Is the Forex Market Closed Today? Trading Hours & Holiday Guide 2025

The Short Answer

　　So, is the forex market closed today？ The simple answer is that the global foreign exchange market runs 24 hours a day. It only operates five days a week.

　　Trading stops every weekend without fail. The market closes on Friday evening around 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) and opens again on Sunday evening around 5:00 PM EST.

　　Besides weekends, the market also shuts down or sees very little activity during major global bank holidays.

　　This guide will explain all these closures—weekends, holidays, and even the "hidden" quiet times. You can then plan your trading carefully and avoid costly mistakes.

　　The key times the forex market is effectively closed are:

• Weekends: From Friday evening to Sunday evening (EST).
• Major Bank Holidays: Such as Christmas, New Year's Day, and Good Friday.

The 24-Hour Market

　　To understand why the forex market closes, you first need to know why it's open all day. It isn't one exchange but a global network of banks, brokers, and financial groups.

　　This network works across four main trading sessions, each in a different financial hub. As one session ends, another begins, creating a smooth, round-the-clock trading system.

　　The four major forex sessions are:

• Sydney Session
• Tokyo Session
• London Session
• New York Session

　　This handoff from one region to the next keeps the market active throughout the work week. The busiest times happen when sessions overlap, especially when London and New York are open at the same time.

　　This London/New York overlap, from about 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST, is the most active time in the forex market. Data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) shows these two sessions make up over 75% of the world's daily forex trading, giving this period the highest liquidity and smallest spreads.

　　

Forex Trading Sessions (EST & GMT)

Session	Opens (EST)	Closes (EST)	Opens (GMT)	Closes (GMT)
Sydney	5:00 PM	2:00 AM	10:00 PM	7:00 AM
Tokyo	7:00 PM	4:00 AM	12:00 AM	9:00 AM
London	3:00 AM	12:00 PM	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
New York	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	1:00 PM	10:00 PM

　　Note: Times adjust for Daylight Saving Time.

　　

Navigating Holiday Closures

　　The most common reason for a weekday market slowdown is a major bank holiday. This makes the simple "24/5" rule more complex.

　　While the global market never truly shuts down during the week, if a major financial center has a holiday, its currency pairs will see much less trading activity.

　　So, when you ask, "is forex closed today？", you're really asking which major financial center is on holiday, and how will that affect the pairs you trade？

　　For example, a bank holiday in Japan will make JPY pairs like USD/JPY and EUR/JPY very quiet. A holiday in the UK will reduce activity for GBP pairs.

　　To plan your trading well, you must know these dates. The question of what holidays the forex market is closed is crucial for any serious trader's weekly planning.

　　

Key Forex Market Holidays

　　Below is a table of major holidays that greatly impact forex market liquidity. Always check these dates with a real-time economic calendar, as some can change each year.

Holiday Name	Usual Date	Primary Regions Affected	Expected Market Impact
New Year's Day	January 1	Global	Extremely low liquidity. Most centers closed.
Good Friday	Varies (March/April)	UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia	Very low liquidity, especially in EUR, GBP, USD.
Easter Monday	Varies (March/April)	UK, Europe, Australia	Low liquidity in EUR, GBP, AUD pairs.
Labour Day (Int'l)	May 1	Europe, Asia	Lower liquidity in EUR and Asian currency pairs.
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May	USA	Low liquidity in USD pairs. The NY session is closed.
Independence Day	July 4	USA	Very low liquidity in USD pairs.
UK Summer Bank Holiday	Last Monday in August	UK	Low liquidity in GBP pairs.
Labor Day (US/CAN)	First Monday in Sept	USA, Canada	Low liquidity in USD and CAD pairs.
Thanksgiving Day	Fourth Thursday in Nov	USA	Very low liquidity in USD pairs. Thin trading continues Friday.
Christmas Day	December 25	Global	Market effectively closed. No liquidity.
Boxing Day	December 26	UK, Canada, Australia, NZ	Low liquidity in GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD pairs.

