September Holidays 2027: A Family Calendar of Holidays, Observances and Fun Days (With Kid Activities)

The main September holidays in 2027 are Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6), Patriot Day (Sept. 11), Grandparents Day (Sunday, Sept. 12), the Mid-Autumn Festival and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15), Constitution Day (Sept. 17), the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) and the first day of fall (Sept. 23).

Looking for September holidays to plan around? September 2027 brings one federal holiday, a day for grandparents, a harvest moon festival, the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, the first day of fall and, for most kids, the first full month of school.

We checked every 2027 date against official sources in November 2026 and calculated each day of the week. One surprise: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall in October in 2027. Below: a day by day calendar, kid activities, Grandparents Day ideas, sleep tips and a printable summary.

September Holidays 2027 at a Glance

Dates checked in November 2026 against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Code, Hebcal, the U.S. Naval Observatory, the United Nations and Hong Kong’s Labour Department. Weekdays were calculated, not copied. Moon-based dates can shift by a day.

September 2027 starts on a Wednesday and ends on Thursday, September 30. Labor Day comes early, on September 6, so the long weekend runs Saturday, September 4 through Monday, September 6.

September 2027 Holiday Calendar, Day by Day

Use this table as your family calendar. Only Labor Day is a federal holiday; the other days are national observances, cultural or religious days, or sky events, so expect regular school and work days unless your district says otherwise.

A note on “national days”: most of the fun days on online September lists are unofficial, started by companies, groups or individuals, and very few were ever proclaimed by Congress or the President. We left out any day we could not trace to a clear organizer or a law.

Labor Day 2027: September’s Only Federal Holiday

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management lists Labor Day on Monday, September 6, 2027. It is always the first Monday in September, and it is the only federal holiday this month. Federal offices close, and many schools and workplaces do too, though school calendars are set locally.

• What it honors: the U.S. Department of Labor says Labor Day celebrates the social and economic achievements of American workers and their contributions to the strength, prosperity and well-being of the country.
• How it started: according to the Department of Labor, the first Labor Day was held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. President Grover Cleveland signed the law making it a national holiday on June 28, 1894. Historians still debate whether Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire first proposed it.
• Talk about it with kids: ask each grown-up at the table, “What is your job, and what do you like about it?” Then let kids draw what they might like to do someday.

For many families, Labor Day weekend feels like the end of summer. If you are wrapping up August plans, our August holidays calendar covers the weeks before.

Cultural and Religious Holidays in September 2027

Here is what the faith and cultural dates around September 2027 mean, including two big holidays that many families expect in September but that fall in October this year.

• Mid-Autumn Festival, Wednesday, September 15: Hong Kong’s Labour Department lists “the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival” on Thursday, September 16, 2027, which puts the festival itself on Wednesday, September 15. Many families mark it by gathering to enjoy the moon together.
• National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15: federal law asks the President to proclaim September 15 through October 15 each year as National Hispanic Heritage Month and calls on schools and communities to observe it. The law dates to 1968 and was amended in 1988.
• Rosh Hashanah, sundown Friday, October 1 to nightfall Sunday, October 3: Hebcal shows the Jewish New Year (5788) beginning in October in 2027, not September. If you are planning ahead, it falls just after this month ends.
• Yom Kippur, sundown Sunday, October 10 to nightfall Monday, October 11: the Day of Atonement also falls in October in 2027, followed by Sukkot from sundown October 15 to nightfall October 22, according to Hebcal.

The High Holy Days move against the regular calendar from year to year, so double-check any school calendar built from an older template.

September Holidays for Kids: One Simple Activity for Each

These ideas need little more than paper, crayons and a walk outside. Pick one or two a week, not all of them.

Toddlers do best with one short activity. For more seasonal ideas, see our fall activities for kids and fall crafts for kids.

Grandparents Day 2027: Ideas for Every Distance

Federal law asks the President to proclaim the first Sunday in September after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day each year. Because Labor Day 2027 is September 6, Grandparents Day 2027 is Sunday, September 12, not September 5. The law behind it dates to 1979.

• If you live nearby: plan a simple outing: a park picnic, apple picking, or a slow walk where your child leads the way.
• If you live far away: schedule a video call and have kids show off something new, like a drawing, a song or a lost tooth.
• Interview a grandparent: help kids ask three questions: What games did you play? What was your school like? What was your favorite food? Record the answers to keep.
• A handmade card: press a leaf from your yard onto the front and add a handprint. Our grandparent quotes are easy to copy inside.
• Expecting a baby?: this is a sweet day to talk about what the grandparents-to-be would like to be called. Browse our names for grandparents for ideas.

