Today is Juneteenth: Is there mail? Are banks closed? What to know about federal holiday

Today is Juneteenth: Is there mail? Are banks closed? What to know about federal holiday
Show Caption
Hide Caption
New Yorkers honor lost African American holiday older than Juneteenth
An African American holiday older than Juneteenth was almost lost. These New Yorkers are bringing back Pinkster, which was outlawed in the 1800s.
Juneteenth will be marked on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Juneteenth commemorates the day — June 19, 1865 — when federal soldiers arrived in Galveston to take control of Texas and ensure the slaves were freed per the Emancipation Proclamation.
It's known as America's Second Independence Day, and it's celebrated today, June 19.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It's the longest-running African American holiday, and it became a federal holiday a few years ago. Juneteenth celebrations across the High Desert will include food, music, dancing, art and other activities.
Here's what to know about the holiday.
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2025?
Yes, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
It is one of 11 federal holidays observed every year. The others are:
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
Washington's Birthday/Presidents Day
Memorial Day
July 4
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
When is Juneteenth observed in 2025?
Juneteenth will be marked on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Unlike other federal holidays, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving, which are observed on a specific day of the week, Juneteenth is celebrated on the actual day.
What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Juneteenth commemorates the day — June 19, 1865 — when federal soldiers arrived in Galveston to take control of Texas and ensure the slaves were freed per the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the History Channel. Juneteenth — short for June nineteenth — marks the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
Why is it called Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a portmanteau of June 19, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston. It became known as "Juneteenth" by the newly freed slaves of Texas, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture at the Smithsonian.
When did Abraham Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. But its effect was limited, according to the National Archives. It only applied to states that seceded during the Civil War, leaving slavery intact for slave states that stayed with the Union.
It also could not be enforced until Confederate states were under Union control, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Therefore, it took until June 19, 1865, for slaves in Texas to be freed.
Slavery in America was formally abolished with the 13th Amendment, which was ratified Dec. 6, 1865.
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. President Joe Biden signed legislation on June 17, 2021, according to USA TODAY, after Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act that same month.
Juneteenth began rising to prominence in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, sparked protests across the country against police brutality, USA TODAY reports.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., first introduced the Juneteenth bill in 2020 following the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor of Louisville, Kentucky. His initial attempt to pass the bill was unsuccessful.
Is there mail delivery on Juneteenth? Is the post office open? Does FedEx deliver?
No. As a federal holiday, the U.S. Postal Service is closed that day, and there will be no mail delivered.
FedEx pickup and delivery services will be available on June 19, according to the company's website. FedEx Office locations will also be open, USA TODAY reports.
Are banks open on Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a Federal Reserve bank holiday, meaning the organization that regulates the nation's banking system is closed, according to Bankrate.com.
Banks aren't required to close for Federal Reserve holidays, but they often do. Transactions made during these holidays won't be posted until the next business day.
Branches of Capital One, Bank of America, PNC, Truist, CitiBank and JPMorgan Chase will be closed on Juneteenth, USA TODAY is reporting. Capital One Cafes will remain open.
Is the stock market open or closed on Juneteenth?
The New York Stock Exchange is closed on federal holidays and will be closed on Juneteenth, according to its website.
Is trash pickup delayed for Juneteenth?
Trash pickup may be delayed because of Juneteenth, depending on the hauler. Contact your municipality or private provider to learn more.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Indianapolis Star

3 hours ago

• Indianapolis Star

INdulge: Traditional Nigerian stew with rich history is best thing I ate in Indy this week