　　US-based traders often ask, "is the forex market open on memorial day？" The global market is still running because London and Tokyo are open. But with US banks and the New York exchange closed, all USD pairs like EUR/USD and USD/JPY will have very little activity. Spreads will be wider, and big price moves are unlikely, making it a poor day to trade those pairs.

　　To check if the forex market is closed today, use a reliable economic calendar. Good brokers and financial news sites offer calendars that list all upcoming bank holidays and their countries.

　　

Uncovering Hidden Closures

　　Beyond official holidays and weekends, there are other times when the market becomes too difficult to trade. Smart traders learn to spot these "hidden" closures to protect their money.

　　These aren't times when the market is officially closed, but conditions become so poor that trading is high-risk with little reward.

　　

The Daily Rollover

　　Every trading day around 5:00 PM EST, the market has a "rollover." This marks the end of the New York session and the start of the new trading day with Sydney.

　　During this roughly one-hour window, activity drops sharply as major banks settle the day's trades. Spreads can widen greatly, making it a risky time to enter or exit positions. Think of it as a daily mini-closure when it's best to stay out of the market.

　　

Major News Events

　　In the minutes before and right after a big news release—like the US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report or an FOMC interest rate decision—the market can become chaotic.

　　While technically open, the extreme swings, huge spread widening, and severe price jumps can make it "effectively closed" for most small traders. Getting a trade at your desired price becomes almost impossible.

　　

The Summer Doldrums

　　The period from late July through August is often called the "summer doldrums." Many big traders in Europe and North America take vacations during this time.

　　This causes a clear drop in overall trading volume. The market can become sluggish, with long periods of sideways movement broken by sudden, sharp moves on low volume. It's a tricky time that requires smaller trades and careful planning.

　　

The Holiday Ghost Town

　　The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is another special period. The market is technically open for several days, but activity is minimal.

　　With most big players away for the holidays, liquidity is at its lowest point of the year. Price movements can be erratic and unpredictable, often showing choppy, meaningless shifts. Most professional traders choose to close their positions and stay out of the market entirely during this time.

　　

A Trader's Action Plan

　　Ignoring market closures and low-liquidity periods is a common mistake that can lead to big losses. Over years of trading, we've learned that respecting the market's rhythm is essential.

　　Here is the practical checklist we use every week to handle these periods safely and smartly.

　　

1. The Sunday Review

　　Before the market opens on Sunday evening, we always check a reliable economic calendar for the coming week. We look for bank holidays in the major economies: the US, UK, Eurozone, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. This quick check prevents us from being surprised by a slow market on any weekday.

　　

2. Adjust, Don't Stop

　　A holiday doesn't mean you must stop trading entirely; it means you need to adjust. If a US bank holiday is coming up, we know USD pairs will be quiet. Instead of forcing a trade on EUR/USD, we might look at cross pairs like EUR/JPY or AUD/NZD, which may have better activity and more predictable movement that day.

　　

3. Manage Open Positions

　　Our firm rule is to avoid holding large, non-essential positions into a long holiday weekend or over the Christmas break. The risk of a major price gap when the market reopens is too high. A surprise news event over a three-day weekend can cause the market to open far from where it closed, leading to a huge loss.

　　

4. Embrace The Downtime

　　When the forex market closed sign is effectively up due to a holiday or low liquidity, don't force trades. This is a perfect time to be productive in other ways. Use this time for testing a new strategy, reviewing your past trades, or learning more about the market. A forced trade in a bad market is far worse than no trade at all.

　　

5. Account for Wider Spreads

　　Always remember this simple fact: low liquidity means wider spreads. During holiday sessions, the daily rollover, or other quiet periods, the cost of entering and exiting a trade increases. Your broker's spreads will widen due to the lack of market depth. You must consider this higher cost in any trade you're thinking about.

　　

Trading Smarter

　　Understanding when the forex market is closed is more than just knowing the schedule. It's a key part of professional risk management and a vital element of a successful trading strategy.

　　The market follows a global rhythm. It has its busy hours, its quiet times, and its rest periods. The weekend closure, major bank holidays, and the hidden liquidity traps are all part of this rhythm.

　　By respecting the market's timing—knowing when to trade actively and when to step back—you change from a reactive participant into a strategic trader in control of your success.