Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, has been a federal holiday since 2021. Since then, government offices and some private companies have closed in observance as the Black community commemorates the day on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally declared free.
Juneteenth is one of several federal holidays celebrated nationwide
According to The Columbus Dispatch, Juneteenth is the longest-running African American holiday and is now recognized as one of 11 federal holidays observed nationwide, which also include:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day
- Memorial Day
- July 4
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
When is Juneteenth recognized in 2025?
Juneteenth falls on Thursday, June 19, 2025, and unlike holidays tied to a specific weekday, Black Americans celebrate it on the same date each year, per The Columbus Dispatch.
What is Juneteenth?
Blavity reported that Juneteenth is also known by other names, including Juneteenth Independence Day, Jubilee Day, and Freedom Day, all of which highlight the longest-running commemoration marking the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth is celebrated each year on June 19, commemorating the 1865 arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas, who announced the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved people — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
The executive order freed only enslaved people in Confederate states, so states that stayed in the Union kept slavery legal until later, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Congress abolished slavery in America with the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1865.
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
Former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, officially declaring the day as a federal holiday nationwide, Blavity reported.
“Juneteenth marks both a long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and the promise of a brighter morning to come,” Biden said during a signing ceremony at the White House at the time.
“This is a day, in my view, of profound weight and profound power. A day in which we remember the moral stain, terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take.“
Will there be deliveries and mail on Juneteenth?
On federal holidays, the U.S. Postal Service typically closes, and mail delivery is suspended in observance of the day, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
FedEx and UPS will have pickup and delivery services on June 19, and the locations will remain open, USA Today reported.
Are banks open on Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a Federal Reserve bank holiday, so the Federal Reserve is closed; banks aren’t required to close but often do. Transactions made on these days typically post the next business day, according to Bankrate.com.
Is there trash pickup on Juneteenth?
Trash pickup services will likely be delayed on Juneteenth, but it depends on the location and the hauler.
