February 2026 calendar: key dates, holidays, and major events to note
February 2026 is shaping up as a tightly packed planning month, with a major sports weekend early, a federal holiday mid-month, and a rare cultural collision later on. The layout is straightforward—28 days, no leap day—but the second and third weeks stack several “set your schedule now” dates that can affect travel, school breaks, and business hours.
The month opens on a Sunday, which makes week-by-week planning especially clean for anyone using standard Sunday-start calendars.
How February 2026 lays out
February 2026 runs from Sunday, February 1 through Saturday, February 28. That Sunday start means each full week fits neatly across the month, and the final day lands on a Saturday—useful for people planning end-of-month deadlines or weekend travel.
For calendar watchers, the most practical implication is the rhythm of the month: the first full workweek begins Monday, February 2, and the third full workweek includes the federal holiday. If you’re coordinating teams, childcare, or travel, the “middle third” of the month is where the most schedule friction tends to show up.
Federal holidays and widely observed dates
The only nationwide federal holiday in February is Presidents’ Day, which falls on Monday, February 16, 2026. Many schools and offices close, and travel demand often rises around the long weekend. Some services may run on modified schedules, and shipping carriers frequently adjust pickup and delivery timelines.
Other widely observed dates aren’t federal holidays but still shape routines. Valentine’s Day lands on Saturday, February 14, which tends to shift restaurant demand and entertainment plans into the Friday-night-to-Sunday window. Groundhog Day is on Monday, February 2, an annual marker that often gets folded into local events and themed promotions.
February 2026 at a glance
| Date (ET) | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2 (Mon) | Groundhog Day | Local events, seasonal promotions |
| Feb 8 (Sun) | Super Bowl LX | National TV event; travel and watch parties |
| Feb 14 (Sat) | Valentine’s Day | Weekend dining and hospitality peak |
| Feb 16 (Mon) | Presidents’ Day | Federal holiday; closures and long-weekend travel |
| Feb 17 (Tue) | Lunar New Year | Major cultural holiday; celebrations and travel |
| Feb 17 (Tue) | Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) | Parades and local closures in key areas |
Super Bowl week anchors the month
The early-month centerpiece is Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Even if you’re not traveling to the host region, the Super Bowl often drives noticeable shifts in domestic travel patterns, hospitality demand, and retail timing in the days leading up to it.
From a calendar perspective, the Super Bowl also functions as a “start-of-February checkpoint.” People frequently plan February work cycles around it—especially Sunday-night travel returns, Monday morning meetings, and school schedules that may be affected by late-night viewing.
Lunar New Year meets Mardi Gras
One of the standout quirks in the February 2026 calendar is that Lunar New Year and Mardi Gras land on the same day: Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
Lunar New Year is widely celebrated across many Asian communities and global cities, with festivals, family gatherings, and business schedule changes in certain regions. Mardi Gras—also known as Fat Tuesday—caps the Carnival season and brings large-scale parades and crowd logistics in places where it’s locally significant. When both hit the same date, it can amplify travel demand and event competition in some markets while creating uniquely busy nights for venues and public services.
For planners, February 17 is a “double-asterisk” day: great for community events and travel experiences, but also a date where last-minute bookings and traffic congestion can be more intense than usual in the busiest celebration hubs.
Planning tips for the month ahead
February 2026 rewards early coordination. If you’re booking travel, the most congestion-prone windows are the Super Bowl weekend (Feb 6–9) and the Presidents’ Day/Lunar New Year/Mardi Gras cluster (Feb 13–18). If you’re setting deadlines, remember that Presidents’ Day can compress mid-month work schedules and affect turnaround times for approvals, shipments, and appointments.
For households, the calendar also suggests a predictable cadence: an early-month marquee Sunday event, a holiday weekend mid-month, then a rapid slide into the final stretch of February. If you like building habits—gym blocks, study plans, budgeting—this month’s clean week alignment can make it easier to keep routines consistent.
Sources consulted: U.S. Office of Personnel Management; National Football League; Time and Date; Reuters
