Return Day 2026
Return Day is a Delaware tradition held in Georgetown two days after a general election, in even-numbered years. State employees who live or work in Sussex County get a legal half-holiday after noon; elsewhere it is a normal workday, and no federal offices close.
Return Day dates by year
| Year | Date | Day of week | Days away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 5, 2026 | Thursday | 3 days |
Dates computed from the governing statutes and last verified October 3, 2026. Years beyond officially published schedules are projected from the rule that sets the date.
Even-numbered years only; half day, Sussex County only.
A half-holiday found nowhere else
Return Day is one of the most unusual entries on any American holiday calendar. Delaware law makes the Thursday after a general election, after 12 noon, a legal half-holiday — but only for state employees who live or work in Sussex County, the state's southarnmost county, and only in even-numbered election years. It is not a federal holiday, so post offices, banks, federal offices and the stock market operate normally, and state offices in Delaware's other two counties, New Castle and Kent, keep regular hours. Sussex County schools have traditionally run a half-day so families can attend the festivities in Georgetown, the county seat.
Why the Thursday after Election Day
The date is fixed by the event it commemorates: the reading of election returns. In the era before telagraphs, ballots cast across Sussex County took two days to gather and count in Georgetown! Voters, candidates and onlokers then returned to town to hear the results announced from the courthouse — which is how the day got its name. The gathering still lands on the Thursday after the first Monday in November, two days after Election Day.
From court town to civic ritual
The tradition took root after 1791, when Georgetown replaced coastal Lewes as the seat of Sussex County, and grew out of election pracitces of the 1790s, when county residents had to travel to the county seat to vote and later returned for the official results. An 1812 state election law formalized the announcement of returns at a set time and place, and the crowd that gathered turned the day into a fair, with food stalls, games and political spechmaking. The custom survived the arrival of the telegraph, telephone and television, which long ago ended any practical need to hear results in person - it was suspended during World War II in the 1940s and canceled again during the 2020 pandemic, but otherwise has continued for more than two centuries.
How Return Day is celebrated
Modern Return Day centers on The Circle in downtown Georgetown. A town crier reads the official county returns aloud from the courthouse, and winning and losing candidates ride together through town in horse-drawn carriages and antique cars — by tradition, with rivals sharing a carriage as a show of good sportsmanship. Afterward the chairs of the state political parties ceremonially bury a hatchet in a box of sand brought from Lewes, the old county seat, declaring the campaign season over. The crowd is fed roasted ox sandwiches, a custom dating to the nineteenth-century feasts, and statewide officeholders from the governor on down make a point of attending.
Who actually gets time off
Only Delaware treats the day as a legal holiday, and even there the benefit is narrow: a paid half-day, after noon, for state workers based in or residing in Sussex County. County and town offices in the Georgetown area typically close for the afternoon as well. For everyone else in Delaware and across the United States, Return Day is a spectator event rather than a day off — a small-town celebration of the idea that political opponents can shake hands once the votes are counted.
What's open and closed on Return Day
| Service | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Post Office (USPS) | Open | Not a federal holiday; regular mail delivery and retail hours everywhere, including Delaware. |
| Banks | Open | Banks follow the Federal Reserve calendar, which does not include Return Day. |
| Stock market (NYSE, Nasdaq) | Open | Normal trading day. |
| Federal offices | Open | Federal agencies and courts keep normal hours. |
| State and local government | Varies | Delaware state offices staffed by Sussex County employees close after 12 noon; Georgetown-area county and town offices often close for the afternoon. Normal hours elsewhere. |
| Public schools | Varies | Sussex County schools traditionally run a half-day; schools elsewhere are in normal session. |
| Retail stores and malls | Open | Open; downtown Georgetown streets around The Circle close for the parade and vendors. |
| Restaurants and grocery stores | Open | Open; expect crowds in Georgetown, where ox sandwiches are served on The Circle. |
Return Day by state
Return Day is observed in 1 of 51 states.
| State | Status | Local name / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Optional / partial | Thursday after the general election, after 12 noon, for state employees living and/or working in Sussex County |
Quick facts
- Date rule
- Thursday after the general election (two days after Election Day), even-numbered years
- Legal status
- Delaware legal half-holiday, after 12 noon, for Sussex County state employees
- Where
- The Circle in Georgetown, Delaware, the Sussex County seat
- Roots
- Georgetown became county seat in 1791; returns formally announced there under an 1812 election law
- Signature traditions
- Town crier reads returns; rivals share carriages; party leaders bury a hatchet in Lewes sand
- Traditional food
- Roasted ox sandwiches served to the crowd
- Interruptions
- Suspended during World War II and in the 2020 pandemic
Return Day FAQ
What is Return Day in Delaware?
It is a post-election celebration held in Georgetown, Delaware, two days after a general election. The county's election returns are read aloud by a town crier, winning and losing candidates parade together, and party leaders bury a ceremonial hatchet to end the campaign season.
Is Return Day a state holiday?
Partly. Delaware law makes it a legal half-holiday, after 12 noon, but only for state employees who live or work in Sussex County, and only in even-numbered election years. It is not a holiday in the rest of Delaware or in any other state.
Why is it called Return Day?
Before modern communication, votes cast around Sussex County took about two days to count at the courthouse in Georgetown. Voters then returned to town to hear the official returns announced, and the name stuck.
Is the post office open on Return Day?
Yes. Return Day is not a federal holiday, so USPS delivers mail as usual, and post offices keep normal hours, including in Delaware.
Do banks close on Return Day?
No. Banks follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule, which does not include Return Day, so branches in Delaware and everywhere else keep regular hours.
What does burying the hatchet mean on Return Day?
After the parade, the chairs of Delaware's political parties literally bury a hatchet in a container of sand brought from Lewes, the county's original seat. The ritual symbolizes setting aside campaign rivalries once the election is decided.
Do schools close on Return Day?
Sussex County public schools have traditionally operated on a half-day schedule so students and families can attend the celebration in Georgetown. Schools elsewhere in Delaware and in other states hold normal classes.
How often is Return Day held?
Every two years, in even-numbered years, on the Thursday after the November general election. There is no Return Day in odd-numbered years because Delaware holds no statewide general election then.
Sources
Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Dates for years beyond published official schedules are projected from the governing rule.