Title 15, Holidays and Days of Special Observance

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Employee” means a natural person who performs services for an employer for valuable consideration, and does not include a self-employed independent contractor;(2) “Employer” means a person or entity that employs one (1) or more employees, and incl…

Each year the following days are days of special observance: January 19, “Robert E. Lee Day”; February 12, “Abraham Lincoln Day”; March 15, “Andrew Jackson Day”; June 3, “Memorial Day” or “Confederate Decoration Day”; July 13, “Nathan Bedford Forrest Day”; and November 11, “Veter…

The second Sunday of May of each year is to be especially observed as “Mothers' Day.”

June 1 of each year is declared an historical day to commemorate the admission of the state into the Union, such day to be known as “Statehood Day”; provided, that this day is not a legal holiday.

The last Sunday in August of each year is to be especially observed as “Family Day,” to bring attention and honor to the importance of the family as the basis of our state and nation.

January 30 of each year is to be observed as “Franklin D. Roosevelt Day,” to honor and recognize President Roosevelt as the father of the civilian conservation corps. Such day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

(a) The fourth Monday in September of each year is to be especially observed in Tennessee as “American Indian Day,” and that on this day schools, clubs, and civic and religious organizations are encouraged to recognize the contributions of American Indians with suitable ceremony …

The week beginning the third Friday of September and extending through the following Thursday of each year shall be designated as “Tennessee P.O.W.-M.I.A. Recognition Week” in recognition of the sacrifices of the citizens who were captured by the enemy or are missing in action.

June 24 of each year is to be observed as “Scottish, Scots-Irish Heritage Day,” to honor and recognize the contributions people of Scottish and Scots-Irish heritage made to the founding and development of Tennessee. Such day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

April 28 of each year is to be observed as “Workers' Memorial Day,” to honor and recognize workers killed and injured on the job. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

June 23 of each year shall be observed as “John Sevier Day,” to honor and recognize John Sevier for his important role in Tennessee attaining statehood and his meritorious service as the state's first governor. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

March 10 of each year shall be observed as “Harriet Tubman Day,” to honor and recognize Harriet Tubman for her important role in the history of Tennessee and the United States as an abolitionist and champion of equal rights for all people. This day shall not be a legal holiday as…

The fourth Saturday in May of each year shall be observed as “Bluegrass Day,” to honor and recognize bluegrass music, its great beauty and artistry, and its prominent place in Tennessee's proud heritage and present day economy. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in …

August 8 of each year shall be observed as “Emancipation Day,” to honor and recognize the celebration of the action of Andrew Johnson in freeing Andrew Johnson's personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and the significance of emancipation in the history of Tennessee. This day shall no…

April 19 of each year shall be observed as “Patriots' Day,” to honor and recognize the opening events of the War of the Revolution and the struggle through which the nation passed in its early days. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

June 23 of each year shall be observed as “Wilma Rudolph Day,” to honor and recognize the late Wilma Rudolph for her inspirational example in overcoming childhood disability to excel as an athlete, her numerous athletic accomplishments, including winning three gold medals at the …

March 29 of each year shall be observed as “Vietnam Veterans Day,” to honor and recognize the veterans who served during the Vietnam War. State agencies, interested organizations and groups and individuals are encouraged to fly the United States flag accompanied by the MIA/POW fl…

The week that includes the third Saturday in September shall be observed as “Towing and Recovery Week” in this state, to honor the thousands of operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and other dedicated men and women who serve our state's motoring public with courtesy and courage w…

September 17 of each year shall be observed as “Tennessee and United States Constitutions Day,” to honor and commemorate the creation and signing of the supreme laws of our state and land on June 1, 1796, and September 17, 1787. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in…

October 9 of each year shall be observed as “Firefighters' Memorial Day,” to honor and recognize firefighters in this state for their courageous and dedicated service. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

The last Sunday in September of each year shall be observed as “Gold Star Mother's Day,” to honor Tennessee's Gold Star Mothers for their courage, resolve and strength in the face of great personal loss. State agencies, interested organizations and groups and individuals are enco…

