If you're an active trader, knowing when the market takes a holiday break isn't just helpful—it's essential for planning your trades and managing settlement times. The last thing you want is to place an order only to realize the exchanges are dark.
Here's your complete roadmap for navigating the stock market's holiday schedule as 2025 winds down.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Trading
Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, and both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be completely closed. No trading, no exceptions. It's one of the few days each year when Wall Street takes a full breather to celebrate the national holiday.
- Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27): Markets closed
Trading returns the following day, but don't expect a full session. Black Friday, Nov. 28, operates on a significantly shortened schedule.
- Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 28): Markets close early at 1:00 p.m. ET
This abbreviated session has become standard practice for the day after Thanksgiving, giving traders just a half-day window before the long weekend officially begins. If you're planning any moves, you'll need to act fast.
Christmas Holiday Closures
The Christmas season brings another round of market disruptions, with both an early close and a full shutdown across the NYSE and Nasdaq.
- Christmas Eve (Wednesday, Dec. 24): Markets close early at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25): Markets closed all day
Normal trading hours return on Friday, Dec. 26, when the opening bell rings at the standard 9:30 a.m. ET. That gives you three full days of limited or no trading, so plan accordingly if you've got positions you're monitoring closely.
New Year's Market Schedule
The transition into 2026 involves one key difference from the Christmas holiday: New Year's Eve maintains regular trading hours.
- New Year's Eve 2025 (Wednesday, Dec. 31): Markets remain open for regular hours
- New Year's Day 2026 (Thursday, Jan. 1): Markets closed all day
Unlike Christmas Eve's early shutdown, New Year's Eve lets you trade right up until the normal 4:00 p.m. ET close. But both exchanges will be shuttered entirely on New Year's Day itself in observance of the federal holiday. Trading picks back up at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, when the new year's market action officially begins.
Whether you're planning to lock in gains, rebalance your portfolio, or simply want to avoid the frustration of placing orders when no one's home, keeping these dates marked on your calendar will save you headaches during the busiest time of year.
