January 2027 has 31 days, running Friday, January 1 through Sunday, January 31. It carries two federal holidays — New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1 and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18 — and 19 working days.
January 2027 holds ten weekend days, the maximum a 31-day month can contain.
Only a month opening on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday reaches that number, and it leaves January with just 21 weekdays before holidays are subtracted.
A second quirk applies to anyone working from ISO week numbers: the first three days of January 2027 do not belong to week 1 of 2027.
Table of Contents
Holidays in January 2027
Two federal holidays and eleven further observances fall in January 2027.
Check Out National Days in January 2027.
Federal status determines office, bank and postal closures. Everything else is observed without a closure.
| Date | Day | Observance | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Federal holiday |
| January 1 | Friday | Kwanzaa ends | Cultural |
| January 6 | Wednesday | Epiphany, Three Kings’ Day | Christian |
| January 7 | Thursday | Orthodox Christmas | Christian, Julian calendar |
| January 15 | Friday | Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth date | Commemorative |
| January 18 | Monday | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Federal holiday |
| January 20 | Wednesday | National Cheese Lovers Day | National day |
| January 21 | Thursday | National Hugging Day | National day |
| January 24 | Sunday | National Compliment Day | National day |
| January 26 | Tuesday | Australia Day | International |
| January 27 | Wednesday | International Holocaust Remembrance Day | United Nations |
| January 28 | Thursday | Tu BiShvat begins at sundown | Jewish |
| January 31 | Sunday | National Hot Chocolate Day | National day |
Both federal holidays fall on weekdays in 2027, so neither requires the weekend observance rule under 5 U.S.C. 6103(b) (U.S. Office of Personnel Management).
Is January 18, 2027 a holiday?
Yes. Monday, January 18, 2027 is the federal holiday for the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal offices, banks and post offices close.
Whether your own workplace closes is a separate question: the holiday is observed by most large employers and nearly all public schools, but retail, hospitality and healthcare generally operate normally.
The statute defines the holiday as the third Monday in January, not as King’s January 15 birth date. In 2027 the two fall three days apart.
OPM refers to it by the statutory name, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., rather than MLK Day.
January 2027 calendar closures by institution
Federal holiday status does not govern every institution identically. Where they diverge is the part worth checking:
| Institution | Friday, January 1 | Monday, January 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal offices | Closed | Closed |
| Banks, Federal Reserve schedule | Closed | Closed |
| U.S. Postal Service | Closed | Closed |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Closed | Closed |
| Most public schools | Closed | Closed |
| Retail and grocery | Reduced hours | Normal hours |
| UPS and FedEx | No pickup or delivery | Limited service |
Events in January 2027
Month-long and week-long campaigns running in January 2027:
- National Mentoring Month, observed since 2002
- National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, designated by presidential proclamation
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
- National Blood Donor Month, observed since 1970
- National Soup Month
- Get Organized Month
Seasonal events cluster in the first three weeks. College bowl season concludes, the NFL playoffs open, and university spring semesters begin — most commonly in the week of Monday, January 11 or the week of Monday, January 18, though the start date is set individually by each institution.
Calendar Events & Observances in January 2027
January 2027 opens the year on a Friday, featuring major winter holidays, Christian liturgical milestones, astronomical events, and the transition from Capricorn’s disciplined earth to Aquarius’s innovative air.
| Date | Day | Event / Observance | Category |
| January 1 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
| January 3 | Sunday | Earth at Perihelion (Closest approach to the Sun) | Astronomical |
| January 3–4 | Sun – Mon | Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak | Astronomical |
| January 6 | Wednesday | Epiphany / Three Kings’ Day | Christian Liturgical |
| January 7 | Thursday | Orthodox Christmas (Julian Calendar) | Christian (Eastern Liturgical) |
| January 14 | Thursday | Makar Sankranti / Pongal | Hindu Harvest Festival |
| January 14 | Thursday | Orthodox New Year (Old New Year) | Cultural / Orthodox |
| January 16–18 | Sat – Mon | NFL Wild Card Weekend | Sports |
| January 18 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Third Monday) | US Federal Holiday |
| January 19 | Tuesday | Timkat (Epiphany in Ethiopia) | Orthodox Christian |
| January 20 | Wednesday | Inauguration Day (Conducted only in post-election years) | US Civic (Non-election year) |
| January 23–24 | Sat – Sun | Tu BiShvat (New Year for Trees, begins sunset Jan 23) | Jewish Festival |
| January 23–24 | Sat – Sun | NFL Divisional Playoff Round | Sports |
| January 25 | Monday | Burns Night | Scottish Cultural |
| January 26 | Tuesday | Republic Day (India) / Australia Day | National Holidays |
| January 27 | Wednesday | International Holocaust Remembrance Day | UN / International |
| January 31 | Sunday | NFL Conference Championships (AFC & NFC) | Sports |
Key Highlights of the Month
- Earth at Perihelion (Jan 3): Earth reaches its closest orbital point to the Sun (roughly 147 million km), counterintuitively occurring during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter due to Earth’s 23.5-degree axial tilt.