No grandparent nearby? Invite a great-aunt, family friend or older neighbor instead.

Patriot Day, Constitution Day and the International Day of Peace

Three September observances are about remembering, citizenship and peace. Keep the tone gentle and age appropriate.

• Patriot Day, Saturday, September 11, 2027: federal law designates September 11 as Patriot Day and asks the President to call for observances, flags at half-staff, and a moment of silence in honor of those who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001. Young children do not need details or images. A simple “Today we remember people who were hurt a long time ago and thank the helpers” is enough, and a thank-you card for local firefighters or police turns the day toward kindness.
• Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Friday, September 17, 2027: the U.S. Code says this day commemorates the formation and signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and recognizes everyone who has become a citizen by coming of age or by naturalization.
• International Day of Peace, Tuesday, September 21, 2027: the United Nations General Assembly established the day in 1981, and in 2001 it designated the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. At home, talk about how your family solves disagreements, and make paper doves for the window.
• Gold Star Mother’s Day, Sunday, September 26, 2027: federal law sets the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day, a public expression of love, sorrow and reverence for Gold Star Mothers, whose children died in military service. Older kids can learn what a Gold Star family is.

First Day of Fall: The September Equinox

The U.S. Naval Observatory puts the September equinox at 06:02 Universal Time on September 23, 2027. That is 2:02 a.m. EDT on Thursday, September 23, 1:02 a.m. CDT and 12:02 a.m. MDT, but 11:02 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, September 22. On the West Coast, fall technically begins the night before.

Around the equinox, day and night are close to equal in length, and after it, nights keep growing longer until the December solstice. That gives you a natural science lesson and a reason to get outside:

• Leaf and acorn hunt: give each child a paper bag and a list: a red leaf, a yellow leaf, an acorn, a pinecone, a smooth stone.
• Moon night: the Mid-Autumn Festival falls the week before the equinox, so pair the two with a moon-watching walk after dinner.
• Fall jokes: share a few school jokes on the walk home to keep the new school routine light.

Keeping Sleep on Track During September Celebrations

September asks a lot of kids’ sleep: the switch to school mornings, a long Labor Day weekend, darker mornings and earlier sunsets. A few habits help:

• Keep the bedtime routine the same, even on holiday weekends. Our toddler bedtime routine guide shows how to keep it short and predictable.
• Over the Labor Day weekend, protect at least one good nap a day for little ones, and get back to the school or daycare schedule the night before.
• School-age and preschool kids still need plenty of sleep; our preschooler sleep guide covers how much and how to protect it.
• Use morning light: open curtains at wake-up so your child’s body clock adjusts as sunrise gets later.
• Clocks change later in the fall. Our daylight saving time and baby sleep guide shows how to prepare a week ahead.

For babies under 12 months, every nap away from home still belongs on the back, alone, on a firm, flat surface with no blankets or pillows, even on busy holiday weekends.

September Month at a Glance (Printable Summary)

Print this page or copy this summary onto the fridge:

• All month: back-to-school season; Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15.
• Week 1 (Sept. 1 to 5): Labor Day weekend begins (Sat., Sept. 4).
• Week 2 (Sept. 6 to 12): Labor Day, the federal holiday (Mon., Sept. 6); Patriot Day (Sat., Sept. 11); Grandparents Day (Sun., Sept. 12).
• Week 3 (Sept. 13 to 19): Mid-Autumn Festival and Hispanic Heritage Month begins (Wed., Sept. 15); Constitution Day (Fri., Sept. 17).
• Week 4 (Sept. 20 to 26): International Day of Peace (Tue., Sept. 21); first day of fall (Thu., Sept. 23); Gold Star Mother’s Day (Sun., Sept. 26).
• Sept. 27 to 30: no major holidays: celebrate the first month of school with a photo and one of our first day of school quotes.
• Coming in October: Rosh Hashanah (from sundown Fri., Oct. 1) and Yom Kippur (from sundown Sun., Oct. 10).

Related Betteroo Guides

• August Holidays 2027
• Fall Activities for Kids
• Names for Grandparents
• Grandparent Quotes
• Fall Crafts for Kids
• Daylight Saving Time and Baby Sleep

The Bottom Line

September 2027 opens with Labor Day on Monday, September 6, the only federal holiday, then moves through Patriot Day, Grandparents Day on September 12, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15, Constitution Day, the International Day of Peace and the first day of fall on September 23. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur come in October this year. Pick two or three days that matter to your family, keep the activities simple, and protect bedtime as school routines settle in.

Frequently Asked Questions