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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed this year on Monday, January 18, 2021. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, which falls on January 15, the United States recognizes the third Monday in January as a federal holiday. This means that many businesses are closed to give their employees the day off and a long weekend.
You may be wondering if you will be able to send or receive mail through the USPS this year on January 18. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the United States Postal Service is closed and regular mail will not be delivered. Post offices reopen and regular mail delivery resumes normal service on Tuesday, January 19. According to the USPS, Priority Mail Express items will be delivered on January 18.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Is 1 of 10 Federal Holidays
Employees of the United States Postal Service are given paid time off in observance of the country’s 10 federal holidays. In addition to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, the other holidays for which the post office is closed in 2021 are New Year’s Day (January 1), Presidents’ Day (February 15), Memorial Day (May 31), Independence Day (July 5, in observance of the July 4 holiday), Labor Day (September 6), Columbus Day (October 11), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (November 25) and Christmas Day (December 25).
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you can expect a number of other businesses to be closed, including schools, banks, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, and trash delivery. City, county, state and federal government offices are also expected to be closed in observance of the day.
A USPS press release for Sacramento, California, explains, “In observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, Postal Service facilities will be closed for retail transactions on Monday, January 18, 2021. There will be no residential or business deliveries. Although there will be no regular mail service, Priority Mail Express is delivered 365 days a year and will be delivered on January 18th. Normal delivery and collection schedules will resume Tuesday, January 19, 2021.”
While USPS Is Closed, FedEx & UPS Are Making Deliveries on MLK Day
FedEx’s holiday schedule indicates that FedEx Office, Home Delivery, Freight, Custom Critical and Trade Networks are operating on a normal schedule on the holiday. FedEx’s Express and SmartPost are operating on a modified schedule.
UPS’s holiday schedule says that on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, “UPS® pickup and delivery services are available. Note that UPS SurePost® and UPS Mail Innovations® deliveries will require one additional business day’s time in transit due to the Federal (USPS) holiday.” UPS store locations will be open and UPS freight services are available.
The Holiday Is ‘an Official Day of Service’
According to AmeriCorps, the holiday is meant to be “an official day of service and celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy.” All Americans are encouraged to use the day off from work to volunteer within their communities.
With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, there are many opportunities for volunteering or donating in a virtual capacity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage those who volunteer in person to practice social distancing and wear a facemask to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Future Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances fall on the following days:
– 2022: Monday, January 17
– 2023: Monday, January 16
– 2024: Monday, January 15
– 2025: Monday, January 20
– 2026: Monday, January 19
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