Statehood Day (aka Admissions Day) is a state holiday always celebrated on the 3rd Friday in August. This holiday commemorates the day Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America. For a while, it was thought that Hawaii would become the 49th state before Alaska. Therefore, you can still find memorabilia calling Hawaii the 49th State.
In 2022, Statehood Day falls on Friday, August 19, 2022
On Friday, August 21, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawai‘i into the Union. More info: National Archives – Hawai’i. Also on this day, Daniel K. Inouye was certified as the new first voting member of the U.S. House of Representative from the State of Hawai’i, joining the 86th Congress. After serving in the House, Inouye represented Hawaii in the U.S. Senate for over 50 years.
Many kanaka maoli (native Hawaiians) mark August 21 with solemnity, reflecting on the United States colonization of the Independent Kingdom of Hawai’i in 1893, with the illegal overthrow of the monarchy and supplanting of the Hawaiian constitutional government by white settlers. Other than a day off for state employees, today there is little acknowledgement of the day.
Flag used since 1898 by the U.S. territory and then the state of Hawaiʻi -Depositphotos_4334497
What’s closed and open Statehood Day 2022
- Closed: All state government offices including satellite city halls and driver licensing, public libraries, and schools. Most banks are closed. Many service businesses are closed.
- Open: Federal post offices, retail stores, shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters, parks and botanical gardens, Honolulu zoo, and municipal golf courses. Rush-hour traffic lanes will NOT be coned.
- Perking: Most street parking is free, except for streets in Waikīkī. Metered lots are also NOT free.
Garbage collection:
- City & County of Honolulu garbage collection is normal on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (then it is one day later).
- Maui, Lanai, Molokai: follow the Maui County holiday schedule.
Public Transportation:
- Big Island: Hele-On Bus operates on a limited schedule on holidays.
- Kaui: Kauaʻi Bus operates daily, including most holidays.
- Maui: Maui Bus operates 7 days a week, including holidays.
- Oʻahu: TheBus will operate on the State Holiday schedule.
Listed below is a summary of closures for government, business, services, retailers, and public services on Federal and State holidays.
2022 Federal & State Holiday Dates
USA=Federal Holiday. More info: Federal Holidays (opm.gov)
HAW=Hawaiʻi State holiday. More info: Department of Human Resources Development | State Observed Holidays (hawaii.gov)
*When federal or state holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, they are observed on Friday or Monday.
**Columbus Day is still the federally recognized holiday though many states have adopted other names
- *USA: Saturday, January 1 (observed Friday, December 31): New Year’s Day (always January 1)
- USA: Monday, January 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
- USA: Monday, February 21: President’s Day aka Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday in February)
- *HAW: Saturday, March 26 (observed Friday, March 25): Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Day (always March 26)
- HAW: Friday, April 15: Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
- USA: Monday, May 30: Memorial Day (4th Monday in May)
- *HAW: Saturday, June 11 (observed Friday, June 10): King Kamehameha I Day (11th day of June)
- *USA: Sunday, June 19 (observed Monday, June 20): Juneteenth National Independence Day (always June 19)
- USA: Monday, July 4: Independence Day
- HAW: Friday, August 19: Statehood Day (3rd Friday in August)
- USA: Monday, September 5: Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- USA: Monday, October 11: **Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October), known as (Polynesian) Discoverers’ Day in Hawaiʻi thought not recognized as a state holiday
- USA: Friday, November 11: Veteran’s Day (always November 11)
- USA: Thursday, November 24: Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday)
- USA: Sunday, December 25: Christmas Day (observed Monday, December 26) (always December 25)
2022 Other Holidays & Special Events
The following are not government recognized holidays with paid time off and free parking, etc. Rather, they are some commonly observed celebrations with public events that may be listed on our calendar, such as festivals & special events, sales & discounts, food & drink deals, etc.
Dates in maroon are some of the recognized days in the State of Hawaiʻi, though are not state holidays. More info: CHAPTER 8 (hawaii.gov)
- Sunday, January 30: Civil Liberties and the Constitution Day (always January 30)
- February: Mahina `Ōlelo Hawai`i (`Ōlelo Hawai`i Month)
- Monday, February 14: Valentine’s Day (always Feb 14)
- Tuesday, March 1, Mardi Gras (variable date based on Easter)
- Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day (always March 17)
- Friday, March 18: Holi “Festival of colors” (variable date in February or March)
- Sunday, April 3: Ramadan begins (ends May 3 with Eid al-Fitr)
- Friday, April 15: Passover begins at sundown with a menorah lighting
- Sunday, April 17, Easter
- Monday, April 18: Federal Income Tax Day (April 15, unless adjusted)
- Sunday, May 1: Lei Day (always May 1)
- Thursday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo
- Sunday, May 8: Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)
- Wednesday, June 8: World Ocean Day (always June 8)
- Sunday, June 19: Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)
- Sunday, June 19 (observed Monday, June 20): Juneteenth National Independence Day (always June 19)
- Sunday, August 7, Seafair Sunday
- September 2: Queen Liliʻuokalani Day (always her birthday, September 2)
- September 25: Gold Star Family Day (last Sunday in September)
- Month of October: Kalo Appreciation Month
- Monday, October 11: (Polynesian) Discoverers’ Day
- Monday, October 31, Halloween
- Tuesday, November 1, Day of the Dead aka All Souls Day
- Friday, November 25: Black Friday aka Native American Heritage Day (day after Thanksgiving)
- Monday, December 19: Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sundown
- Saturday, December 31: New Year’s Eve
Listed below is a summary of closures for government, business, services, retailers, and public services on Federal and State holidays.
