Show legal holidays according to tho constitution neither congress nor tho the president has tho the power to prescribe legal holidays except in tho the district of columbia rind tho the U S territorial possessions says colliers nov nev erth eless congress has recognized the following days as public holidays h 0 it new years day birthday memorial M mori I 1 day the fourth of july labor day ond and christmas since most of these holidays have been declared local holidays by tho the individual states they can bo be said to be national and legal holidays the president proclaims thanksgiving a holiday |