Is Mail Delivered on 9/11/2021? Is It a Federal Holiday?

Today is the 20th anniversary of September 11. But is 9/11/2021 viewed as a federal holiday too? Will mail be delivered today and are post offices open? Although 9/11 is observed as Patriot Day to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks, it’s not a federal holiday.

Mail Will Be Delivered Today

Mail is still going to be delivered today and the post offices are going to be open for their regular hours. This is because 9/11/2021 is not technically a federal holiday. There may be memorials held to remember the victims, but schools and businesses will still remain open.

According to USPS’s holiday schedule, the postal service is closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. On days when the post office is closed, you can still visit the self-service kiosk and pay postage or drop something off in the kiosk to be mailed. And you can still check your post office box itself, since most lobbies are open. But you won’t receive mail. If you want to find an available self-service kiosk near you, go to the Post Office Locator on USPS.com.

UPS & FedEx Are Also Open

Both FedEx and UPS are also open and delivering packages and mail today on September 11, 2021.

UPS’s holiday schedule also notes that there are no pickup or delivery services on Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The only service that UPS definitely offers on holidays where it’s closed is UPS Express Critical.  UPS Express Critical service includes air, surface, charter, hand carry, international secure, inside precision, and value-added services options. This service is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

UPS does, however, offer pickup or delivery services on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day (aka Indigenous People’s Day), and Veterans Day.

According to FedEx’s holiday schedule, delivery services are closed on New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, July 4, Memorial Day, and some other holidays. However, the FedEx Custom Critical service is typically still available on holidays too. According to FedEx, Custom Critical is “same-day and overnight delivery of expedited freight.”

September 11 Is a National Day of Observance But It’s Not a Federal Holiday

Congress did designate September 11 as a national day of observance called Patriot Day, USA Today reported. However, unlike Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it’s not an official holiday. Congress only established 11 federal holidays, which apply to federal employees and employees of Washington, D.C., and then states tend to follow suit by observing these federal holidays also.

In 2018, USA Today reported that only four new federal holidays had been created in the last 100 years. This changed in 2020 when Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth bill, making June 19 a new federal holiday. It was the first new federal holiday approved since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983, CNN reported.

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