- NFL Postseason Climax: January hosts the entire NFL playoff gauntlet—moving from Wild Card Weekend (Jan 16–18) through the Divisional Round (Jan 23–24) to the AFC and NFC Championship Games on Sunday, January 31, determining the two contenders for Super Bowl LXI.
- Orthodox Liturgical Calendar: Eastern churches observing the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7, followed by the Old New Year on January 14 and Epiphany (Theophany) on January 19.
January 2027 Zodiac, Birthstones & Symbols
| Attribute | Primary Symbol | Details & Lore |
| Zodiac Sign (Early) | Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) | Element: Earth • Ruler: Saturn Ambitious, disciplined, structured, patient |
| Zodiac Sign (Late) | Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) | Element: Air • Ruler: Uranus / Saturn Visionary, independent, intellectual, humanitarian |
| Primary Birthstone | Garnet (Silicate mineral group) | Derived from Latin granatum (“pomegranate seed”); ancient travelers wore it for protection, vitality, steadfast loyalty, and perseverance |
| Secondary Birthstone | Rose Quartz | Traditional alternative symbolizing compassion, emotional healing, and warmth |
| Birth Flowers | Carnation & Snowdrop | Carnation: Devotion, distinction, and enduring love Snowdrop: Hope, purity, and rebirth (first winter bloom) |
| Celtic Tree Astrology | Beth / Birch (Dec 24 – Jan 20) & Luis / Rowan (Jan 21 – Feb 17) | Birch represents renewal and fresh potential; Rowan embodies philosophical insight and vision |
| Elemental Shift | Earth to Air | Moves from Capricorn’s structured, material execution into Aquarius’s forward-thinking collective ideals |
How many days, weeks and working days in January 2027
January 2027 has 31 days, 4 full weeks plus 3 days, 21 weekdays, and 19 working days after both federal holidays are removed.
The calculation:
- January always has 31 days.
- 31 ÷ 7 gives 4 complete weeks with 3 days remaining.
- Ten of the 31 days fall on a Saturday or Sunday, leaving 21 Monday-to-Friday weekdays.
- New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, and the King holiday, Monday, January 18, are both weekdays, so 21 − 2 = 19 working days.
Employers that do not close for the King holiday count 20 working days.
January 2027 calendar weekday counts
| Weekday | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Friday | 5 |
| Saturday | 5 |
| Sunday | 5 |
| Monday | 4 |
| Tuesday | 4 |
| Wednesday | 4 |
| Thursday | 4 |
Five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays means five complete weekends. Any recurring Monday-to-Thursday commitment occurs four times.
January 2027 calendar week numbers and day-of-year positions
Under ISO 8601, week 1 of a year is the week containing that year’s first Thursday. The first Thursday of 2027 is January 7, so ISO week 1 of 2027 begins on Monday, January 4.
Friday, January 1 through Sunday, January 3, 2027 are therefore assigned to ISO week 53 of 2026. January 1 is day 1 of the year and January 31 is day 31, leaving 334 days in 2027 after the month ends.
Payroll and manufacturing systems keyed to ISO weeks place the first three days of January 2027 in the prior fiscal year. Systems keyed to calendar dates do not. Reconciling the two is a recurring source of first-quarter reporting discrepancies in years that open late in the week.
January 2027 moon phases
Times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Daylight saving time does not begin until Sunday, March 14, 2027.
| Phase | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| New Moon | Thursday, January 7 | 3:24 p.m. EST |
| First Quarter | Friday, January 15 | 3:34 p.m. EST |
| Full Moon — Wolf Moon | Friday, January 22 | 7:17 a.m. EST |
| Last Quarter | Friday, January 29 | 5:55 a.m. EST |
Three of the four moon phases fall on a Friday. Peak full-moon illumination at 7:17 a.m. Eastern is a daylight event across the continental United States, so the practical viewing nights are Thursday, January 21 and Friday, January 22.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are in January 2027?
19, on a Monday-to-Friday schedule observing both federal holidays. The month has 21 weekdays, held down by ten weekend days. New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1 and the King holiday on Monday, January 18 are both subtracted.
What holidays are in January 2027?
Two federal holidays: New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1 and the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 18. Epiphany falls on Wednesday, January 6, Orthodox Christmas on Thursday, January 7, and International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday, January 27. None of the latter three closes federal offices.
Why is January 1, 2027 in week 53 of 2026?
Because ISO 8601 assigns week 1 to the week containing the year’s first Thursday, and the first Thursday of 2027 is January 7. ISO week 1 of 2027 starts on Monday, January 4. Friday, January 1 through Sunday, January 3 are the final three days of ISO week 53 of 2026.
