Juneteenth 2025: What's open and closed on federal holiday? Banks, post offices and more
Juneteenth is a federal holiday, which means several government offices will be closed on Thursday (June 19).
Juneteenth is being observed in the middle of a workweek this time, impacting several government offices around the US. Officially recognised as a federal holiday in the country since 2021, Juneteenth is also known as America's Second Independence Day.
When is Juneteenth and why is it celebrated?
Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19. This year, the date falls on a Thursday. It honours the day Major General Gordon Granger visited Galveston Bay in Texas in 1865. Joined by 2,000 Union troops, he arrived in the region to proclaim that over 250,000 enslaved Black people there were free. This happened nearly two and a half years after the (then) US President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
The executive order from Lincoln outlawed slavery in Confederate states starting from January 1863. It gained significant attention in 2020, when the US witnessed nationwide protests over racial inequality. The demonstrations were held after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. In 2021, former US President Joe Biden announced Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Juneteenth 2025: Are banks closed?
Yes. Like other federal holidays, people can expect the local banks and credit unions to remain closed for the day. People are advised to get in touch with their local bank branches for further updates.
Juneteenth 2025: Are government offices closed?
According to the US Office of Personnel Management, June 19 is designated a federal holiday. This means all non-essential government offices across the country, including the US Postal Service, will remain closed for the day.
Will stores, restaurants remain shut?
While Juneteenth is a federal holiday, individual businesses determine whether they will remain open for services or not. People can contact the local stores, restaurants or other businesses if they are planning to visit. Read more: FedEx, USPS, county offices and more: What's open and closed on Juneteenth 2025 in Michigan
FAQs
1. Is the post office open on Juneteenth?
The US Postal Service's website states that all post offices in the country will be out of service for retail transactions, while there will be no regular residential or business mail deliveries. But Priority Mail Express remains available 365 days a year, including on federal holidays.
2. Are schools closed on June 19?
Yes, all the public schools will remain closed on Thursday. Parents can check the academic calendar for private schools and universities.
3. How many federal holidays are remaining this year?
The US will mark Independence Day on July 4, Labor Day on September 1, Columbus Day on October 13, Veterans Day on November 11, Thanksgiving Day on November 27 and Christmas on December 25.
