In the United States there are six holy days of obligation besides every Sunday: Mary, Mother of God (January 1), the Ascension, the Assumption (August 15), All Saints (November 1), the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and Christmas (December 25). When January 1, August 15 or November 1 falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted. Below are the exact dates for 2026 and 2027, which days are and are not obligatory, and answers to the questions Catholics ask most.
Is today a holy day of obligation?
Check the list below for today’s date.
Holy days of obligation in 2026
| Holy day | Date in 2026 | Obligatory in the U.S.? |
|---|---|---|
| Mary, Mother of God | Thursday, January 1 | Yes |
| Ascension of the Lord | Thursday, May 14 (moved to Sunday, May 17 in most provinces) | Only in the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia; elsewhere it is a Sunday |
| Assumption of Mary | Saturday, August 15 | No (Saturday, so the obligation is lifted) |
| All Saints | Sunday, November 1 | Falls on a Sunday; Sunday Mass fulfils it |
| Immaculate Conception | Tuesday, December 8 | Yes |
| Christmas | Friday, December 25 | Yes |
Holy days of obligation in 2027
| Holy day | Date in 2027 | Obligatory in the U.S.? |
|---|---|---|
| Mary, Mother of God | Friday, January 1 | Yes |
| Ascension of the Lord | Thursday, May 6 (moved to Sunday, May 9 in most provinces) | Only in the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia; elsewhere it is a Sunday |
| Assumption of Mary | Sunday, August 15 | Falls on a Sunday; Sunday Mass fulfils it |
| All Saints | Monday, November 1 | No (Monday, so the obligation is lifted) |
| Immaculate Conception | Wednesday, December 8 | Yes |
| Christmas | Saturday, December 25 | Yes (and Sunday, December 26 is a separate obligation) |
Looking further ahead: in 2028, January 1 falls on a Saturday (not obligatory), while August 15 (Tuesday), November 1 (Wednesday), December 8 (Friday) and December 25 (Monday) are all obligatory, and the Ascension is Thursday, May 25 (Sunday, May 28 in most provinces).
The rules behind the dates
Universal law. The Code of Canon Law lists ten holy days for the whole Church (Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Mary Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, St. Joseph, Sts. Peter and Paul, and All Saints) but allows each bishops’ conference to suppress some or move them to a Sunday (canon 1246).
United States. The U.S. bishops kept six. Epiphany and Corpus Christi are celebrated on Sundays; St. Joseph and Sts. Peter and Paul are not days of obligation. See the Epiphany.
The Saturday-Monday rule. Under the U.S. bishops’ complementary norm to canon 1246 §2, in force since 1993, whenever January 1 (Mary, Mother of God), August 15 (the Assumption) or November 1 (All Saints) falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated (USCCB). Christmas and the Immaculate Conception are not affected.
When December 8 falls on a Sunday, the Immaculate Conception is moved to Monday, December 9, and the obligation does not transfer. (This does not happen in 2026 or 2027.)
The Ascension. Most U.S. provinces celebrate the Ascension on the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia keep it on Thursday as a holy day of obligation (USCCB Liturgical Calendar, 2027).
Hawaii. By a 1992 decree, Christmas and the Immaculate Conception are the only holy days of obligation in the Diocese of Honolulu.
How to fulfil the obligation
- Attend Mass on the day itself or on the evening before. Canon law says that a person “who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation” (canon 1248 §1).
- Two obligations on consecutive days need two Masses. When Christmas falls on a Saturday (as in 2027), one Mass cannot fulfil both Christmas and Sunday.
- If you cannot attend because of illness, caring for someone, work you cannot avoid, or another serious reason, you are excused (CCC 2181). The Church recommends taking part in a liturgy of the word if one is available, or spending time in prayer (canon 1248 §2).
- Rest from unnecessary work as far as you can, as on Sundays (CCC 2185–2187).
About each holy day
- Mary, Mother of God (January 1): the octave day of Christmas, honoring Mary as Theotokos.
- Ascension: forty days after Easter, Christ ascends to the Father.
- Assumption (August 15): Mary taken body and soul into heavenly glory.
- All Saints (November 1): the feast of everyone in heaven. See All Saints Day.
- Immaculate Conception (December 8): Mary preserved from original sin; patronal feast of the United States. See the Immaculate Conception.
- Christmas (December 25): the Nativity of the Lord.
For intercessions on any of these days, use Prayers of the Faithful Today and choose the date.
Frequently asked questions
How many holy days of obligation are there in the United States?
Six: January 1, the Ascension, August 15, November 1, December 8 and December 25, in addition to every Sunday. Some years fewer are obligatory because of the Saturday-Monday rule.
Is All Souls Day a holy day of obligation?
No. All Souls Day (November 2) is not a holy day of obligation. See All Souls Day.
Is Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation?
No, although it is a day of fasting and abstinence and many Catholics attend Mass to receive ashes. In 2027 Ash Wednesday is February 10.
Is Good Friday a holy day of obligation?
No. There is no Mass on Good Friday, and attendance at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion is not obligatory, although strongly encouraged. Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence.
Is Christmas Eve a holy day of obligation?
No, but a Christmas Mass celebrated on the evening of December 24 fulfils the Christmas obligation.
Is it a sin to miss Mass on a holy day of obligation?
Deliberately missing Mass on a Sunday or holy day of obligation without a serious reason is a grave matter (CCC 2181). If you have missed Mass, go to confession; see how to go to confession.
Are the holy days the same in every country?
No. Each bishops’ conference sets its own list within universal law, so the days differ between countries. Check with your diocese if you live outside the United States.
Guides to the holy days
- All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween)
- Precepts of the Church
- The Ascension of the Lord 2027
- Corpus Christi 2027
- Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
- Christmas Mass 2026
- Easter 2027
- Saint of the day