<\/b><\/td>\nWhenever a legal public holiday falls on a Sunday<\/a>, the following Monday is when that legal holiday will be celebrated.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Other Recognition Days<\/b><\/td>\nNew Mexico celebrates Arbor Day<\/a> on the second Friday of March, which is different from the national Arbor Day<\/a> is the last Friday in April. This may be due to when the best time for tree planting is in New Mexico.
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\nOther holidays in the statutes, though probably not remembered or celebrated by many New Mexico residents, include Ernie Pyle Day<\/a> on August 3rd, Hemophilia Awareness Day<\/a> on the second Monday in June, and Hispanic Culture Day<\/a> on the second Tuesday of February in odd-numbered years. Ernie Pyle Day recognizes the writer and war correspondent<\/a> and all World War II armed forces members are honored.<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n

Holiday Pay<\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, not all jobs can take a holiday off, like ER nurses or city bus drivers. Illnesses and accidents don\u2019t know when it\u2019s a holiday. While it\u2019s possible your employer provides you extra pay as an incentive to work on a holiday, even if you have to work it anyway as the newest hire. Sadly, unless you have an employment agreement or union contract that says something different, you aren\u2019t legally entitled to extra pay or overtime if you\u2019re required to work on a holiday in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> State laws, including New Mexico law, change regularly, so please contact a lawyer or conduct your own legal research to verify these laws.<\/i><\/p>\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\n