Businesses closed on all holidays
The following businesses close on Federal and Hawai’i state holidays. In addition, these businesses usually close on early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Banks and credit unions are closed on all holidays.
Government offices are closed on all holidays, including city, county, and state offices, government buildings, court houses, and services such as licensing.
- Private employers in Hawaii are not required to close on state holidays or provide employees time off or holiday wages.
Post Offices are closed and there is no mail delivery. However, access to P.O. boxes is usually open. Private mailbox centers usually follow retail store hours.
Public libraries are closed on holidays. When holidays fall on a Sunday, they may observe a Monday closure.
Schools are closed.
Businesses closed on a few holidays
Garbage and recycling pickup: For customers with curbside service, there is usually no garbage pickup on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and most dump sites are closed. However, garbage service is only delayed by one day. Therefore, if your regular pickup day falls on or after the holiday that week, adjust your pickup day to one day later. On all other holidays, garbage pickup is not adjusted.
Grocery stores are sometimes closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, though closures may vary widely even among chain stores. If they are open, they may have adjusted hours, opening later or closing earlier.
Restaurants are sometimes closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, except those located in hotels. Restaurants open on holidays may have special menus or hours.
Retail stores and shopping malls are usually closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On other Federal holidays, they are open and offer big sales and discounts.
Businesses open most holidays
Grocery stores are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. However, availability varies widely. Note that hours at chain stores can vary by location and some stores have reduced hours.
Restaurants are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. However, restaurants in hotels are often open on all holidays. Restaurants open on holidays may have special menus or hours.
Retail stores and shopping malls are open most holidays, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Many stores and malls have special sales and extended hours for most other Federal holidays, especially those on 3-day weekends.
Businesses open on all holidays
Movie theaters are usually open on all holidays. In fact, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, going out to a movie is a tradition for many.
Parks are open on all holidays, usually dawn to dusk. This includes city, state, and national parks. Other public facilities such as swimming pools and golf courses are open most holidays except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Public transportation operates and some are on a Sunday or holiday schedule.
Sadly in 2022, there will be no Fourth of July fireworks at Ala Moana Beach Park (but plenty of other locations are hosting a show) – 2016 photo by gorddo via iStockphoto by Getty Images
Event calendar for Fourth of July weekend
Listed below are events on our calendar over the long Fourth of July weekend.
Friday, July 1, 2022
Saturday, July 2, 2022
Sunday, July 3, 2022
Monday, July 4, 2022
To see all events for the weekend, see our calendar of free and cheap things to do this weekend.
2023 National Holiday Dates
- Sunday, January 1: New Year’s Day
- Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day (observed)
- Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
- Monday, February 20: President’s Day aka Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday in February)
- Monday, May 29: Memorial Day (4th Monday in May)
- Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day
- Monday, September 4: Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- Monday, October 9: Indigenous People’s Day aka Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October)
- Friday, November 10: Veteran’s Day (observed)
- Saturday, November 11: Veteran’s Day
- Thursday, November 23: Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday)
- Monday, December 25: Christmas Day
2023 Hawaii State Holidays
Hawaiʻi State Government offices and facilities observe the following state holidays. Public schools are closed on Prince Kūhiō Day and Good Friday (they are not in session during summer). Federal offices are open. Retailers and the community have special celebrations.
- Monday, March 27: Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Day (26th of March)
- Friday, April 7: Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
- Monday, June 12: King Kamehameha I Day (11th day of June)
- Friday, August 18: Statehood Day (3rd Friday in August)
More info: https://dhrd.hawaii.gov/state-observed-holidays/
2023 Other Holidays & Special Events
- Tuesday, February 14: Valentine’s Day
- Tuesday, February 21: Mardi Gras
- Tuesday, March 7: Holi (Festival of Colors)
- Friday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
- Thursday, March 23: Ramadan begins (ends Saturday, April 22 with Eid al-Fitr)
- Wednesday, April 5: Passover begins at sundown
- Sunday, April 9: Easter Sunday
- Monday, April 18: Federal Income Tax Day
- Friday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo
- Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)
- Sunday, June 18: Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)
- Monday, June 19: Juneteenth
- Sunday, August 6: Seafair Sunday
- Tuesday, October 31: Halloween
- Wednesday, November 1: Day of the Dead
- Friday, November 24: Black Friday aka Native American Heritage Day (day after Thanksgiving)
- Friday, December 7: Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sundown
- Sunday, December 31: New Year’s Eve
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