Juneteenth, which commemorates the day the last slaves of the Confederacy were freed in 1865, has come and gone. However — if you'll allow me a brief moment on my radical, extremist soapbox — one could argue you don't need a federal holiday to support Black-owned businesses in your community. Among those businesses are Indianapolis' various West African restaurants. For this week's INdulge, I sampled a sliver of that robust culinary tradition with: If you're unfamiliar with Nigerian food, I suspect you could wander up to just about any restaurant that serves it, order a dish completely at random and end up with a memorably flavorful surprise. For an idea of where to start, consider the ayamase at Jollof Buka on the Near Westside. Black-owned restaurants: 40 to check out in the Indianapolis area Ayamase (aye-ah-mah-shay) is a thick sauce made with a blend of green peppers (usually bell peppers and/or unripe chilies), aromatic vegetables, hard-boiled egg and irú, fermented African locust beans. Various cuts of meat are also a common ingredient; Jollof Buka prepares its ayamase ($16.95) with shreds of turkey and chicken. These components are cooked in bleached palm oil, which has a distinct yet hard-to-place flavor I can best describe as hardy. The ayamase has a semi-dry, fibrous consistency similar to other spice pastes like Mexican salsa macha or Indonesian sambal. It packs a slight vegetal sweetness thanks to the peppers, while the meat and egg make it a well-rounded, savory meal. Though the stew is not especially spicy, an overly ambitious spoonful won't go unnoticed on the way down your throat. While not as well-known as jollof, Nigeria's national dish of spiced rice from which Jollof Buka gets its name (buka is a term for a casual restaurant in Yoruba, one of three major languages spoken in Nigeria), ayamase is extremely popular in the West African country. Unlike centuries-old jollof, ayamase has likely only been around for about a hundred years. The most popular origin story for ayamase tells of a woman living in the small Nigerian town of Ikenne named Felicia Ajibabi Adesina, who in the 1920s developed a sauce of peppers and palm oil to serve at her food stand with Ofada rice (ayamase is often referred to as Ofada stew). Supposedly, Adesina's short-tempered husband would often get into scraps with neighbors, prompting concerned friends and family members to call him Mase, a Yoruba word that means 'don't' — as in, come on, man, don't hit him. In turn, Adesina's wildly popular sauce became known as obe aya Mase, meaning 'Mase's wife's sauce,' and eventually just ayamase. Previously in INdulge: Why do dads love to grill? This BBQ dish was best thing I ate in Indy this week While the fun stories behind our favorite foods typically fall apart under scrutiny, the legend of Felicia Adesina actually seems to hold up. It's the only historical explanation for ayamase I can find, including in one of Nigeria's oldest independent newspapers, The Guardian. Amid a lack of contrary evidence, I'm content to believe the tale of Adesina's fiery entrepreneurial spirit and similarly combustible husband. Whoever its inventor, ayamase remains a strong representative of Nigerian cuisine. Though summer generally doesn't stir cravings of hot, spiced stew, I'd say a visit Jollof Buka is worth the sweat. What: Ayamase, $16.95 Where: Jollof Buka, 2501 W. Washington St., (317) 384-1575, In case that's not your thing: Jollof Buka's menu caters to diners of widely varying curiosity levels, so it's OK if you're totally new to Nigerian food. The jollof with jerk chicken ($18), fried spiced chicken wings ($9) or vegetarian okra soup ($16.49) should all ring reasonably familiar to the Western palate. Meanwhile, more adventurous eaters can swing for peppered ponmo (cow skin cooked in chili paste, $16) or the spicy goat stir fry called asun ($16, weekends only).

CBS News

9 hours ago

• CBS News

Minnesotans celebrate Juneteenth through food, music and history lessons

Across Minnesota, communities came together to celebrate a day that's more than a holiday, but the heartbeat of freedom. Juneteenth, now recognized as a federal holiday, is more than a day off; it's an important reminder of freedom delayed but never denied. It marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free. In south Minneapolis, people gathered for food and music as children jumped Double Dutch. In north Minneapolis, there was a parade full of excitement. But at Historic Fort Snelling, people took a different approach. More than 400 people took a guided tour on the grounds where slavery once existed. Dred and Harriet Scott lived and labored there in the 1830s. A man whose fight for freedom was one of the most infamous Supreme Court decisions, where the courts denied Black people freedom. For Loretta Kennedy and her family, it was crucial to book the tour. "Everybody needs to know their name and who they were," Kennedy said. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here." It's a day filled with love and rooted in history and hope.

Associated Press

11 hours ago

• Associated Press

Photos of Juneteenth celebrations commemorating end to slavery

Juneteenth celebrations took place across the U.S., commemorating the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas learned of their freedom. While long honored by Black Americans, the holiday has gained broader recognition since becoming a federal holiday in 2021 under President Joe Biden, who attended an event in Galveston, Texas, where Juneteenth began. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.