(a) The first full week in March of each year shall be observed as “Volunteer Firefighters Week,” to honor and recognize volunteer firefighters in this state for their courageous and dedicated service. This week shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101. (b) The third…

March 3 of each year shall be observed as “Tennessee National Guard Day,” to honor and recognize Tennessee national guard personnel for their service and sacrifices in defense of our nation and for responding to domestic missions within the borders of our state. This day shall no…

The third week of June each year shall be observed as “Lymphedema Awareness Week,” to encourage all medical facilities in the state to dedicate more time, energy, and funding to the diagnosing and treatment of the disease. This week shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15…

June 6 of each year shall be observed as “Transverse Myelitis Awareness Day,” to raise public awareness about this debilitating neurological spinal cord disorder. This day shall not be a legal holiday, as defined in § 15-1-101.

May 11 of each year shall be observed as “Police Memorial Day,” to honor and recognize law enforcement officers in this state for their dedication and selfless service. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

The week that includes the third Thursday in November each year shall be designated “Agriculture Literacy Week” in Tennessee, to promote agricultural literacy and the need to educate students about the importance of agriculture to our state and our nation. This week shall not be …

March 4 of each year shall be observed as “Tennessee Missing Children's Day,” to raise public awareness about child abduction and sexual exploitation and to promote public education efforts as to appropriate protective measures, and ways to respond and seek help from law enforcem…

The first Monday of October of each year shall be observed as “Tennessee Rural Mayor's Day,” to honor and recognize mayors of small cities in this state for their tireless work and dedicated service to their respective communities. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined…

The month of February of each year must be observed as “Tennessee Songwriters Month” to promote Tennessee's musical heritage by recognizing the contributions of past and present songwriters to this state.

August 18 of each year shall be observed as “Febb Burn Day,” to honor Febb Burn's role in the enfranchisement of women. This day shall not be a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

The month of April is observed as “Financial Literacy Month” in Tennessee, to promote financial literacy and the need to educate Tennesseans about the importance of personal financial health to Tennessee's future prosperity.

December 1 of each year is to be observed as “Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day” to honor and recognize Mrs. Rosa L. Parks for her important role in the civil rights movement in the United States. This day is not a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

June 27 of each year is to be observed as “Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day,” to promote awareness of persons suffering from post-traumatic stress injury.

August 18 of each year is to be observed as “Women's Suffrage Day.”

June 12 of each year is to be observed as “Women's Veterans Day,” to honor the efforts of our distinguished female veterans and pay tribute to their character and courage in answering the call of action with pride and conviction.

The month of April is observed as “Barber, Beauty, and Health Month” in this state to recognize the contributions of Tennesseans to the health and beauty industry, to honor those persons who work in the health and beauty industry, to recognize those persons who work to help this …

June 6 of each year is to be observed as “D-Day Remembrance Day in Tennessee”, to honor and remember the brave men and women who fought valiantly and worked tirelessly to achieve the greatest amphibious invasion in history, which led to the liberation of Europe from tyranny. This…

The month of June is observed annually as “African-American Music Appreciation Month” in this state.

The first Friday in October of each year is designated as “Tennessee Manufacturing Day,” to promote manufacturing and highlight the benefits of manufacturing to our state and nation. This day is not a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

September 14 of each year is observed as “Star-Spangled Banner Day,” to join with our fellow citizens in celebration of this patriotic occasion across this state.

The month of October is observed annually as “Economic Education Month” in this state.

The month of September is observed annually as “Brain Aneurysm Month” in this state.

November 8 of each year is to be observed as “Historically Black Colleges and Universities Day.” This day is not a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.

April 7 of each year is to be observed as “Alexander Disease Day,” to raise public awareness of the rare autosomal dominant leukodystrophy, a neurological condition caused by anomalies in the myelin that protect nerve fibers in the brain. This day is not a legal holiday as define…

July 16 of each year is to be observed as “Ida B. Wells Day.” This day is not a legal holiday as defined in § 15-1-101.