Confederate Heroes Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
The Texas State Library lists Confederate Heroes Day on 19 January as an official partial-staffing state holiday and documents its 1973 statutory consolidation; the current FY2027 state schedule also lists the observance.
About Confederate Heroes Day
In Texas, 19 January is designated in state law as Confederate Heroes Day. The Texas State Library describes it as a partial-staffing state holiday, meaning state offices remain open with staffing rules rather than closing as they do for every national holiday.
The present observance was created in 1973 by combining the January 19 Robert E. Lee birthday holiday with the earlier June 3 Jefferson Davis birthday holiday.
Why Confederate Heroes Day matters
This page describes the Texas legal observance and its documented statutory history. It does not present Confederate Heroes Day as a U.S. federal holiday or as a nationwide observance.
Because the subject concerns the Confederacy and the U.S. Civil War, the historical record is presented descriptively: what Texas law calls the holiday, how the current date developed and what earlier holidays were consolidated.
History of Confederate Heroes Day
Texas records identify a June 3 Jefferson Davis birthday holiday dating to 1905 and a January 19 Robert E. Lee birthday holiday created in 1931.
Senate Bill 60 of the 63rd Texas Legislature, approved 1 June 1973 and effective 27 August 1973, deleted the separate June 3 holiday and combined the two earlier observances as Confederate Heroes Day.
Current Texas Government Code § 662.003 lists January 19 as a state holiday, while the Texas State Library classifies it operationally as a partial-staffing holiday.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Robert E. Lee’s Birthday
The January 19 holiday was combined into Confederate Heroes Day by Senate Bill 60 in 1973.
Jefferson Davis’s Birthday
The separate June 3 holiday was deleted and combined with the January 19 holiday in 1973.
Texas Legislature
Senate Bill 60, 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, Chapter 221
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
5 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
How to Observe Confederate Heroes Day
Read the Texas statute and the State Library holiday history together to distinguish current legal status from earlier holiday forms.
Compare the 1905, 1931 and 1973 legislative steps rather than treating the present name as if it had always existed.
When writing about the date, identify Texas as the jurisdiction and avoid presenting the observance as a federal holiday.
Use Civil War history sources separately from holiday-law sources so interpretation of the war is not mistaken for the legal history of the observance.
Confederate Heroes Day Facts
Texas law lists Confederate Heroes Day on 19 January.
The Texas State Library classifies it as a partial-staffing state holiday.
The current observance was created in 1973 by consolidating earlier Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis birthday holidays.
The Robert E. Lee birthday holiday was established in 1931; Texas legislative references trace the Jefferson Davis birthday holiday to 1905.
The reviewed sources do not establish the first actual annual observance held under the 1973 name.
Confederate Heroes Day Messages
May Confederate Heroes Day be approached with accurate historical context, careful sourcing and respect for people who understand the history differently.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Texas Legislative Reference Library — Texas holidays and recognition days (opens in a new tab)
Texas State Library — Official Texas State Holidays (opens in a new tab)
State Government
Texas Comptroller — FY2027 state holiday schedule (opens in a new tab)
State Government
Texas Government Code § 662.003 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Confederate Heroes Day?
19 January annually in Texas The documented recurrence rule is: 19 January.
Does Confederate Heroes Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Confederate Heroes Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Texas, United States / official state partial-staffing holiday. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Confederate Heroes Day?
The reviewed sources identify Texas Legislature as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is Confederate Heroes Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: Texas, United States / official state partial-staffing holiday.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is Confederate Heroes Day in Texas?
Texas law lists Confederate Heroes Day on 19 January.
Is Confederate Heroes Day a U.S. federal holiday?
No. The reviewed record concerns Texas state law, not a federal holiday.
How did the current Texas observance begin?
Texas Senate Bill 60 in 1973 combined the earlier January 19 Robert E. Lee birthday holiday and June 3 Jefferson Davis birthday holiday into Confederate Heroes Day.
Other observances on January 19
These observances are also listed on January 19, 2027.
National Popcorn Day
The Popcorn Board currently uses January 19 for National Popcorn Day but explicitly states that it does not know how or when the celebration began and documents historical date ambiguity.