Holidays in the futures market: pay attention to these dates from November to January
In this post
October 28, 2026.
In the coming months multiple US holidays affect the trading schedule of futures markets.
Around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year shortened trading days and holiday closures must be counted on at certain products of the CME.
For those trading with NQ, MNQ and ES contracts, alongside the changed opening hours, liquidity conditions can also be important. Namely, in holiday periods the volume and the execution conditions of orders can also differ from the usual.
We have collected the most important dates of November, December and January, furthermore what changes it is worth paying attention to.
1. Holiday trading calendar: November 2026 – January 2027
The table below summarizes the most important US holidays and the trading information connected to them.
On the shortened days of the NYSE regular stock trading ends at 13:00 ET, which in November and December corresponds to 19:00 Hungarian time. This is not the closing time of the NQ, MNQ or ES futures contracts.
The CME designates the following holiday periods in its 2026 Globex calendar:
Thanksgiving: November 26–28.
Christmas: December 24–26.
New Year: December 31 – January 1.
The exact trading times can differ per product. According to the information of the CME, holiday schedules are usually finalized approximately two weeks before the given holiday, and can also be modified later.
Therefore it is worth checking the current opening and closing times in the official trading calendar of the CME.
2. What can change in futures trading on holidays?
The NQ, MNQ and ES futures contracts are normally tradable in the CME Globex system from Sunday evening to Friday evening, with regular daily breaks.
On holidays, however, the CME can apply an earlier close, a longer trading break or a full holiday closure at certain products.
It is important that the holiday schedule of the New York stock market and the CME Globex do not necessarily match.
A good example of this is November 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving. The NYSE closes at 19:00 Hungarian time on this day, but from this it does not follow that the trading of the NQ, MNQ and ES contracts also ends exactly then.
The holiday schedule of futures markets must be checked separately, since the closures differing from the usual can affect the execution of orders and the management of open positions too.
3. How can holidays influence liquidity?
In holiday periods trading activity can fall back, which can also have an effect on the liquidity of the market of the NQ, MNQ and ES.
Lower liquidity, however, does not present itself to the same extent on every holiday. The actual market conditions depend on the given contract, time of day and trading activity too.
Exactly because of this it is not worth automatically considering the liquidity conditions of a shortened trading day or holiday period identical to the conditions of an average trading day.
4. In December attention must also be paid to the contract rollover
Independently of the holiday schedule, in December the quarterly expiration of the US stock index futures contracts is also due.
In 2026 the December roll date falls on December 14, and the quarterly expiration on December 18.
Around the roll date trading activity can gradually shift from the expiring December contract to the next, March contract.
This is important for those trading in the market of the NQ, MNQ and ES because the liquidity of the expiring and the next contract can differ from each other, which can have an effect on the difference between the bid and ask prices, as well as on at what price the orders are executed.
The dates of the quarterly contract rollovers can be followed on the official Equity Index Roll Dates page of the CME.
Frequent questions (FAQ)
If the NYSE is closed due to a holiday, does the trading of the NQ, MNQ and ES also pause?
Not necessarily. The CME Globex and the NYSE can apply different trading schedules. It can occur that futures trading is accessible in certain periods even then when the stock market is closed.
The exact holiday opening hours always depend on the CME schedule of the given futures contract.
Where do I find the holiday closing times of futures contracts according to Hungarian time?
In the official trading calendar of the CME the schedule can be checked filtered for the given date and product.
The displayed US times must be converted to Hungarian time if necessary, taking into consideration the current time zone.
Is liquidity always lower on holidays?
No. In holiday periods trading activity can decrease, but the extent of the effect can differ per market and period.
The current shaping of volume, market depth and the spread can give a more exact picture about liquidity conditions than in itself the fact that it is a holiday.
Summary
From November to January multiple US holidays can also modify the usual trading schedule of the CME futures markets.
Around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year it is especially important to check the exact opening hours of the contracts, since the holiday trading times can differ from the schedule of the NYSE.
Alongside the changed opening hours liquidity conditions also deserve attention, and in December the quarterly contract rollover is also relevant for traders.
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The article serves an educational purpose, and does not qualify as financial or investment advice.