U.S. observance
How Many Days Until National Day of Prayer 2027?
Today: · Eastern Time (America/New_York)
Calendar days until National Day of Prayer
194 days until National Day of Prayer
National Day of Prayer is on Thursday, May 6, 2027.
Live countdown to midnight on May 6, 2027
193 days, 17 hours, 24 minutes, 48 seconds remaining
Eastern Time (America/New_York). Countdown days are 24 hours; the calendar-day count above uses local dates.
- Calendar days (signed)
- 194
- Full weeks + days
- 27 weeks + 5 days
- Calendar months + days
- 6 months + 12 days
- Years, months, days
- 0 years, 6 months, 12 days
- Weekdays counted
- 139
- Weekend days counted
- 55
- U.S. business days
- 133
- Observed holiday dates skipped
- 6
What is National Day of Prayer?
The National Day of Prayer, the first Thursday in May, invites Americans of all faiths to pray for the nation. It is a national observance, not a public holiday.
History of National Day of Prayer
The Continental Congress called for days of prayer during the Revolution. President Harry Truman signed a law in 1952 creating an annual National Day of Prayer on a date chosen by the President, and in 1988 President Ronald Reagan signed an amendment fixing it on the first Thursday in May.
National Day of Prayer today
The President issues a proclamation, and churches, synagogues, mosques and community groups hold prayer gatherings, including events at state capitols and in Washington, D.C.
Date details
- Category
- U.S. observance
- How the date is set
- Set by a yearly rule
- Country / region
- United States
- Actual event date
Current U.S. first-Thursday-in-May rule; not a pre-1988 historical schedule. 36 U.S.C. 119. Source: U.S. Code (GovInfo)
Event date facts
- Weekday
- Thursday
- ISO week / year
- 18 / 2027
- Day of year
- 126
- Quarter
- 2
- Days left in year
- 239
- Leap year
- No
May 2027
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | ||||||
Event dates by year
| Rule year | Actual date | Observed federal closure | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Thursday, May 1, 2025 | — | Set by a yearly rule |
| 2026 | Thursday, May 7, 2026 | — | Set by a yearly rule |
| 2027 | Thursday, May 6, 2027 | — | Set by a yearly rule |
| 2028 | Thursday, May 4, 2028 | — | Set by a yearly rule |
| 2029 | Thursday, May 3, 2029 | — | Set by a yearly rule |
Quick answers
- What day of the week is May 6, 2027?
- May 6, 2027 is a Thursday.
- Is National Day of Prayer a federal holiday?
- No. National Day of Prayer is not a U.S. federal holiday, so federal offices and most businesses stay open.
- What week of the year is May 6, 2027?
- May 6, 2027 is in ISO week 18 of 2027 and is day 126 of the year.
How the National Day of Prayer date is calculated
- May 1, 2027 is a Saturday, so the first Thursday is May 6. That makes National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 6, 2027.
- The countdown counts calendar days from today to May 6, 2027. The start date is excluded and the end date is included. Dates use Eastern Time (America/New_York).
- The live countdown runs to midnight at the start of May 6, 2027 in Eastern Time (America/New_York). A countdown day is 24 hours, so a daylight-saving change can make it differ from the calendar-day count by an hour.
- Calculated at 6:35 AM on October 24, 2026.
- U.S. business days exclude Saturday, Sunday and observed nationwide federal closures; individual employer and state schedules are not included.